Former Polygamist Wife Speaks Out: 'It's Like Living in Adultery and Having the Woman Come Home'
While two polygamist families are attempting to prove critics wrong and convince people that they live a normal lifestyle, at least one former polygamist wife is speaking out against the practice. The state of Utah recently ruled that a law against cohabitation was a violation of the First Amendment's right to freedom of religion, allowing polygamist families more freedom.
Marion Munn was part of a plural marriage for 18 years after converting to Mormon fundamentalism. Munn was not happy with the arrangement and is now speaking out about the dangers of the polygamist lifestyle.
"The only way that I can explain it is like living with adultery on a daily basis, and having the woman come home. On top of that you have to smile and pretend that everything's okay because that's part of the culture too. So for me going into it, I didn't personally want to live it, but I felt compelled to as a matter of faith," Munn told Daily Mail.
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Late last year, a ruling from the state of Utah, where a great deal of the population is Mormon, came down and allowed more freedom for polygamist families. A previous ruling against cohabitation was struck down with the explanation that it violated the freedom of religion. The ruling made at least one well-known polygamist family, the Brown family, very happy.
"While we know that many people do not approve of plural families, it is our family and based on our beliefs," patriarch Kody Brown said in a statement after the decision was announced. "Just as we respect the personal and religious choices of other families, we hope that in time all of our neighbors and fellow citizens will come to respect our own choices as part of this wonderful country of different faiths and beliefs."
The Brown family stars in the popular TLC series "Sister Wives," which seeks to refute the negative perceptions of polygamist living. TLC has also ordered a new series "My Five Wives," which features another polygamist family; it is scheduled to air later this year.
"Certainly within Mormon-based polygamy, it's not really much of a choice, because Mormon scriptures teach a woman that if she doesn't consent to living in polygamy, God's going to destroy her," Munn said.
