Jon Krakauer's nonfiction book Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith was first published in July 2003. The text follows two parallel storylines: the founding and development of the early Mormon church in the nineteenth century, and the religiously motivated 1984 double murder committed by Dan and Ron Lafferty. Under the Banner of Heaven also includes accounts of abuses committed by fundamentalist Mormon leaders following the same theology as the Lafferty brothers.
Under the Banner of Heaven received praise for its thoroughly researched historical accounts, gripping storytelling, and poignant analyses of religious fundamentalism in post-9/11 America. However, representatives from the LDS church preemptively criticized the text for misrepresenting the more salacious details of the church's sacred history and supposedly "condemn[ing] religion generally."
Under the Banner of Heaven was adapted into a Hulu series of the same name, released in April 2022.
