Category Archives: Polygamy

Last week on part one of Sister Wives: One on One, Kodys relationship with Meri was addressed. It was revealed that she is staying for family. Though they have not been intimate in a decade, she still has hopes they can be one again. However, his trust is completely gone in Meri but Kody says he will take care of her forever. Meri opened up about Janelle and Christine having come in as wives. She admitted she was jealous and who she was most jealous of. The catfishing incident was revisited and this week, Robyn discusses being a target. Kody also opens up about his relationship with his sons after the pandemic.

Sukanya Krishnan is back with the wives and Kody to discuss the pandemic rules Kody had set forth. They show Christines initial reaction to discovering that Robyn and Kody had a nanny. She wanted to know what exactly did the nanny do that enabled her to be allowed in their home. To be clear, this was spawned because Ysabel wanted to see her siblings and couldnt. Yet an outside nanny was welcomed. Christine felt like she was untrusted when she had been fully transparent with her daily operations.

Sukanya asks Robyn why the nanny rules were not out sooner. She claims she asked sooner but Kody was very grumpy. He also claimed no one would have followed the rules, especially the kids. Christine said she did not care to get back together with everyone. However, she knew her kids did so she would do whatever it took. Kody would come by for a few hours every week. It was not enough so they would go out of town where they were filled with love. In Kodys mind, he had two households that would not abide by his rules.

In Robyns home, everyone, including the nanny complied. The other wives chose their children and wanted to protect them. Kody still maintains the wives should have not protected their kids 18+. Janelle did feel she had to choose and did not want to force them out into the world during a pandemic. Whats going on with Kody, Gabe, and Garrison?

He is currently not speaking to Gabe and Garrison. They speak occasionally but that is it. Kody feels he was severely disrespected by his sons. They should have moved out in order for him to move back in. Admittedly, Kody thinks they all need therapy. In Janelles opinion, the boys dont necessarily feel they want to give respect to their dad. It is not owed and it is a two-way street. Kody also did not always trust Gabe and Garrison when they said they were following the rules. The truth is they would say they were following his rules when they were in fact lying. They have since moved out.

Janelle admits several of Kodys kids are at odds with him over his pandemic rules. He does want his kids around him, but he does not believe they respect his leadership. It now circles back to everyone getting the rules so they can gather for the holidays 2020. Christine and Janelle decided to go to Utah for Thanksgiving instead. Kody claims he did not know how he felt. Christine thinks Kody was sad and frustrated at the moment. Meri was frustrated because she had been asking for it.

Janelle says the rules came out ten days to two weeks prior to the holiday and her boys said they were not doing it. Sukanya asks why Kody did not follow Janelle when she got up and angrily left. She was so mad because she felt Kody did not trust her. Yet, Kody felt there was no loyalty on her behalf so he was not about to chase her.

Kody says Janelle was passive with the boys whereas Christine was just moving out. He proceeds to call them jackwagons. Circling back to Thanksgiving, Christine had other kids she needed to see and that was all she cared about. In regards to her relationship with Janelle, they made it no secret that they hung out during the pandemic. Christine chose Janelle over Kody because they just had a special relationship. Kody equated them to a clique and his negativity was making Janelle crazy.

Janelle admitted she went where she and her family were wanted. Everyone was welcomed but they did not want to be there because Janelle and Christine were not compliant. Initially, they did not get along because Janelle thought Christine was a princess. She was a buffer for Janelle and Meri though because it was no longer Meri against Janelle which was great. Sukanya asks Christine if there are parallels between Janelle and Kodys marriage if she is happy with Kody.

Christine asked Janelle if she will stay and she said he is a great dad and has no plans on leaving. Kody says they are not in sync and they do not partner well. They are good friends and get along well, it is a committed relationship. Is he in love with Janelle? Admittedly, neither one of them would say they were if they were being honest. Janelle says they are best friends.

Asking if they are intimate, Janelle claims they are fine and leaves it at that. Christine claims she does not think Janelle needs him to fill her tank. She is a strong woman and needs things different than Christine does. Christine needs to be intimate with her husband. Seemingly, that is not important for Janelle. Onto Christine being a basement wife. This is something she addressed over the past two seasons. She lived downstairs in their polygamy home in Utah while raising their kids.

