John Krakauer, who wrote "Into Thin Air" about the tragedy on Mt Everest in 1996, tackles the story of the brutal 1984 murder of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter Erica in American Fork, Utah. He traces the history of Mormonism, the fundamentalist sects that broke off after the mainline church renounced polygamy, and the theological and philosophical ideas that eventually resulted this crime.Brenda Lafferty was killed by her own brothers-in-law, Ron & Dan Lafferty. Ron says he received a revelation from God telling him to eliminate, not only Brenda, but also his 15 month old niece. Ron is not insane. What kind of religious perversion allows such an atrocity to take place? What allows someone like Ron Lafferty to justify this in his mind? That is what Krakauer explores in this book. It is a fascinating and sobering read.
Sojourner
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