E68: UTBOH Fact, Fiction and Episode One

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (0:08)
Now is it true what they say?

**Bryan Buchanan** (0:10)
Some who term themselves believing Latter-day Saints are advocating that Latter-day Saints should abandon claims that Under the Banner of Heaven is a historical record of the Mormons. They are promoting the feasibility of watching and using Under the Banner of Heaven as nothing more than a pious fiction with some valuable contents. These practitioners of so-called higher criticism raise the question of whether Under the Banner of Heaven, which our TikTokers have put forward as the preeminent series of this dispensation, is fact or fable, history or just a story. The historicity, historical authenticity of Under the Banner of Heaven is an issue so fundamental that it rests first upon faith in Dustin Lance Black, which is the first principle in this, as in all other matters.
Dallin H. Oaks.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (0:55)
I know you're blossom at everybody's door. Do folks keep eating possum?
Hi, this is Lindsay Hansen Park.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:10)
And this is Bryan Buchanan.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (1:11)
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.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:38)
This is the tale of Mormon saints and sinners from our roots until present day.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (1:43)
Gird your loins, lock your hearts, and pay your tithing, because we're bringing you the story of Mormonism in all its paradisiacal glory.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:52)
It's the Sunstone History Podcast.
Okay, fine. That was sort of Dallin H. Oaks' words. He was really talking about the history of the Book of Mormon, but it just seemed right to stick it in here. Well, folks.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:29)
Some criticism of the Brethren isn't useful, even if it is true.

**Bryan Buchanan** (2:34)
Thank you, that is the perfect segue for that.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:36)
Pretty sure that's the quote, right?

**Bryan Buchanan** (2:38)
Welcome, folks.
After a lot of big talk about it, here we are. We are going to start doing our deep dives into the episode. So tonight, we're going to take a look at episode one.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:49)
Episode one seems like so long ago, weeks and weeks and weeks. And I believe in Mormon cosmology every day is 7,000 years. That is how many weeks I have lived since episode one. So excited to revisit it, Bryan. As people may or may not know, I'm Lindsay Hansen Park, and I was one of the consultants on Under the Banner of Heaven and got to go on set and help make fancy Mormon things. So if you're angry, you can direct all your anger at me, which you already are doing.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:23)
And I'm Bryan. I was not a historical consultant, but I did get to go to the premiere.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:27)
So you were, Bryan was a historical consultant. He's not credited as our, a bunch of historians that helped me, but Bryan helped me probably the very most. I was, do you want to explain what that was like, Bryan?

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:40)
It was very interesting because at literally any hour of the day, a message would come about literally anything. It might be something about the temple. It might be something about the Lafferties.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:51)
I had a very strong NDA. And so I couldn't tell people or talk about it, but Bryan knew enough to not ask questions and help check my work because yeah, it was broad. And Bryan's very, very useful in my work too, because not very many people know Mormon fundamentalism. And so there's a very small little cohort of us who study it and Bryan, you're one of them.

**Bryan Buchanan** (4:16)
That's why last time with Christina was a lot of fun because we got to just talk about something that we talk about anyway, just for you to enjoy this time. Well, to start with, this series has a relationship with the book, obviously. A book written by a guy who was a filthy swear to a lot of people, Mr. John Krakauer. And what word is used to describe that relationship?
Inspired. So Lindsay, let's talk about that a little bit. What does that relationship entail to the book that he wrote?

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (4:42)
So one of the things that I've been learning, I've been working on several film projects now, and I'm realizing that often book adaptations don't involve the author. That's shocking to a lot of people, and I'm sure it's upsetting to some fan bases out there, depending on what fandom you're in. But in the fandom of Mormonism, John Krakauer wrote the book in 2003, and it's become the, what is it? The highest grossing book in Mormon history.