Christine put everyone first and when she took it up with Kody, he said she was breaking the agreement. Apparently, she never brought it up to anyone but Kody. Robyn admits she and her kids have never fully felt accepted by Janelle, Christine, and their kids. Kody claims Robyn has picked up the slack for where Christine has shrugged. However, Christine was the one who did so much for about ten years. She did not just immediately drop off.

Robyn claims her youngest does not remember the names of her siblings and adds she is an easy target. Mainly because she gets along with Kody. When she joined the family, she told her kids they would accept the other wives as mothers. They would also follow all of the rules and such.

Robyn says it is hard to get phone calls from the kids blaming her for the rules. She would help the kids be with their father or do what they needed any time. Then she claims she has never cried so much in an interview before. In her life, she has never felt so much unsafe space as she has this past year. Aside from Meri, Kody does not think the other women would want to be Robyns friend. Robyn actually called Janelle and asked if they could develop a good sister wife relationship. She said she would have to think about that.

Janelle admits she felt she was put on the spot. With Christine, it was just natural as they were raising kids together. Admittedly, she is the only one having a fully functioning relationship with Kody. That cannot be easy for the other wives to watch. Robyn keeps breaking down and wonders how she will get through this interview. As for Christine, Robyn has always wanted her and Kodys relationship to be strong. She wishes Christine had kept trying and claims they are divorced.

Robyn says they are not because the marriage was done by their church officials and it has not been properly granted. According to Christine, she left that church a long time ago and God is fine if she just wants to be happy. Kody says she is free of that yolk of bondage and Christine maintains they are divorced.

Next week on part three of Sister Wives: One on One, Kody admits he is questioning his own polygamy as is Janelle and Meri. Kody finally watches the footage of Christine choosing to say goodbye to him as the divorce fully comes to light. Watch it Sunday on TLC.

Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade. She holds a BA in politics and an MA in Communications. Her passions include music, animals, Disney, iced coffee, summer, and bad reality TV, especially Housewives and Vanderpump Rules.

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'Sister Wives' Season 16 One On One Part 2 Recap-Feb. 6 - TV Shows Ace

With all the pomp, pageantry, and superhuman performances, the Olympics are a biannual source of absurdity and thus ripe for comedic gold. Therefore, its only natural that Saturday Night Live would take a few shots at the Games when they roll around, finding laughs in the outsize personalities of the athletes, the unceasing and sometimes overwrought NBC coverage, and the fact that most of us mere mortals could never come close to competing at such high levels.

In celebration of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics kicking off, heres a look back at the best SNL sketches that parodied the athletes and events. Enjoy the sketches and the Games!

Olga Korbut (1976)

With only one punch line, Gilda Radner, playing Russian gymnast Olga Korbut, and John Belushi, playing a European-accented version of himself, perfectly send up how ridiculous it is for athletes to pretend to be diplomatic after a crushing defeat.

Little Chocolate Donuts (1977)

How does Belushi get the energy he needs to win gold in the decathlon? With cigarettes and the sugar he gets from eating these treats every morning.

Synchronized Swimming (1984)

This brief mockumentary is an all-time SNL great with Martin Short and Harry Shearer playing brothers who are aiming to become the first men to compete in synchronized swimming. Christopher Guest plays a coach with the same vibe hed later bring to Waiting for Guffmans Corky St. Clair, and Shearer and Short play the kind of deluded oddball dreamers that would populate all of his films.

The All-Drug Olympics (1988)

Steroids were always a big issue during the 80s Olympics, particularly after their widespread use at the 1980 Moscow games. This Weekend Update segment with Kevin Nealon and Phil Hartman looks at what would happen if the events included only athletes who were juicing with particularly gruesome results.

Figure Skating Cold Open (1992)

In a spot-on parody of those Olympic moments when an athlete just blows it on the biggest stage, Jason Priestly enthusiastically and believably pulls off a bunch of figure-skating moves that end in disaster.

Lillehammer 94 (1994)

Rather than poke more fun at host Nancy Kerrigans assault by Tonya Hardings goons, SNL spoofed pairs figure skating with Chris Farley playing her on-ice partner whose massive weight gain has severely hurt their chances at medaling. Its another reminder of how agile Farley truly was, made even funnier by the gentle commentary of Phil Hartman and David Spade and the soundtrack of Kenny G and Pump Up the Jam.

