Remember when Brigham Young disbanded the Relief Society shortly after Joseph Smith’s death? We do. Or do we…? In this long-awaited and teased BONUS episode, Bryan and Lindsay sit down with historian Katie Ludlow Rich to discuss her research and paper, The Shadow Succession Crisis: Challenging the Claim that Brigham Young Disbanded the Relief Society ..read more

Alpheus Cutler broke with Brigham Young but his timing couldn’t have been worse. Join Bryan and Lindsay as they discuss Cutler’s role in the succession crisis in Mormonism and the Cutlerite movement ..read more

In part two of our deep dive into the Mormon Reformation, Lindsay and Bryan explore how the movement intensified under the leadership of Jedediah Morgan Grant, Brigham Young, and Heber C. Kimball. As the push for purity reached its peak, controversial doctrines like blood atonement and plural marriage took center stage, along with the surprising ..read more

  In this episode, Lindsay and Bryan wrap up the story of Jedediah Morgan Grant, the “Sledgehammer of Mormonism,” as they dive into the final chapter of his life. From his rise to prominence in Salt Lake City as mayor and Brigham Young’s right-hand man, to his fiery leadership in the intense spiritual revival known ..read more

Join Lindsay and Bryan as they discuss the insane story of James Emmett, the Council of 50 member who started his own frontier break-off-get-back-together sect during the Mormon exodus. Show Notes: Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846; Volume 1, 10 March 1844–1 March 1845 ..read more

Join Lindsay as she sits down with Phillip B. Gottfredson to delve into one of the most significant yet often overlooked chapters in Utah’s history—the Black Hawk War of 1865. In this gripping conversation, they explore the complex and brutal conflict that erupted between Mormon settlers and Native American tribes, led by the Ute war ..read more

Welcome to our Scandinavian Summer Smorgesbord, where we serve up hot takes on cold historical facts! In this episode, we finally let Lindsay dig into her family roots—think less Ancestry.com and more “My Grandparents Were the Cigarette-Dispensing Rebels of Fountain Green.” Bryan tries (and fails) to dodge another round of Scandinavian sagas, but Lindsay’s not ..read more

Dive into the fascinating blend of history and personal stories in the latest episode of the SMHP podcast! Lindsay and Bryan take a deep, heartfelt dive into the rich tapestry of Mormonism’s Scandinavian past, exploring Lindsay’s connection to her ancestors and the unique impact of Danish Mormon migration to Utah as well as the Scandinavian ..read more

Join Bryan and Lindsay for another episode of Before They Were Famous! This time, starring tall-guy and early Latter-day Saint leader, Charles Coulson Rich. SHOWNOTES: Become a Sunstone History Podcast recurring donor Charles C. Rich: Mormon General and Western Frontiersman by Leonard Arrington ..read more

  The SMHP recently sat down with Dr. Matt Harris to discuss his hotly-awaited new book "Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality" (Oxford University Press). Harris's book is full of fascinating new sources and fresh insights into the rise and fall of the temple and priesthood ban. Check out the conversation! SHOWNOTES: Register for the Sunstone Summer Symposium Become a Sunstone History Podcast recurring donor ..read more