E50: Magical Mystery UK Tour

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (0:10)
Everyone has that one friend who interrupts everyone, makes everything about them, and thinks they are the center of the universe. In the scope of Mormonism, Utah Mormons are that friend.
I count myself as part of the problem. My Mormonism was very much Utah-based, great base in culture, pioneer history-loving, fry sauce, wig and faith.

**Bryan Buchanan** (0:32)
Wait, what's the problem here?

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (0:34)
It's because I'm such a bumpkin, honestly. It's kind of embarrassing. I go to a party with Gentiles and can barely converse like a human, sometimes. I literally went to a party the other day and someone asked me what I wanted to drink and I said, diet coke. And the man laughed for 30 straight seconds at me. He thought I was making a joke. He's like, no, I mean, that or water?
Water, I guess. Water it'll be. Yeah, I'm working on it. I lived a very Utah Mormon-centric life and let's be honest, that's no fun for anyone. And so at Sunstone, we're working really hard to extend our work, ideas, and discussions outside of the Book of Mormon belt.
And it's something that Mormons writ large need to work on, including ex-Mormons.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:15)
As part of Lindsay and my repentance process, we tried to acknowledge the broader diaspora of Mormon experience, something, something more than one way with a Mormon. But it's a little more than that. For example, in the podcast, we're trying to tell histories outside the traditional LDS-centric narrative. We're also gonna be talking a lot about Utah and the Great Basin history because it really is so tied to the roots of many branches of Mormonism. But that's not where Mormonism starts or ends. Other people were doing Mormon stuff too, outside of Utah, Nauvoo, and all these traditional haunts that we usually hear about.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (1:46)
That's why we are going to take a little walk down to the Cavern Club just across the pond and talk about the early church in the UK. And you guys, apologies in advance for Bryan's attempts at bad British colloquialisms.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:59)
Listen, I guess start on Mr. Bean, I'll have you know. All right, close your eyes and imagine England.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:04)
Wait, did you just say close your eyes and think of England? I just want to make sure that's what I heard you say.

**Bryan Buchanan** (2:09)
Yes, you listeners, you got to get out and avu for a hot second. We've got to travel over jolly old England. Close your eyes, think of Greenfields, Old Castles and Liverpool.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:18)
Okay, good, because for a second there, it sounded like you were giving a young Mormon bride some honeymoon advice. And I'm not even joking, my best friend was told by her well-meaning mother when describing what to expect on the night of her wedding because Mormons wait until they're married, if you're a good Mormon, to have sex. Her mother said to her, just close your eyes and make a grocery list. Why not? You've heard the phrase, close your eyes and think of England, right?

**Bryan Buchanan** (2:41)
Get your head out of the gutter, lady of the podcast.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:44)
The gutter? England should get their heads out of the gutter. I've been there several times now and if you meet the good Sunstone UK folks, they are quite a rowdy lot. And also in the UK, they serve something called Spotted Dick at the grocery store, so I'm not the one in the gutter.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:00)
Moving on, I just want listeners to close their eyes and envision what they know about Mormons in England. Unless you've been to the UK or live there, like some of our listeners.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:09)
Hi, Laura and Julian and Andrew and Mark and everyone.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:11)
Unless you've been around Mormons there, I'm guessing a lot of you listeners don't know a whole lot about the church history of these UK saints.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:19)
And I have to admit, I was one of those for a very long time.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:23)
And it's a shame because the history of these early church missions is fascinating. You're hoping to cover the history here, including the mission to the Southern States, island mission, the missions to Japan, lots of others. There's a lot of literal and metaphorical ground to cover, but we'll work on it.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:41)
Hi, this is Lindsay Hansen Park.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:43)
And this is Bryan Buchanan.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:44)
Bringing you the story of Mormonism from the shadow of the everlasting hills, straight out of Zion, this isn't your grandpa's Mormon history.