Kerri Strug and Kippy Strug on Winning Olympic Gold (1996)

After the badly injured Kerri Strug helped Team USA win gymnastics gold in 1996, she stopped by Weekend Update to discuss the moment alongside her equally high-pitched brother, Kippy (Chris Kattan). Mark McKinney appears as her infamously overbearing coach, Bla Krolyi, to encourage Kippy to power through to their next interview despite the fact that his foot has fallen asleep.

SNL Olympics Chris Kattan (2000)

Rather than spoof an actual event, SNL in 2000 sent up NBCs prerecorded behind-the-scenes Olympic segments that give an overly dramatic look at an athletes journey to the games. Here, we see Kattan with an assist from Brendan Fraser and a disqualified-for-doping Tracy Morgan as he readies himself to compete in an upcoming talk-show sketch, Looks at Books. (Watch the sketch here.)

Mormons on the Slopes (2002)

Dan Aykroyd made a return appearance to the show to join Will Ferrell as a pair of Mormons who take to the Salt Lake City slopes and try to convert a skiing Amy Poehler in the middle of her run. It hits on the typical Mormon jokes the overly pushy recruitment, the polygamy, etc. but its still a fun one.

Swimming Instructor (2006)

If you want to become a world-class swimmer, you go to Doug Frangelo. Played by John C. Reilly, the coach instructs Will Forte in the art of the pool, with nearly six minutes full of Speedo-laden, homoerotic gags. Their ability to not break character is astounding.

The Michael Phelps Diet (2008)

If you watched Michael Phelpss record-shattering performance at the 2008 Olympics, you probably heard announcers discussing his massive caloric intake. The swimmer hosted SNL during his post-Games victory lap to tout his absurd diet to average people, which spoiler alert has grave consequences. Dont watch if you cant stomach seeing Subway pitchman Jared Fogle appearing as himself and saying, This diet sucks a foot-long.

Telemundo Winter Olympics (2010)

The premise here is that Telemundos announcers, played by Jennifer Lopez and Fred Armisen, cant understand cold-weather sports or why Canadians dont leave their country for the warmth. Regardless of the premise, you have to admit that ski jumping and curling are pretty strange pastimes for anyone to get into.

Ryan Lochte on the Fall TV Lineup (2012)

Four years before getting caught lying about being robbed at gunpoint during the Rio Olympics, Ryan Lochte was simply known as being a somewhat dim but physically gifted swimmer. SNL ran with the former trait in this Weekend Update segment in which Lochte, played by Seth MacFarlane, talks about upcoming TV shows with all the smarts of a kindergartener. The real Lochte called it harsh and added, Im going to let whatever Seth MacFarlane did Im just going to let it be and just move forward. But anytime Seth wants to race me in a pool, Ill be more than happy to.

The U.S. Mens Heterosexual Figure Skating Championship (2014)

In 2014, SNL decided to take on the Sochi Olympics, which were under scrutiny for myriad reasons including Russias anti-LGBTQ laws, with another figure-skating spoof in which only straight men are allowed to compete. Robbed of the events usual flair, the competitors instead put on a display of oafish masculinity, eating Combos on the ice and getting overly handsy with a female partner, among other desecrations of the sport.

Olya Povlatsky on the Sochi Olympics (2014)

Kate McKinnons downtrodden Russian villager character, Olya Povlatsky, returned to Weekend Update in 2014 to discuss Sochi and wonder why the IOC picked this random city to host the event. This iteration features a bunch of McKinnons trademark bizarreness like when she explains her favorite childhood sport, running away from angry wolf.

Leslie Jones on the 2018 Winter Olympics (2018)

During the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Leslie Jones went viral by live-tweeting along with NBCs coverage, hilariously and passionately dissecting the events even when she didnt understand them. The tweets were such a hit that the network sent her down to South America to work as a correspondent, and she returned to the role two years later for the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She came back to Weekend Update to give a recap of the experience, bringing along U.S. Womens Hockey gold medalist Hilary Knight to give Colin Jost a special message: Yous a bitch!

Excerpt from:

'SNL': Best Comedy Sketches About the Olympics - Vulture

For the past four years, social media has been abuzz with an imaginary gathering termed the men's conference, which is apparently organised by men between February 13 and 15, to avoid spoiling their partners on Valentine's Day.

While I commend the humour behind this abstract conference, let me point out that there is actually a serious need for a real men's conference in the country.

