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There’s the Mormon history you do know … and the Mormon history you don’t. Join Lindsay Hansen Park (Year of Polygamy) and historian Bryan Buchanan as they gossip about their ancestors and dig into all aspects of Mormonism’s astonishing 200-year past—uncovering the little-known stories that chronicle how a six-person church grew into a multi-billion-dollar religion. Episodes for this podcast are released every other week.

This podcast is heavily researched. For information on sources, and for additional reading for each episode's topic, click here.

Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or stream episodes right here on Sunstone.org.

Episode 128: Before They Were Famous: Amasa Lyman

July 19, 2024

Ever wondered what Amasa Lyman was up to before he became the 13th apostle of the LDS Church? What’s that? You’ve never heard of a 13th apostle before? Join Bryan …

Episode 127: The Walker War, part two

July 2, 2024

  Join Lindsay and Bryan as they interview historian Ryan Wimmer about the Walker War that involved the Mormons, Utes, and other native bands in the 1850s. SHOWNOTES: Register for …

Episode 126: The Walker War, part one

June 13, 2024

Join Bryan and Lindsay as they discuss the history of the war the Mormons declared on the Ute tribe (and all other tribal bands in Utah) during the 1850’s. These …

Episode 125: Our Favorite Time Periods in History; a chat

May 30, 2024

Join Lindsay and Bryan for an audio version of their Youtube Chat where they discuss their favorite time periods in Mormon history. SHOWNOTES: Become a recurring donor and support this …

Episode 124: The Indian Slave Trade

May 14, 2024

  Join Lindsay and Bryan as they discuss the 19th century economies of indigenous trafficking in the American west, human enslavement and abuse and how Mormons contributed and impacted it. …

Episode 123: The Gold Mission

May 1, 2024

Did you know that Brigham Young called people on official church missions to pan for filthy lucre? Come learn about the Gold Mission with Lindsay and Bryan. SHOWNOTES: The Mormon …

Episode 122: Ownership of the Kirtland Temple, a History

April 17, 2024

The sale of the Kirtland Temple from the Community of Christ to the LDS church has made headlines lately. Join Bryan and Lindsay as they discuss the long and storied …

Episode 121: Youtube and Historical Sources Discussion

April 3, 2024

Join Lindsay and Bryan as they talk about the state of Mormon historical source material. Does the LDS church hide its history? What sources are available? How do you check …

Episode 120: San Bernardino Mormons

March 21, 2024

Who were the real Mormons? We mean, the top-shelf kind? According to Brigham Young, any of the California Mormons couldn’t pass muster. Join Lindsay and Bryan as they talk about …

Episode 119: History of Mormon Sunday School

March 6, 2024

Petty jokes about his name aside, who was Richard Ballantyne? Bryan and Lindsay dive into Brother Ballantyne and his history with the history of Sunday School in the Mormon church. …

About Our Hosts

Lindsay Hansen Park is host of the Year of Polygamy podcast and executive director of the Sunstone Education Foundation. A single-mom of three kids by day, and nerd researcher by night, Lindsay lives in Salt Lake City, Utah where she interacts with hundreds of different restoration branches, Latter-day Saints and Mormon fundamentalists. Her adventures have led her to some of the most isolated fundamentalist compounds in the America West where she interacts with modern day outlaws, inlaws and everything in between. Her goal is to widen the conversation about common and shared heritages within the larger Mormon diaspora.

Lindsay
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Bryan Buchanan works at Benchmark Books, surrounded by Mormon history. At night, he herds small children and works on umpteen book projects, some of which might even be published.