This takes the internal functionality of `.put` and RIPS IT OUT, separating it from the chaining API and the event listeners that cause problems - but NOTE, this does not support the chaining API or async behavior! Plus it has a couple extra hidden gems like auto-Array-to-Object conversion and UUID hinting.

gun3import.js

function importGUN3 (data, options){
  options = options || {};
  options.prefix = 'gun/';
  if(options.arrays !== false){
    options.arrays = true;
    data = array2object(data);
  }
  var drift = options.state || Gun.time.now();
  var ctx = {}, at = {};
  Gun.ify(data, function(env, cb, map){
    var eat;
    if(!env || !(eat = env.at) || !env.at.node){ return }
    if(!eat.node._){ eat.node._ = {} }
    if(!eat.node._[Gun._.state]){ eat.node._[Gun._.state] = {} }
    if(!Gun.is.node.soul(eat.node)){
      if(data === eat.obj){
        Gun.obj.as(env.graph, eat.soul = Gun.obj.as(eat.node._, Gun._.soul, Gun.is.node.soul(eat.obj) || (options.soul || options.id || (data._ && data._['#']) || data.soul || data._id || data._ID || data.id || data.ID || Gun.text.random()).toString()), eat.node);
        options.soul = eat.soul;
        cb(eat, eat.soul);
      } else {
        var path = function(err, node){
          if(path.opt && path.opt.on && path.opt.on.off){ path.opt.on.off() }
          if(path.opt.done){ return }
          path.opt.done = true;
          if(err){ env.err = err }
          eat.soul = Gun.is.node.soul(node) || Gun.is.node.soul(eat.obj) || Gun.is.node.soul(eat.node) || ((eat.obj._ && eat.obj._['#']) || eat.obj.soul || eat.obj._id || eat.obj._ID || eat.obj.id || eat.obj.ID || Gun.text.random()).toString();
          Gun.obj.as(env.graph, Gun.obj.as(eat.node._, Gun._.soul, eat.soul), eat.node);
          cb(eat, eat.soul);
        }; path.opt = {put: true};
        if(ctx.not){
          path();
        } else {
          if(at.field || at.at){

          } else {
            load(eat.path || [], path, options);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    if(!eat.field){ return }
    eat.node._[Gun._.state][eat.field] = drift;
  }, {pure: true})(function(err, ify){
    save(ify.graph, options);
  });
}
function load(arr, cb, opt){
  var soul = opt.prefix + opt.soul;
  var node = store.get(soul);
  if(!node){
    return cb(null, node);
  }
  var field = arr[0];
  var val = node[field];
  if(!val){
    return cb(null);
  }
  var rel = Gun.is.rel(val) || Gun.is.node.soul(val);
  if(rel){
    return cb(null, Gun.is.node.ify({}, rel));
  }
  return cb(null);
}
function save(graph, opt){
  var err = Gun.is.graph(graph, function(node, soul){
    store.put(opt.prefix + soul, node, function(err){if(err){ console.log({err: err}) }});
  });
}
function array2object(arr){
  var obj = {};
  Gun.list.map(arr, function(v,f,t){
    if(Gun.list.is(v) || Gun.obj.is(v)){
      obj[f] = array2object(v);
      return;
    }
    obj[f] = v;
  });
  return obj;
}
var LS = localStorage;
var store = {
  get: function(key){
    var obj;
    try{obj = Gun.obj.ify(LS.getItem(key) || null)
    }catch(e){obj = null}
    return obj;
  },
  put: function(key, val, cb){
    try{ LS.setItem(key, Gun.text.ify(val)) }catch(e){if(cb)cb(e)}
  }
}