Given the high levels of femicide incidents, gender-based violence (GBV), women and child abuse, and many other social ills where men are predominantly the perpetrators, a conference to tackle these societal ills should actually be established.

Imagine hundreds of men under one roof discussing how they can contribute towards ending GBV, child neglect, femicide and women abuse? Let us think of all the solutions, encouragement and mobilisation that would be achieved inside these halls.

GBV continues to be a thorn in the flesh of prosperity and progress, so staging a men's conference where issues of this nature are addressed, discussed and analysed would go a long way in tackling conflicts within families and beyond.

Other topics such as the spread of HIV and Aids, unfaithfulness, polygamy and patriarchy would also be dealt with. There is indeed a need for a moral regeneration summit for men in the wake of the endless cases of wrongdoing from their side. Abused men would also have the platform to air their grievances and be advised how they can go about addressing them.

A better society can be built if we can transform our imagination into reality. The popularity of this imaginary gathering among men on social media is proof that men can actually meet and talk about pertinent issues for the benefit of everybody.

Malphia Honwane, eManyeleti, Mpumalanga

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Men must have imbizo to tackle social ills - SowetanLIVE

Khosrow Semnani is an Iranian immigrant whose life in Utah has embodied the American dream.

The self-made millionaire was nearly penniless when he arrived in the Beehive State in 1968 and, through working at several menial jobs while taking undergraduate courses, was able to earn a degree from Westminster College in physical sciences. He went on to get a masters degree from the University of Utah in engineering administration, after which he launched hazardous waste companies, including Envirocare (now EnergySolutions), that proved extremely successful.

After selling that operation, Semnani began using his wealth to provide humanitarian service and promote liberty for the people of Iran, which he has not visited since 1975.

Throughout the decades, the philanthropist developed a great love for the United States and its endless possibilities.

He was visiting California a couple of years ago and stopped at an artists studio, which had an exhibit of photographs titled: People Who Shaped America. Semnani was moved by the faces of some who had influenced his adopted country, and it made him think about all the Utahns who had shaped his adopted state.

It would be great for kids who grow up here to get to know these people, Semnani said this week. It would also be great for tourists who come here to learn more about Utah and all the different people who have made it what it is.

So the industrialist asked Michael De Groote, Semnanis director of communications, to assemble a list of potential names and biographical details for an installation called They Shaped Utah. It went on display on the second floor of the historic Trolley Square shopping center, which Semnani owns, in December.

Each honoree is depicted by a newly colorized photographic illustration enhanced by artificial intelligence, De Groote said in a news release. The illustrations are accompanied by brief biographical summaries along with a QR code that leads to more information about each person.

Assembling the group of 60 shapers was, De Groote said in an interview, a complicated assignment.

It would, of course, include lots of Mormon historical figures like Brigham Young, second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Wilford Woodruff, the fourth president who introduced the Manifesto, which would mark the beginning of the end to the faiths participation polygamy. Susa Young Gates, Youngs daughter who was a leader among Latter-day Saint women, and Jane Manning James, a free African American Mormon who came west in 1847, are both among the honorees.

And one historic Latter-day Saint figure gunslinging Orrin Porter Rockwell undeniably shaped Utah in some ways, De Groote said, but was controversial.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Khosrow Semnani presents They Shaped Utah, an exhibit of 60 prominent or underappreciated Utahns throughout history at Trolley Square, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.

Semnani, a Muslim, insisted on showcasing leaders of other faiths, too, such as Silvestre de Escalante, a Franciscan friar-explorer, and Father Lawrence Scanlan, Utahs first Catholic bishop.

Then theres Simon Bamberger, the states fourth governor and its only Jewish one.

Many of the honorees hail from the 19th century, including Wakara, leader of the Timpanogo band of Utah, while others died much more recently like former Jazz owner Larry Miller, former Gov. Olene Walker, and innovative businessman Clayton Christensen.

Viewers also will find athletes such as Wataru Wat Misaka, who led the University of Utah to a national basketball title and became the NBAs first player of color.

Organizers also sought a gender balance but, because so many of the early shapers were men, they had to look a little wider for the women.

On top of that, they weighed the famous and not-so-famous, working to add a few surprises and some little-known figures.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) the new exhibit "They Shaped Utah" features 60 prominent or underappreciated Utahns throughout history at Trolley Square, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.

