Sister Wives

[HannaBelle]

I would watch, I would love to see the wives get spin offs.

 

[bethbuchall]

Did you all hear Kody and the Dark Queen say they hadn't done a test before when they were in the car with some kids doing the drive thru spit tests? Hmmm????

I don’t want to give them any credit, but I thought maybe they just meant that they have never done the saliva test. We know that Kody tested when he returned from Janelle’s mother’s funeral.

I did also notice that they used the excuse that they had little kids that they were trying to get finished with the test, but Kody hadn’t finished yet either.

And I was gagging through that whole thing! I’ve never had saliva testing, but my son did it weekly at college last year and said that it’s revolting to be lined up with a bunch of people spitting.

 

[Claudia1]

I'm going to try to explain the "submission" part of some religions from my upbringing and observations from being raised in the Bible Belt. I DO NOT WANT TO GET ANY POINTS OVER THIS so please take this as a history lesson, sharing a perspective, not a religious post. I also understand that others will have a different interpretation and I willingly... happily... accept that. Just like the posts we have had explaining the Mormon and LDS cultures, this is meant to explain a portion of that culture that they think is taken from the Bible. My intent is to correlate cultural references with the Biblical statements, not to sway anyone's opinion on the Bible.

Before I start, let me state that I think Kody has completely missed the boat in his interpretation of a Biblical marriage. He has twisted it to his purposes like so many others.

Yes, the Bible says the wives should submit to their husbands but in the historical sense and breaking by down the Greek word used, that meant that the wife is to respect her husband and not let her father or other male figures dominate her. It was a different culture when it was written. Women were property and this was actually a huge cultural shift to state that women can make the decision to reject other males just because they are males. Think of some Arabic states in the world today where women are nothing but property and the impact it would have on their lives to be able to reject oppressors. Other parts of the Bible were actually radical for its time in that is talked about women buying property, teaching, leading, and making decisions.

However, the real meat of any marriage discussion from the Bible comes in the next verse that states the husband is to treat his wife like Jesus treated his church/people. If you are not familiar this, according to the Bible, He died for his people and every, single thing he did was to make there lives better and value their lives. This is a common theme in most religions: a leader that sacrifices themselves for the good of the people with a strong moral character and honest intent. To carry that into modern day, the husband is supposed to always respect his wife and not do anything that does not bring honor to the marriage. To not put anyone else above her in his life, to protect her from oppressors, to work with her as a team, and to do his part to protect their marriage and family, to the point of sacrificing his own life for her. Again, this was radical at the time when wives were considered property with no value. To treat a women with respect was really unheard of at the time this was written.

So, just saying that wives should submit does sound like a cult and I agree. If Kody truly wants Biblical marriages as he has stated, he should be actively respecting, loving, and doing everything he can to develop those relationships into something better. His life should be all about building them all up and raising his family, not just about him. Just to say, "I'm the head" but not to display the necessary attributes that are in the Bible that he quotes, is hypocritical in my opinion. To expect them all to fall into line just because he is the alpha male, does not reflect the cultural intent of the scripture he quotes. Especially forgiveness. That is a common thread thru the Bible and he certainly does not forgive and rebuild.

In my opinion, I think he has customized his Biblical beliefs to suit his own purposes. Just like so many, many others. It's just that we are watching him do it on TV!

 

[barkley]

maybe christine can slide onto the real housewives of salt lake city now that the newest scandal has resulted in a firing today

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

At the end of the day he needs to look internally to realize what culpability he has in the breakdown of his marriage with Christine and also with Meri. He has no desire to put in any work to change himself. It's sad.

Glad you mentioned Meri in this to. Yes she was online meeting a man. But someone in a happy relationship just don’t do that. They had issues, and I’m assuming Kody was oblivious to it.

 

[ronandannette]

Glad you mentioned Meri in this to. Yes she was online meeting a man. But someone in a happy relationship just don’t do that. They had issues, and I’m assuming Kody was oblivious to it.

In fairness, not many of us here would accept that if it was our spouse and the CB would tar and feather anybody who suggested an adulterer was driven to it by shortcomings in their spouse. That whole situation never sat well with me but for different reasons.

