Latter-day sinners? Salon.com examines Mormon fundamentalist practices and their ties to polygamy and violence

The year 2003 was not a favorable one for the public image of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). In March, the abduction of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart by Brian David Mitchell, a man who called himself Immanuel David Isaiah, brought renewed scrutiny to the LDS church and its fundamentalist offshoots. Mitchell, who had been excommunicated from the LDS church, was linked to a polygamous community that practiced what the LDS church officially condemns. While the LDS leadership maintains that such groups operate independently and are not supported by the church, critics argue that the distinction is often blurred.

Jon Krakauer’s book “Under the Banner of Heaven” has drawn particular attention. The book, which blends true crime with historical analysis, details the 1984 murder of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter Erica in Utah. The perpetrators, her brothers-in-law Ron and Dan Lafferty, had been excommunicated from the LDS church for advocating polygamy, a practice the church officially banned in 1890. The Lafferty brothers were also expelled from a fundamentalist sect for following a revelation that ordered the “removal” of Brenda Lafferty and her child, along with two others.

The sect the Lafferty brothers belonged to had itself split from another polygamous group known as the United Effort Plan (UEP). The split occurred when the sect’s leader, a man calling himself Prophet Onias, received a revelation that the UEP’s leaders had “gone astray.” Both groups claimed their practices were divinely mandated, reflecting a broader pattern within fundamentalist Mormon communities where religious authority is often intertwined with authoritarian control.

The LDS church has distanced itself from such groups, emphasizing that polygamy and violence are not part of its teachings. However, the persistence of these practices among some offshoots has raised questions about the extent of the church’s influence and the challenges of enforcing its policies. The cases of Elizabeth Smart and Brenda Lafferty highlight the complex and often troubling legacy of polygamy in Mormon history.

The publication of “Under the Banner of Heaven” has sparked debate within the LDS community. The book’s author, Jon Krakauer, is a well-known journalist whose previous work, “Into Thin Air,” was a bestseller. The LDS church has issued a rebuttal to the book, which it views as damaging to its reputation. The book’s focus on the Lafferty case and its broader implications for Mormon history has drawn both criticism and attention, underscoring the ongoing tensions between the LDS church and its fundamentalist counterparts.

The stories of Elizabeth Smart and Brenda Lafferty serve as reminders of the human cost of religious extremism. They also highlight the challenges of distinguishing between legitimate religious practice and harmful, coercive behavior. As the LDS church continues to navigate its relationship with these groups, the issue of polygamy remains a contentious and sensitive topic. The church’s stance on the matter reflects a broader struggle to reconcile its historical roots with contemporary ethical standards.

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