William Showell, a pony express rider, is on the list, and so is Olive Osmond, mother of the famed performing group, who started the boys singing to raise money for hearing aids for her oldest two children.

We hope people will find familiar figures and some surprises, De Groote said, and that theyll learn a lot.

At the exhibits opening, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson hailed its inclusion of so many women and underrepresented communities.

Ive always been a student of history, and I love learning about people especially about people who have either been written out or never written into our story, she said at the time. And yet, these have all been people who have contributed greatly to the fabric of our heritage in important, but often in forgotten ways.

Why is it that some stories get told and others get buried? What happens when we forget the parts of the past that help make us who we are today? Henderson asked. The answer isnt hard: When we forget where we come from, we cant properly understand where we are, and we are ill equipped to know where we should be going.

That is why, she said, this permanent exhibit is so valuable.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) A new exhibit, "They Shaped Utah," features 60 prominent or underappreciated Utahns throughout history at Trolley Square, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, also on hand for the exhibits opening, pointed out how portraits of her predecessors hanging on the third floor of City Hall do not fully reflect the true history of Utah.

The states past and present are much more diverse than that, Mendenhall said. The state has always been shaped by diversity. Lets tell their stories.

The Trolley Square exhibit will be a welcome addition to the mural painted on the east side of the Dinwoody Building that features some 280 women from Utahs past and present. History is something that is never complete. Its never settled. Its never fully written, Henderson said. There are always perspectives to uncover and be heard.

She praised Semnani for working to uncover the stories of those who have had a seat at the table and are heard, she said. And even more importantly, to highlight those who havent had a voice or a seat at the table and have never been heard.

Semnanis team is now accepting suggestions for 40 more Utahns to be added to the exhibit.

I owe a lot to this state, Semnani said. I want others to take pride in it as I do.

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From Brigham to Bamberger to Olive Osmond, display honors 60 who 'shaped Utah' - Salt Lake Tribune

Escaping Polygamy is a docuseries on Lifetime which follows the work of three sisters, who were able to break free from the polygamous Kingston Clan, known as the Order. The sisters were born into the Salt Lake City-based group and since they didnt choose the lifestyle, they decided to escape. Since then, they have helped friends, relatives, or anyone looking to break free from such groups. Since the series started airing, the women have all come a long way. So, where are they at present?

Vanna Barlow broke away with her sister, Ariel, from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). Their escape went off without a hitch, but Ariel soon revealed that she was pregnant. This was back in 2017, so what is Vanna doing now? Well, she is a mother as well. Vanna has a daughter and she cannot stop doting on the little girl, as you can see from her post below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fiFLgjrSP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

She also remains quite close to her sister, which is evident in the post below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsj_p7OFoUs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Finally, we know that Vanna enjoyed the beauty of Arizona a while back. You can see her post about it below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgAJuZlBje/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

She is moving on in life, trying to be happy with her sister and child.

Jennifer escaped from the Order by jumping out of a three-story high window. She stated it was better than being controlled by her mother and father. However, the heart wants what the heart wants, and the latest reports about Jennifer suggest that shes dating her first cousin, who is 12 years older than she is. Naturally, the unconventional relationship has raised some eyebrows, but Jennifer maintains a pretty low profile for her to be caught in the spotlight.

Jessica Christensen was engaged to her 42-year-old uncle when she was 14. Jessica was on her way to becoming his third wife but escaped with the help of her aunt. Jessica continues to fight against polygamy and highlights the abuse she faced as a child, as well as her experiences with the lifestyle. Shes now married and has three children. You can check out a family photo below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CABLThcge_L/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

She has a masters in social work and is quite a big foodie and fitness freak. Here a post about Vietnamese food from Jessica.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5pue8HByq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Andrea Brewer managed to escape the polygamous life and was placed in foster care thanks to her aunt. She found her role models while in school, and decided to pursue a career in law. After graduating from the Pacific Lutheran University, Andrea went on to study law at the University of Washington. She is a practicing attorney now and helps others facing the same situation. Andrea believes that she did not make it on her own, and those escaping polygamous settings need the resources to readjust to society. With that in mind, she is one of the co-founders of Hope After Polygamy. It is a non-profit seeking to provide all the opportunities that a polygamous setting cannot.

seeking mental health after leaving polygamy, in the beginning, is often in the form of our own research through "self-help" books that help us process our traumatic pasts. Click the link to see some of the books that helped us https://t.co/0MJ1aJQEqT #NationalLibraryWeek pic.twitter.com/5xtDcS78NK

Hope After Polygamy (@HopeAftPolygamy) April 11, 2019

Most recently, Brewer seems as concerned as everybody else about the coronavirus pandemic and has exercised caution as you can see from this tweet below.