Meri clearly broke fidelity in their marriage - period. Once she stopped and asked for forgiveness, wanting sincerely to reconcile, it was time for Kody to make a deep and difficult decision. He would have been justified in wanting a divorce (or whatever word would have applied to their situation) at that time. Many here have declared cheating to be a total deal-breaker and that's fair enough. By not doing it though, and also never truly forgiving her, he condemned the marriage and Meri to a very unhealthy purgatory. It was cowardly on his part and ultimately very cruel.

 

[Allison Joy]

I'm going to try to explain the "submission" part of some religions from my upbringing and observations from being raised in the Bible Belt. I DO NOT WANT TO GET ANY POINTS OVER THIS so please take this as a history lesson, sharing a perspective, not a religious post. I also understand that others will have a different interpretation and I willingly... happily... accept that. Just like the posts we have had explaining the Mormon and LDS cultures, this is meant to explain a portion of that culture that they think is taken from the Bible. My intent is to correlate cultural references with the Biblical statements, not to sway anyone's opinion on the Bible.

Before I start, let me state that I think Kody has completely missed the boat in his interpretation of a Biblical marriage. He has twisted it to his purposes like so many others.

Yes, the Bible says the wives should submit to their husbands but in the historical sense and breaking by down the Greek word used, that meant that the wife is to respect her husband and not let her father or other male figures dominate her. It was a different culture when it was written. Women were property and this was actually a huge cultural shift to state that women can make the decision to reject other males just because they are males. Think of some Arabic states in the world today where women are nothing but property and the impact it would have on their lives to be able to reject oppressors. Other parts of the Bible were actually radical for its time in that is talked about women buying property, teaching, leading, and making decisions.

However, the real meat of any marriage discussion from the Bible comes in the next verse that states the husband is to treat his wife like Jesus treated his church/people. If you are not familiar this, according to the Bible, He died for his people and every, single thing he did was to make there lives better and value their lives. This is a common theme in most religions: a leader that sacrifices themselves for the good of the people with a strong moral character and honest intent. To carry that into modern day, the husband is supposed to always respect his wife and not do anything that does not bring honor to the marriage. To not put anyone else above her in his life, to protect her from oppressors, to work with her as a team, and to do his part to protect their marriage and family, to the point of sacrificing his own life for her. Again, this was radical at the time when wives were considered property with no value. To treat a women with respect was really unheard of at the time this was written.

So, just saying that wives should submit does sound like a cult and I agree. If Kody truly wants Biblical marriages as he has stated, he should be actively respecting, loving, and doing everything he can to develop those relationships into something better. His life should be all about building them all up and raising his family, not just about him. Just to say, "I'm the head" but not to display the necessary attributes that are in the Bible that he quotes, is hypocritical in my opinion. To expect them all to fall into line just because he is the alpha male, does not reflect the cultural intent of the scripture he quotes. Especially forgiveness. That is a common thread thru the Bible and he certainly does not forgive and rebuild.

In my opinion, I think he has customized his Biblical beliefs to suit his own purposes. Just like so many, many others. It's just that we are watching him do it on TV!

YES! All of this. you said this so much better than I could have. It's an issue if respect, and NOT one of "my husband must rule every aspect of my life."

To somewhat parallel this, somewhere in this thread, the concept of submitting to church leaders (or seeking the church's authority.... I can't remember how it was worded, exactly) was mentioned. And I see this in a similar way as "submitting to your husband." It's an issue of respect, and going to church leaders for advice. This is in no way meant to be a "gotcha" thing from the church, nor is it ever, EVER meant to be a way to tolerate or hide abuse of any kind. In the Biblical context, it is meant to be a loving counseling and seeking wisdom role, not a controlling roll.

(and altough I don't feel I need to say this here, as we've all been respectful and understanding in this thread, please respect this also, as Claudia mentions, as an informative post, not a religious post. And please ignore the sentence structure of that last sentence. I added to the beginning, and it doesn't flow well now.)

 

[Alicefan]

I'm wondering if h is really this clueless and self-absorbed or if he is just trying to keep drama to keep the show rolling and the cash coming in

You have a very good point there.

