Prophet of Death: The Mormon Blood-Atonement Killings

by Pete Earley

Book Overview

By the award-winning author of Family of Spies

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068810584X
• ISBN13: 9780688105846
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.6" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Prophet of Death: The Mormon Blood-Atonement Killings

This is the first `true crime,' that I've read in about four years. The research was impeccable .... the writing excellent [although there was a tendency to use too many articles]. Most books are slanted by the author to grind their hidden agendas into your psyche. This book is a pleasant exception. Although a bit too long, you are properly introduced to the main characters of the cult. Only problem? The graphic descriptions of Lundgren's possible rectum-retentive sexuality triggered my vomit reflex machine. It's a great read ... I couldn't put it down and finished reading the book in two days with sore eyes.

The better of the two books written about the Lundgren case

I own both of the books about Jeffrey Lundgren, and this one is by far better than the quick-and-dirty "Kirtland Massacre" by Sasse and Widder. It goes into a great more detail and is far less scattered.I knew the Avery family, all five of them, from the time Dennis and Cheryl started attending the same RLDS congregation as my family in the early 1970s, up through the early 1980s, when they changed congregations for the more conservative one where they met Lundgren. I remember when each of the three Avery daughters were born, and one of the things I was surprised to read about in this book was Jeffrey Lundgren's assertion that Cheryl Avery "wore the pants" in their marriage. That is definitely not how I remember them. Dennis Avery may have been something less than Clint Eastwood in the manliness department, but Cheryl Avery was a very dutiful and submissive wife in my memory, although one could concede that it's a child's memory.In January 1990, I called my parents at the time the news broke about the identities of the bodies found in Kirtland. My mother made a statement to the effect that Dennis and Cheryl Avery had always been very trusting and rather naive, as well as easily led, which had finally resulted in tragedy.Jeffrey Lundgren was not alone in his criticisms of the RLDS Church (now known as the Community of Christ) in the 1970s and 1980s, nor in his decision to leave it and form his own group. I grew up in Independence, Missouri, the world headquarters of the Church, and I saw the severe conflict and split that resulted from the 1984 revelation permitting women to become ordained in the church. The Church saw something like 40 percent of its membership break completely away and form smaller fundamentalist groups which clung to the traditionalist views most RLDS were familiar with.My father, an elder in the church for many years, feels that the real issue in 1984 wasn't the ordination of women but the issue of continuing education that rankled most male priesthood members. The president of the RLDS Church at the time of the 1984 revelation was very committed to the idea of lifelong learning for priesthood members. The RLDS Church doctrine is very much centered in divine revelation, and a lot of longtime priesthood members felt they had no need of education once they were ordained -- that God would provide whatever knowledge or discernment they needed.In my opinion, that doctrinal emphasis on divine revelation is a lot of the reason why Jeffrey Lundgren could come to power among a group of people. When you belong to a religion that encourages you to believe that God speaks through his ordained clergy, how easy is it to dispute what is said?Although we grew up in the same town, I did not know Jeffrey Lundgren; he was fifteen years older than me and went to a different congregation of the RLDS Church. However, in the couple of years following my graduation from high school in the early 1980s, my circle of acquaintances included R

Mind control, sex, religious obsession and murder...

Does this sound like you? Are you Jeffrey Don Lundgren? If not, then you have to read Pete's book about the human sacrificing self-acclaimed prophet, Lundgren. Find out how he convinced others to follow him in his twisted Morman lifestyle and murderous rage. Meet and say good-bye to an entire family, the Avery's and their three innocent children. This book will horrify you, but you won't put it down. Read it. Do it. Now.