If you’ve ever spent a late night scrolling through Hulu or staring at a bookshelf full of Jon Krakauer, you’ve hit it. That moment of pure, "wait, this actually happened?" disbelief. That is the core experience of engaging with Under the Banner of Heaven. Whether you are talking about the 2003 non-fiction masterpiece or the 2022 limited series starring Andrew Garfield, the story sticks to your ribs. It isn’t just about a murder. It’s about how faith, when twisted into something unrecognizable, can lead people to do the unthinkable.
It’s heavy.
The story centers on the 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter, Erica. It happened in the heart of Utah, a place that usually feels safe, clean, and predictable. But as the investigation unfolds, both in the book and the show, we see the layers of fundamentalism peel back. It’s a messy, violent, and deeply unsettling look at what happens when men decide they are receiving direct instructions from God that bypass the laws of the land.
The Brutal Reality of the Lafferty Case
Let's be real: true crime often feels like entertainment, but the reality of Under the Banner of Heaven is devastating. Brenda Lafferty wasn't just a victim in a script; she was a vibrant woman who stood up to her brothers-in-law. She saw the radicalization happening within the Lafferty family and she didn't stay quiet about it.
Ron and Dan Lafferty didn't just wake up one day and decide to commit a crime. It was a slow descent. They became obsessed with "The Peace Maker," an obscure 19th-century pamphlet that argued for polygamy. They started believing the mainstream LDS Church had lost its way. This wasn't just a religious disagreement. It turned into a cult-like isolation where they saw themselves as the only ones following the "true" path.
The murders were motivated by a "removal revelation." Ron claimed God told him Brenda and the baby had to be "removed" to allow the family to progress. It's the kind of logic that makes your skin crawl because it’s so cold. They didn't see it as murder; they saw it as a religious duty.
Why Andrew Garfield’s Jeb Pyre Matters
Interestingly, the show introduces a character who isn't in the book: Detective Jeb Pyre. Honestly, it was a smart move by creator Dustin Lance Black. In the book, Krakauer gives us the history of the Mormon church alongside the crime. It's brilliant, but it's dense.
By using Pyre—a fictional, devout Mormon detective—the show gives us a surrogate. We feel his world shaking. Every piece of evidence he finds against the Laffertys is a blow to his own faith. You've got this guy who just wants to be a good father and a good priesthood holder, but he's forced to look at the darkest possible version of his own beliefs.
Garfield plays it with this shaky, quiet intensity. You can see his soul cracking. It’s a performance that makes the historical elements feel personal.
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The Controversy Over Historical Accuracy
You can't talk about Under the Banner of Heaven without mentioning the pushback. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) hasn't exactly been a fan. When the book first came out, the church issued a lengthy response, essentially saying Krakauer was cherry-picking the most violent and obscure parts of their history to make the whole religion look dangerous.
Is that fair?
Krakauer is a journalist known for Into the Wild and Into Thin Air. He likes extremes. In this book, he draws a direct line from the early, often violent history of the LDS church—like the Mountain Meadows Massacre—to the Lafferty brothers. He argues that the seeds of fundamentalism were planted in the 19th century.
Critics say he ignores the millions of peaceful Mormons who find nothing but community and love in their faith. They have a point. But Krakauer isn’t writing a book about "average" people. He’s writing about the fringe. He's exploring why the fringe exists.
Understanding the "Blood Atonement"
One of the most controversial concepts discussed is "blood atonement." This is an old, long-discarded idea from the early days of the church suggesting that some sins are so great that the sinner's own blood must be shed to pay for them.
The Lafferty brothers latched onto this.
Modern LDS leaders have stated clearly that this is not a doctrine of the church and hasn't been for a very long time. But for the fundamentalist groups that split off—the ones living in compounds or hidden in suburban homes—these old ideas are kept alive. They use them to justify control, polygamy, and in the case of the Laffertys, violence.
Decoding the Fundamentalist Split
What most people get wrong about Under the Banner of Heaven is thinking it’s a critique of all religion. It’s actually a study of "fundamentalism" as a psychological trap.
