So overall, the book seeks to explain the backdrop of the Lafferty murders which occurred on July 24 1984. It faithfully presents all the relevant events and doctrines which would provide the crucial context for the motives behind the murders. Like how one might seek to explain the actions of modern day Muslims in the backdrop of the Prophet’s actions in Mecca and Medina — this work explores the actions and beliefs of certain fanatic fundamentalists by exploring the birth and evolution of the Mormon religion.

The author believes that understanding the Lafferty murders fully requires one to understand the evolution of the Mormon Church’s doctrines over the years. He provides short narratives on the lives and sayings of the various Prophets — Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Uncle Rulon etc. to tell us the role of the controversial Polygamy revelation in the lives of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints. 

It tries a bit to explore the psychological foundations behind the murders as well, but I would say it didn’t delve much deeper into this aspect. That is, the book claims that it is trying to explore the nature of religious belief — but I do not think it has explored it well enough. 

It does not go much deep into the question of why these beliefs hold so much value to the believers in the first place, why sensible people choose to believe or what patterns there are in these beliefs. Thus it comes off as a juvenile atheistic perspective on the matter. In the end, Krakauer, like various other atheists, puts all the religions into the same box. He says that they all say that every other religion is wrong — belying his ignorance of the Eastern faiths. 

Coming out of reading this book, I am more informed on the matter of the Mormon faith, but don’t have any increased insight regarding the nature of religious belief. However, I would say that the dry, impassionate data points presented in this book are definitely trying to point to it and might help me make some valuable connections later. I do not regret reading this book at all, and would definitely recommend it for anyone trying to get an idea about Mormon history and it’s fundamentalist stripe.