 

[Alicefan]

I keep thinking about that. Either he just doesn't care any more and is going scorched earth, or what you said. He just assumes everyone will agree with him. I think it's the second and he assumes everyone will of course agree with him. Which would be a disturbing glimpse into his brain.

The most fascinating thing to me is that I think they did the show to prove to the outside world what a great way of life polygamy was. How viable it is as a chosen lifestyle. And he's allowed it to devolve into what it is now. I'm sure he gives himself a pass because it's Covid's fault and not his. But in reality all he has done is give a master course in why polygamy really just doesn't work. I'm sure they've had many good days, days where polygamy felt and functioned great. But if it won't survive in times of stress, then it really isn't a viable lifestyle.

Yes! That's how the show started. It was, "Hey look, we're normal just like you" and totally meant to show that all FLDS were in no way like what we saw with the Warren Jeffs folk. Heck, even I was on board and thought, this looks almost doable. Especially at the ages they were, when you've been together for so many years and the honeymoon is definitely over. I think I might welcome the idea of not having to deal with a man on a daily basis lol. But yeah, I don't think Kody put much thought into the part where all those children would grow up and have minds of their own. The fact that none of them seem the least bit interested in polygamy is pretty telling I think. We've seen just bits and pieces of their lives. I wonder what those kids have seen to make them completely opposed? I wonder if they would feel differently if they had stayed in Utah near other families where it was the norm? I think the taste of the outside world had a lot to do with that too. I think having 5 or 6 kids with each wife is ridiculous too. At some point it's like you're just having puppies. You're just creating chaos.

 

[Alicefan]

I have this vision of Robyn needing the nanny because she lays in bed crying all day.

It's funny you say that because when I worked alongside a mormon girl for years, I used to ask all kinds of questions about her religion and listen to her talk to her clients all day. She pretty much ONLY did hair for people in her church. I know I've told this story before, but I even went to church with her once. I was fascinated to hear what they believed. I had a HUGE respect for how devoted they seemed to be to family. BUT, I was aware of the extreme pressure they put on these women to have children and to be perfect. You had to raise upstanding citizens in todays world, along with tending to your "calling" which consisted of teaching Sunday School or whatever it was for however long. It wasn't like you could turn down things like you do in regular churches. By labeling it a "calling" meant that you were saying no directly to what God needed you to do. The women stayed stressed out and the majority of them took prozac for depression she told me. This girl didn't really want children, but yet she has 2 and she went through some major postpartum depression with both of her kids. It's sad what they do because they think they'll get a better spot in heaven one day.

 

[Alicefan]

Maybe this health shake has helped her to lose weight. If people see her drinking it and see that she looks healthier, it would likely sell itself!

It sounded like it was a probiotic shake and she was saying that Mykelti's baby was even doing better because of it. That worried me a bit. Those health food shakes and potions etc are not regulated and anything under the sun could be in them. It's one thing for an adult to take supplements but there's no way I would be taking them while pregnant or giving them to an infant! It just showed how naive she might be IMO.

 

[Alicefan]

maybe christine can slide onto the real housewives of salt lake city now that the newest scandal has resulted in a firing today

ooh do tell!

 

[Alicefan]

In fairness, not many of us here would accept that if it was our spouse and the CB would tar and feather anybody who suggested an adulterer was driven to it by shortcomings in their spouse. That whole situation never sat well with me but for different reasons.

Meri clearly broke fidelity in their marriage - period. Once she stopped and asked for forgiveness, wanting sincerely to reconcile, it was time for Kody to make a deep and difficult decision. He would have been justified in wanting a divorce (or whatever word would have applied to their situation) at that time. Many here have declared cheating to be a total deal-breaker and that's fair enough. By not doing it though, and also never truly forgiving her, he condemned the marriage and Meri to a very unhealthy purgatory. It was cowardly on his part and ultimately very cruel.

