Under the Banner of Heaven

[animal chittering, bird calling]

And he beat Ron's dog to death with it.

God said, "Man shall not live on bread alone,"

but He didn't say nothin' 'bout peaches.

Seems like she dipped into her end-of-days stash.

- Well, if her sons have holed up here with her,

they left a light footprint.

They're staying outside.

Right out there.

You saw how Sam was living.

All her boys need is tree cover to survive.

If you can rule out the rest of the house,

I'll take care of her.

Then we go look out there together.

- Yeah. Yeah?

Yeah.

- Sister Lafferty, when's the last time

you saw your son Ron?

Seldom...

Since Father passed last year.

Ronnie took it hard. - So you felt responsible?

- What do you mean, "responsible"?

What's he mean, Brother Brady?

- Uh, uh, uh, responsible, uh, meaning--

Well, you know,

I wouldn't wanna put words in anybody's mouth.

Meaning guilty.

Mr. Brady shared with me that Ron denied his father care

that could've saved his life.

They're lies.

Stop it. Stop it. Stop it!

Stop it.

Brother Brady, you've eaten at my table,

and I've held you in prayer.

You know this is a loving home.

- It was--it wa-- it was a very loving home.

Yes, you see?

My hea--my heart's torn open.

You've taken my sons from me,

but if they were here, you would see their innocence

in the way Heavenly Father resides in them.

And Brenda would tell you.

She would.

Rest her soul.

[indistinct police radio chatter]

Follow me.

[indistinct police radio chatter]

[indistinct police radio chatter]

[indistinct police radio chatter]

Don't touch anything.

Stay right there. Don't move.

Just there.

This is where your school met, huh?

Yeah. Welcome.

Give us the room, please.

Thank you.

Sit down.

So I wanna know why you didn't contradict her

when she said this was a loving home.

- You afraid of her?

Or are you afraid of who she might rat you out to?

- Look, it--it--

it must be tough to picture now

with your officers up there yankin' floorboards,

but I'm telling ya, whenever the school came here,

I was met with a positive spirit.

- Even after Ron murdered his own father?

- I would--I wouldn't-- I wouldn't call that murder.

- That's exactly what you called it.

Brother...

when men of faith say that they feel

the burning of the bosom by the Holy Spirit,

I--I was raised to believe them.

- If they told me their bosom was burning

to let someone die, I'd do my own praying.

- Well, you are very wise, Brother.

Look, I did the same.

I did the same.

You know, I didn't think it was right, but--

but if the Spirit is telling them one thing

and me the opposite,

how do we know which one's it?

They never covered that in my ward.

And there are examples of God's killing orders

all over our scriptures, all over.

- When you were cuffed

and you were facing charges

back at the station, you called it murder.

Now you're here...

and it's all-- it's all just God's command.

No, you're just using scripture,

whatever scripture you wanna use,

moment to moment to save your own skin.

- The rules are the rules, Brother.

You can't--

- I tell you not to touch anything?

So after Ron let his father die,

is that when he started cutting throats?

- Ron did not know where to turn.

He, uh, went on, uh--

well, he called it his "Journey of Truth."

He was seeking a pure Mormonism,

one that his wife might come back to.

So he headed west to Oregon, uh, looking for John Bryant.

Hey, I'm looking for Brother Bryant.

I wrote to him. Am I in the right place?

Welcome, Brother. Hi, hey!

Come on in, yeah, yeah.

Hey!

Careful!

You--you cut this?

- Bryant was an acolyte of Rulon Allred,

the, um, polygamist who was assassinated

for being too liberal.

So Bryant started his own community in Nevada

and then Oregon,

a--a very loving place.

Polygamy.

Wine.

Ron had an awakening there.

We'll be done eating dinner

by the time you finish, Brother.

- The last time I cooked, it was--

I was a missionary, okay? - Here, here.

- So you go. - Here.

[John Mellencamp's "Ain't That America" playing]

Like this.

Just like that.

Lean into it. Yeah?

There you go. See?

It's splitting.

You learned something new.

- No--no, thanks. Not for me. Thanks.

No?

Put our prophet in historical context.

He wrote the Word of Wisdom during the Temperance Movement.

He had to suggest going easy.

But he did it "not by commandment or constraint."

The Lord gives us wine to gladden the heart.

It's natural.

Spiritual.

See?

Here, you do not ever have to do a thing

that you do not wish to.

No, it's wonderful.

This is how I always thought faith should feel.

I miss my wife.

It--

we've been fighting, and I just...

think I know that she feels--

there's such peace here.

If she--if she could-- if she could see this,

if she could feel this--

- Jesus came to me with revelations,

commanding me to build an order in preparation for my role

as His One Mighty and Strong

to put His church to rights, Brother.

Your wife will experience

the holiness you found here too.

The love.

Ron...

may I baptize you?

Ron Lafferty,

having been commissioned of Jesus Christ

and by the authority of the true Melchizedek priesthood,

I bless you that you may find peace

and purpose as a servant of our order.

And I baptize you in the name of the Father,

the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Amen.

So he came back,

only to find his home emptied.

So he came back here.

My eldest brother.

Wow, um...

what a surprise.

You're back.

Did you find what you were looking for in Oregon?

No, it-- it's just the beginning.

It's the beginning.

I might go to Canada, to Bountiful, 'cause it's a--

it's a journey... Yes, yes.

- That I'm on. Yes.

So you're leaving us again?

- She's gone, and my kids are gone.

Ron, uh--hold--hold on.

Let me see what's down here.

Ron, hold on, hold on.

Is the product of a compromised, corrupt, and...

double-crossed institution.

We call for a restoration of holy principles.