Anyways, I wanted to watch this show because for as long as I can remember I seriously struggled with the fact that the LDS church used to practice polygamy way back in the day. To me it honestly feels like the non-lawfully married wives are just- well a man's whore, and the children- bastards. So even though LDS Mormons don't practice polygamy any more- and if God ever said to do it again I I could not follow that and would not have it in my marriage (honestly Alex couldn't handle more than one wife)- I wanted to understand it more and the decision that God made at that time.
So after watching the first three seasons I still would never have wanted to participate in polygamy if I were alive back in the day, but I am finding myself more sympathetic to their trials and struggled.
Ok, now for a soap box bit- I don't agree with some of the things they say on the show although most of it is still similar to our beliefs- but I definitely don't agree that there should've been so much discrimination in Utah especially when they aren't necessarily breaking any laws. I've heard this a lot from people that have lived in Utah and it's really kind of sad. Mormons are supposed to be the most tolerant of people especially with our history. I understand that the show's view is skewed and not everyone in Utah is like that- I'm friends with very many people from Utah who aren't. I like what one of the sister wives said in the show- judge us but let us live our lives freely (paraphrased). That was beautiful and so true- part of living in America is being able to think freely and live freely. And as a church I'm pretty sure we believe in that and unless someone has entered into covenants with the Lord we don't hold them to the same standards. We invite them to be held to the same standard and applaud when they are at the same standard but never take away their agency. Now off the soap box.
On to what I thought of the show- one of the things I do like about these reality shows from TLC (guilty pleasure shows as I call them) with families is that I do get to meet some incredible, unique, true personalities- but after about the first season it takes on a law if physics and you can no longer observe an object in their natural state. Then TLC (the press, the money, the fame etc) really ruins families.
But before that tipping point came I couldn't help but think that the sister wives together reminded me of when sister-in-laws get together- which I can relate to because I have seven on my husband's side. All the sister wives have such different personalities like my sister-in-laws and some of them remind me of a few of them (especially Robyn). I personally relate to them too (especially Mari), because, despite their strange lifestyle, they're still women and still go through things that any other woman goes through. That's what I like most about this show, getting to know the women individually.
Will this show ever change how I feel about polygamy? I don't think so. I think it will take a lot more studying and prayer before I understand that decision the Lord made back then. Do I now have more tolerance to a lifestyle so close to my own but has a threatening aspect to marriage? I'm pretty tolerant of most people's lifestyle choices even if I don't agree with them, but I do feel my tolerance has increased for people who are different than me because I have gotten to know them personally via my tv. It definitely helps too that they are women. I'll probably never understand men, I still don't understand my husband!
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