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 history of the Kirtland Temple ownership. SHOWNOTES: Become a recurring donor at Sunstone.org Davis Bitton, “The Waning of Mormon Kirtland” Roger Launius, The Kirtland Temple: A Historical Narrative Christian Larsen, The Ancient Order of Things: Essays on the Mormon Temple Kim Loving, “Ownership of the Kirtland Temple: Legends, Lies, and Misunderstandings” David Howlett, Kirtland Temple: The Biography of a Shared Mormon Sacred Sp ..read more

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 our work? We also discuss our new move to Youtube as well. SHOWNOTES: Youtube version of this episode Subscribe to Sunstone's youtube channel Become a recurring donor to Sunstone ..read more

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 the history of how California Mormons came to be. SHOWNOTES: Become a monthly donor here! Pictures of Fort San Bernardino Mormons Created and Then Abandoned San Bernardino The Rise and Decline of Mormon San Bernardino by Edward Leo Lyman The Mormon settlement in San Bernardino, 1851-1857   ..read more

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. Shownotes: DONATE TO SUNSTONE Richard Ballantyne founded the first sunday school in Utah 1897 Things You Didn’t Know (or May Have Forgotten) about Sunday School Mormon Sundays by William G. Hartley ..read more

Join Bryan and Lindsay for a special bonus episode! We were honored to talk with professors (and students) from Montana State (and several other universities ) about how we do responsible Mormon history. The panel, Believers and Skeptics in Mormon History has a youtube video which can be found here! Shownotes: Become a recurring donor today ..read more

In this episode, Lindsay and Bryan discuss several expeditions, including the Stansbury Expedition and the Gunnison Expedition and Massacre. Each of these events had a profound effect on early Mormonism. SHOWNOTES: Howard Stansbury’s Expedition around the Great Salt Lake: An Examination of the Route and the Maps by Jesse G. Peterson John W.Gunnison's Letters To His Mormon Friend, Albert Carrington  Gunnison Indian Depredation clippings Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows Review By Thomas G. Alexander, Footnote History of Edward Steptoe Gunnison's boo ..read more

Join Bryan and Lindsay for another episode of BEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS, as they talk about an important (feminist) Mormon pioneer foremother, Emmeline B. Wells. SHOWNOTES: The Diaries of Emmeline B. Wells Emmeline B. Wells: An Intimate History by Carol Cornwall Madsen An Advocate for Women: The Public Life of Emmeline B. Wells, 1870-1920 by Carol Cornwall Madsen Pedestals & Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority & Equal Rights by Martha Sonntag Bradley      ..read more

If you watched the recent Hulu hit, ABC's Daughters of the Cult about the complicated LeBaron family legacy, check out today's SMHP episode. In this special bonus episode, Bryan Buchanan and historian Cristina Rosetti dive into the early history of the family. If you're curious how Ervil LeBaron's murderous group got started, dive into this special episode ..read more

Some historians claim that whenever Mormons moved into town, the crime rate went up. Is it true? Did Mormonism make some prolific thieves and robbers? Join Lindsay and Bryan as they dive into the seedy story. Shownotes: Donate to Sunstone and the History Podcast (leave us a note in the comment section to say hi!) John Hallwas and Roger Launius, Cultures in Conflict Bill Shepard, “Stealing at Mormon Nauvoo” Mormon Nauvoo and the Problem of Theft of Non-Mormon Property by Roger Launius John D. Lee Battalion notes by Juanita Brooks Let This Be a Warning to All N*****s by Connell O’Donovan ..read more

In the early days of the Utah territory, Mormon leaders decided to exterminate anything that got in the way of their plans to build their Kingdom of God. This episode delves into the ghastly execution of the Timpanogos tribe that occupied lands Mormons invaded. It also tells the story of the "Wasters & Destroyers" contest where Mormons devised a contest to kill as many animals as possible, which added to the devastation. Shownotes: Donate to Sunstone and the History Podcast (leave us a note in the comment section to say hi!) Daniel Hanmer Wells and Events of His Time The Whites Want Every ..read more