It’s no wonder, then, that there’s this whole libertarian-focused wing of Mormon fundamentalism. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, the Mormons were as militant a religious outsider group as any the Wild West ever saw. government, eventually settling in Utah to continue their way of life and practice polygamy. In the early days, the church was much more akin to its modern libertarian splinter groups, in that it stood in direct opposition to the U.S. God says different.”įrom about the mid-20th century onward, the mainstream LDS Church has succeeded and grown by assimilating into mainstream American culture, but it definitely wasn’t always like that. The United States says we cannot marry more than one wife. “God is greater than the United States, and when the Government conflicts with heaven, we will be ranged under the banner of heaven against the Government. Take the title of this series, and Jon Krakauer’s book, which comes from a quote from John Taylor, the third president of the LDS Church: But that might be preferable while we’re still at the beginning, and the show is certainly doing a great job of juggling all the details of this true-crime story and laying out the greater context in a clear, entertaining fashion.Īll the while providing context for how modern Mormonism came to its beliefs. There is just something about it that feels more, I don’t know, utilitarian than lyrical. Not that there’s anything objectionable or poor about what we’ve seen so far. Heading into the second episode of Under the Banner of Heaven, I’m feeling equal parts intrigued and, admittedly, a little underwhelmed - if only because of the overly efficient pacing and overall look and feel of the show.

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