Beard (Symbol & Motif)
Krakauer uses the imagery of bearded men to highlight the unequal power dynamics between FLDS polygamists and their wives. The polygamist's beard, a symbol of masculinity and adulthood, uncomfortably contrasts his age with the youth and innocence of his young brides. Krakauer describes Tom Green, who married multiple underage girls, as a "fat, bearded man with a receding hairline." Before Brian David Mitchell kidnapped Elizabeth Smart, he "stopped shaving and cutting his hair."
Dan Lafferty's beard also marks his descent into fundamentalism. Before he found the Peace Maker, Dan Lafferty's neighbors described him as a clean-shaven, "all-American" farmer. When he implemented fundamentalist rules in his own family, Dan stopped shaving. Since his sentencing, Dan has not cut his beard, which now "descends to his belly."
Modest Attire (Symbol)
Throughout the text, mainstream and fundamentalist believers wear modest attire representing both the sexual chastity the church requires and the secrecy and insularity that shrouds the church and its beliefs. This secrecy is most prominent in fundamentalist communities. In the text's conclusion, DeLoy Bateman remarks that the FLDS beliefs still influence him, symbolized by the sacred undergarments he still feels compelled to wear.
Blood Atonement (Motif)
The idea of "blood atonement" and vengeance killing is a common motif in both the Lafferty and the early-Mormon plotlines. Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both leveraged their supposed divinely appointed authority to execute enemies of the church, like Governor Boggs and members of the Fancher party at Mountain Meadow. Dan and Ron Lafferty also use the principle of "blood atonement" to justify murdering Brenda, Erica, Chloe Low, and Richard Stowe.
The Story of Lehi
The story of Lehi, performed at the Hill Cumorah Pageant, is an allegory for the schism between the FLDS and LDS church. According to the Book of Mormon, Lehi was a patriarch God called to lead his people out of Jerusalem to the Americas. This exodus parallels the story of Joseph Smith, who claimed God called him to lead the Mormon people out of New York to the Midwest.
In the New World, Lehi's sons, Nephi and Laman, argue over who is the true inheritor of their father's legacy, a fight that culminates in genocide. This question of legitimate authority parallels the break in the Mormon church over polygamy, with both the FLDS and the mainstream church claiming to be the original church established by Smith.
The Story of Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell (Allegory)
Porter Rockwell was a follower of Joseph Smith, who allegedly attempted to assassinate Governor Lilburn Boggs to fulfill a prophecy Joseph Smith received. This historical anecdote is an allegory for Dan and Ron Lafferty's infamous murders. Ron received a "revelation" to murder Brenda and Erica Lafferty, which Dan felt called to fulfill. Ron even mentions Porter Rockwell in his revelation, though he initially outsources the responsibility to Todd, a former acquaintance of the Lafferty brothers.
