Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nice to be able to borrow e-books from our library back in MA! This was a very interesting--and saddening--book that was captivating & made me put a few other books aside till I finished it!

Krakauer is an excellent writer and does a splendid job of exposing the sickening underbelly of a man-made religion that is so clearly & unmistakably "another gospel." Make no bones about it (& the book doesn't shrink from exposing horrific crimes & lifestyles & beliefs that pour out of Mormonism)--any flavor of Mormonism, and there are many, many flavors, fall directly under the warning that the Apostle Paul (a real one, not a fake one like all those so-called Mormon ones) gave to the Galatians almost 2,000 years ago: "6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ."

Mormonism is fundamentally "another gospel" of works--an attempt by fallen man to try his best to pull himself up by his own bootstraps & to work his way into heaven. Anathema! As Paul said--even if "an angel from heaven" (?!! Moroni!?!) should "preach to you a gospel contrary" to The Gospel that Paul and the early true apostles taught--as found in the New Testament only--then let him/them be accursed!

And don't be fooled by the shiny bright cheery hard-working exteriors of so many Mormons. As clearly detailed in this historical and modern telling of the underbelly of Mormonism, it's ugly & sick & sadly deceived. May God have mercy on so many who are so close to what Jesus said was "the Kingdom of God among you," but who have been so thoroughly deceived by a false & different gospel--that is NO Gospel at all. As the subtitle states: it is a violent faith. It is sickening the things that it condones, encourages, overlooks, and espouses. Read this book and weep, friends.


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