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There are thousands of people living in fundamentalist sects in the West. You’ve got the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), the Kingston Group, and various independent families. Most aren't violent. But they all share a common thread: the belief that they have a higher authority than the government.
- Isolation: They cut off outside media, non-believing family, and traditional education.
- Patriarchy: Men hold absolute power. Women are often treated as property or "vessels."
- The Prophet Complex: One leader claims to speak for God, making their word law.
The Laffertys didn't live on a remote ranch. They lived in a normal neighborhood. They had jobs. They were "among us," which is arguably the scariest part of the whole story.
The Impact of the 2022 Series
The show brought this story back into the cultural zeitgeist in a big way. It wasn't just a hit; it was a conversation starter. People started Googling "Brenda Lafferty" and "Dan Lafferty" in record numbers.
What the show did well was focusing on the women. Brenda, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, is the heart of the story. Often in true crime, the victim is just a photo on a wall. Here, we see her life. We see her trying to help her sister-in-law, Dianna, escape an abusive situation. We see her intelligence and her refusal to be bullied by her husband’s brothers.
It makes the ending—which we all know is coming—even harder to swallow.
Why Do We Keep Coming Back to This?
There’s a specific kind of fascination with stories about "deconstruction." Right now, a lot of people are questioning the institutions they grew up in. Whether it’s religion, politics, or family traditions, there’s a collective movement toward asking: "Is this actually true? Or was I just told it was true?"
Under the Banner of Heaven is the ultimate deconstruction story. It’s about a man (Pyre) losing his certainty. It’s about a family (the Laffertys) losing their humanity to an ideology.
It reminds us that zealotry isn't just something that happens "over there" in other countries. It can happen in a split-level ranch house in Utah. It can happen anywhere where people stop asking questions and start following "revelations" that conveniently serve their own ego.
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The Reality of the Lafferty Brothers Today
People often wonder what happened after the credits rolled.
Dan Lafferty is still alive. He’s serving two life sentences. To this day, he hasn't expressed remorse in the way you’d expect. In interviews, he’s remained chillingly calm, still believing he was doing God's work. He’s even acted as a "mentor" of sorts to other inmates, which is a terrifying thought.
Ron Lafferty was on death row for decades. He died of natural causes in 2019, just before the show went into production. He never took responsibility for the murders, claiming he was a political prisoner.
The fact that they stayed so committed to their delusions until the end is perhaps the most disturbing part of the entire saga. It shows the power of the narrative they built for themselves.
What You Should Do Next
If you’ve watched the show but haven’t read the book, go get the book. Krakauer’s prose is lean and sharp. He provides a level of historical context that a television show simply can't fit into seven hours. He digs into the "White Horse Prophecy" and the Haun's Mill Massacre, giving you a map of how we got to the 1980s.
If you're interested in the broader world of fundamentalist groups, check out memoirs like Educated by Tara Westover or The Witness Wore Red by Rebecca Musser. They provide a first-hand look at what it’s like to grow up inside these systems.
Actionable Steps for the True Crime Enthusiast:
- Verify Your Sources: When reading about the history of the LDS church, look at both official church history and secular historians like Fawn Brodie or D. Michael Quinn. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.
- Support Organizations: Look into groups like "Holding Out Help," which assists people transitioning out of polygamous or fundamentalist cults. They provide housing, therapy, and basic needs for those who lose everything when they leave.
- Critical Thinking: Use this story as a lens to examine any "echo chambers" you might be in. The Laffertys' biggest mistake was refusing to listen to any voice that didn't confirm what they already believed.
The story of Brenda and Erica Lafferty is a tragedy, but it’s also a warning. It’s a reminder that the line between "devout" and "dangerous" is often thinner than we want to admit. We owe it to the victims to remember the facts, not just the sensationalized versions, and to keep asking the hard questions about power, faith, and the cost of silence.
The legacy of Under the Banner of Heaven isn't just about the crime itself. It’s about the ongoing struggle to balance religious freedom with the safety of the individual. It’s a dark chapter of American history that continues to provide lessons for anyone willing to look closely at the shadows.