Biography
Lindsay Hansen Park is an American writer, Mormon historian, and podcaster whose work examines Mormon history, culture, violence, and generational trauma. Her voice and scholarship have been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other major outlets. She is widely regarded as a leading national authority on Mormonism and religious extremism.
Born and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Park began her public writing career at the influential activist blog Feminist Mormon Housewives. In 2014, she launched the critically acclaimed Year of Polygamy podcast, a long-form historical series that investigates Mormon plural marriage and its enduring consequences. Approaching the subject with a commitment to understanding rather than sensationalism, the series traces Park’s own evolving relationship with faith as she confronts the historical record, adding moral and intellectual tension that resonates with believers, former believers, and secular audiences alike.
Each episode of Year of Polygamy weaves together primary documents, academic scholarship, and firsthand interviews, including voices of contemporary Mormon fundamentalists, survivors, and descendants. Park’s work is distinguished by its balance of rigorous research and narrative intimacy, illuminating how belief, power, gender, and secrecy have shaped real lives across generations. The series has been widely cited by journalists, scholars, and filmmakers for its clarity and willingness to confront difficult truths.
With more than 20 million downloads, Year of Polygamy has played a defining role in reshaping public and scholarly conversations about Mormon history. Its impact led to Park’s work as a historical consultant on major film and television projects, including FX and Hulu’s Under the Banner of Heaven (2022). She also co-hosts the Sunstone Mormon History podcast and resides in Salt Lake City.