Yep, I agree, if you decide to not get a divorce, you need to make the decision to forgive and move to rebuild the marriage. Kody doesn't believe in divorce but he also doesn't seem to believe in doing anything whatsoever to work on a marriage. He's keeping Meri in limbo in order to reap his celestial rewards. He looks like he enjoys torturing her and it's so pathetic that she goes on tv begging for the crumbs he throws her. She has zero self worth at this point. I wish she would find her a man and flaunt it all over the internet lol! Same with Christine and Janelle. I have a hard time believing that he's sleeping with anyone other than Robyn. I wish they would all leave and pound Kody with child support!

 

[Sarah'sMomfrom PA]

I sLogan the oldest boy that Kody has and who is his mother? Janelle? Also, why was it ok for Sobbin Robyn to get a divorce and still remain ok in celestial heaven but Christine cannot? Was Robyn's marriage not a polygamist's marriage with her previous husband? I honestly don't remember.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I sLogan the oldest boy that Kody has and who is his mother? Janelle? Also, why was it ok for Sobbin Robyn to get a divorce and still remain ok in celestial heaven but Christine cannot? Was Robyn's marriage not a polygamist's marriage with her previous husband? I honestly don't remember.

I don't know this, but I do agree Kody is a massive hyocrite!

 

[bethbuchall]

I sLogan the oldest boy that Kody has and who is his mother? Janelle? Also, why was it ok for Sobbin Robyn to get a divorce and still remain ok in celestial heaven but Christine cannot? Was Robyn's marriage not a polygamist's marriage with her previous husband? I honestly don't remember.

Logan is the oldest boy, and Janelle is his mother.

I don’t know why Robyn’s divorce was ok and if she was unsealed or anything by the church. She wasn’t in a polygamous relationship with her ex, though she was raised that way and believed that they were going to be practicing polygamy from what she’s said.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I sLogan the oldest boy that Kody has and who is his mother? Janelle? Also, why was it ok for Sobbin Robyn to get a divorce and still remain ok in celestial heaven but Christine cannot? Was Robyn's marriage not a polygamist's marriage with her previous husband? I honestly don't remember.

Robyn was married to one of the Jessop family members for ten or so years. She alleged that the relationship was abusive and has said that she does not regret having divorced him. He was arrested for family member assault but I don't know if it were for assault on Robyn or another family member.

 

[ronandannette]

Yes! That's how the show started. It was, "Hey look, we're normal just like you" and totally meant to show that all FLDS were in no way like what we saw with the Warren Jeffs folk. Heck, even I was on board and thought, this looks almost doable. Especially at the ages they were, when you've been together for so many years and the honeymoon is definitely over. I think I might welcome the idea of not having to deal with a man on a daily basis lol. But yeah, I don't think Kody put much thought into the part where all those children would grow up and have minds of their own. The fact that none of them seem the least bit interested in polygamy is pretty telling I think. We've seen just bits and pieces of their lives. I wonder what those kids have seen to make them completely opposed? I wonder if they would feel differently if they had stayed in Utah near other families where it was the norm? I think the taste of the outside world had a lot to do with that too. I think having 5 or 6 kids with each wife is ridiculous too. At some point it's like you're just having puppies. You're just creating chaos.

All of this factors in, I'm sure, especially getting out of the insular environment. The adult kids who are married/partnered are with people they probably would never have been exposed to or allowed to consider for marriage. Logan and his fiancee are apparently completely secular, Maddie is married to an evangelical Christian and has "converted", Mykeltie is married to a main-stream Mormon (they totally disavow polygamy and him marrying the child of a polygamist was mentioned as an "issue" for his parents) and Mariah is planning a same-sex wedding. Only Aspyn and Mitch are from similar backgrounds and mentioned considering plural marriage once or twice on the show.

 

[barkley]

ooh do tell!

very inappropriate and social media postings from as recently as 2020. also-just saw today that TLC recently announced a similarly based firing for alina of 90 day fiance-before the 90 days. you would think these reality shows would go through people's social media histories with a fine tooth comb but apparently it's traditionally been very cursory.

 

[brockash]

I don't know this, but I do agree Kody is a massive hyocrite!

If I recall correctly I believe it waa alluded to that Robyns ex was abusive...not sure if that makes a difference in their world.