When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times is a book written by Leah Sottile and published by Twelve Books.
When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times is a book written by Leah Sottile and published by Twelve Books.
The title comes from the Book of Revelation during which the moon is prophesied to turn red like blood. [1] The book discusses the killings of Tylee Ryan and J. J. Vallow. [2] Sottile focuses on the extremist Mormon beliefs of the children's mother Lori Vallow and her lover Chad Daybell. [3] They were particularly fond of apocalyptic literature. [4] Vallow and Daybell were arrested in Hawaii after the children were reported missing. They were found buried in Daybell's backyard in Idaho in June of 2020. [5]
The book was a 2023 Oregon Book Awards Finalist for the Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction. John Dehlin, of the Mormon Stories Podcast, called it "a critical book for understanding 21st century Mormonism," and Courtney Eathorne wrote in Booklist that the book is an "exquisitely researched history of LDS and its fringe offshoots." [6] Ron Sylvester wrote in the Spokesman-Review that “Sottile uses the story, unthinkable to most parents, that a mom would participate in the killing of her own children, to weave together an unhealthy obsession, shared by a large swath of Americans that poisons both Christianity and conservative politics.” [1] The Publishers Weekly review says that Sottile's "attempts to impose broader significance will fall flat for many”. [7]
Cain is a biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He was a farmer who gave an offering of his crops to God. However, God was not pleased and favored Abel's offering over Cain's. Out of jealousy, Cain killed his brother, for which he was punished by God with the curse and mark of Cain. He had several children, starting with Enoch and including Lamech.
Rexburg is a city in Madison County, Idaho, United States. The population was 39,409 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Madison County and its largest city. Rexburg is the principal city of the Rexburg, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Fremont and Madison counties. The city is home to Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU-Idaho), a private institution operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 1995 until his death in January 2008 at age 97. Considered a prophet, seer, and revelator by church members, Hinckley was the oldest person to preside over the church in its history until Russell M. Nelson surpassed his age in 2022.
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith is a nonfiction book by author Jon Krakauer, first published in July 2003. He investigated and juxtaposed two histories: the origin and evolution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a modern double murder committed in the name of God by brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who subscribed to a fundamentalist version of Mormonism.
Ervil Morrell LeBaron was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, both within his own sect and in rival polygamous groups, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify the murders. He was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of an opponent, and died there in 1981.
The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon is a 1991 novel by American author Tom Spanbauer set at the beginning of the 20th century. Told primarily in flashback by its protagonist, a biracial Native American named Out-In-The-Shed, most of the action occurs in the late 19th century in the fictional town of Excellent, Idaho, as Shed grows up, learns about his parents, and falls in love. The work is Spanbauer's second novel.
The history of the Latter Day Saint movement includes numerous instances of violence. Mormons faced significant persecution in the early 19th century, including instances of forced displacement and mob violence in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. Notably, the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, was shot and killed alongside his brother, Hyrum Smith, in Carthage, Illinois in 1844, while Smith was in jail awaiting trial on charges of treason and inciting a riot.
Linda Buhler Sillitoe was an American journalist, poet and historian. She is best known for her journalistic coverage about Mark Hofmann and the "Mormon forgery murders." Her subsequent book Salamander, coauthored with Allen Roberts, examined Hofmann's creation of an industry for forged documents, the 1985 bombing murders of two people, and the police investigation, arrest and conviction. The murder investigation eventually revealed Hofmann's documents, initially seen as undermining the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were forgeries. Sillitoe’s published works also included fiction and poetry.
Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, that is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The population was 35,268 in 2020, according to the United States Census. Springville is a bedroom community for commuters who work in the Provo-Orem and Salt Lake City metropolitan areas. Other neighboring cities include Spanish Fork and Mapleton. Springville has the nickname of "Art City" or "Hobble Creek".
Jessica Day George is an American author who lives in Utah. She is a New York Times bestselling author of Young Adult fantasy novels, and she received the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Book by a New Author for Dragon Slippers. Having attended Brigham Young University (BYU), George is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Dead Fathers Club is a 2006 novel by Matt Haig. The book was published in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cape and in the United States by Viking Press. The story is a retelling of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and thus an example of intertextuality.
John Glatt is a British American author of biographies and true crime books. Glatt was born in London and moved to New York in 1981.
Julie Rowe is an American author and a self-proclaimed clairvoyant. She claims to have had a near-death experience in 2004, during which she also claims to have had visions pertaining to end-times events. Rowe published her account in a series of books.
Leah Sottile is an American journalist, writer, and podcast host who lives in Portland, Oregon.
Anna-Marie McLemore is a Mexican-American author of young adult fiction magical realism, best known for their Stonewall Honor-winning novel When the Moon Was Ours, Wild Beauty, and The Weight of Feathers.
The Vallow–Daybell doomsday murders are a series of killings—including child murder, filicide and spousal murder—committed by an American couple, Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell, who led a Mormon religious group described by the media as a "doomsday cult." The case was set in motion when Lori Vallow's daughter, Tylee Ryan, and younger adopted son, Joshua Jaxon "J. J." Vallow, disappeared respectively on September 9 and September 23, 2019. Tylee and J.J.'s remains were found in Rexburg, Idaho on June 9, 2020: they had been buried in the backyard of Chad Daybell, who was Lori Vallow's lover at the time of their deaths and had become her husband by the time their bodies were found. The case also involved the killings of Lori's previous husband Charles Vallow and of Chad's wife Tammy Daybell, as well as the attempted murder of Lori's nephew-in-law Brandon Boudreaux. Lori's brother Alex Cox, who is believed by authorities to have participated in the crimes, died before he could be brought to justice.
Deseret Nationalism, popularized online as #DezNat, is a far-right Mormon nationalist movement in the United States. It was originated in 2018, following the Unite the Right rally. by Logan Smith, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who is known as "JP Bellum" on Twitter. While the term originated as a Twitter hashtag, collecting upwards of 114,000 original posts, its significance goes beyond social media. DezNat represents a loosely affiliated group of LDS Church members who share common ideals and values, despite the Church's negative stance on the concept. The impact of DezNat can be observed through the actions and behaviors of its followers in their communities.
Bundyville is a non-fiction true crime podcast created by Leah Sottile based on nine longform stories written and reported by Sottile. The series ran for two seasons and was produced by Longreads in partnership with Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Two Minutes Past Nine is a podcast hosted by Leah Sottile and produced by BBC Radio 4.
Kirton McConkie is an American law firm headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the largest law firm in Utah, and it has long served as the external legal counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was ranked the 300th largest law firm in the United States in 2022 by the National Law Journal.