Not surprised the employees and shoppers at the Orders grocery store dont wear masks even though theyve ALREADY had COVID-19 deaths. Imagine the spread as the husbands go to their wives different houses everyday https://t.co/sUAvpZKgtj

Andrea Brewer (@BrewerA_2012) June 26, 2020

Kollene Snow is not one of the original ladies on the show, but it would be remiss not to mention her. She married her second cousin when she was 16 but her husband later wanted more wives. Kollene wanted out, and she even tried to get her husband along with her. However, he chose religion over her, and since then, Kollene has become a fantastic makeup artist and esthetician. She also helps others escape polygamist families. You can check out Kollenes skills as a makeup artist below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-5pbwhHzX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

She seems happy in her life and is trying new things. Check out her post below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_P6LdoB_oy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In conclusion, all the women we see in Escaping Polygamy have found their place in life. Naturally, they cannot completely get over what happened to them, but they band together and try to help others find their footing in society. While some members have gone under the radar to an extent, others have built new careers for themselves.

Read More: Where Are Real Housewives of Miami Now?

Excerpt from:

Escaping Polygamy: Where are They Now? Escaping Polygamy ...

Exodus 21:10ESV / 215 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful

If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.

If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.

Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ...

Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives.

And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).

These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel; ...

The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled. Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah;

If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me. Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, I do not wish to take her, then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house. ...

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

He answered, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me, you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, You shall never return that way again. And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. ...

Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

And Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

But you say, Why does he not? Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,

But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying,

And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.

He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he gave in marriage outside his clan, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.

And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.

He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.

If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,

But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

He said to them, Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years.

And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ...

Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah.

And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.

Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth.

When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,

Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Or do you not know, brothersfor I am speaking to those who know the lawthat the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ...

And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ...

So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ...

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ...

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.

Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, The two will become one flesh.

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled. Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors ...

And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.

Nathan said to David, You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.

He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.

I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.

House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity.

For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause? He answered, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. They said to him, Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away? ...

Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause? He answered, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? ...

For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.

But you say, Why does he not? Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head. Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife. When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife. And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives.

If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn,

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? ...

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!

Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for foodand God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;

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What Does the Bible Say About Polygamy?

Moonstruck partners pledging eternal love may be the current definition of marriage, but this starry-eyed picture has relatively modern origins.

Though marriage has ancient roots, until recently love had little to do with it.

"What marriage had in common was that it really was not about the relationship between the man and the woman," said Stephanie Coontz, the author of "Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage," (Penguin Books, 2006). "It was a way of getting in-laws, of making alliances and expanding the family labor force."

But as family plots of land gave way to market economies and Kings ceded power to democracies, the notion of marriage transformed. Now, most Americans see marriage as a bond between equals that's all about love and companionship. [I Don't: 5 Myths About Marriage]

That changing definition has paved the way for same-sex marriage and Wednesday's (June 26) Supreme Court rulings, which struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and dismissed a case concerning Proposition 8.

From polygamy to same-sex marriage, here are 13 milestones in the history of marriage.

1. Arranged alliances

Marriage is a truly ancient institution that predates recorded history. But early marriage was seen as a strategic alliance between families, with the youngsters often having no say in the matter. In some cultures, parents even married one child to the spirit of a deceased child in order to strengthen familial bonds, Coontz said.

2. Family ties

Keeping alliances within the family was also quite common. In the Bible, the forefathers Isaac and Jacob married cousins and Abraham married his half-sister. Cousin marriages remain common throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East. In fact, Rutgers anthropologist Robin Fox has estimated that the majority of all marriages throughout history were between first and second cousins.

3. Polygamy preferred

Monogamy may seem central to marriage now, but in fact, polygamy was common throughout history. From Jacob, to Kings David and Solomon, Biblical men often had anywhere from two to thousands of wives. (Of course, though polygamy may have been an ideal that high-status men aspired to, for purely mathematical reasons most men likely had at most one wife). In a few cultures, one woman married multiple men, and there have even been some rare instances of group marriages. [Life's Extremes: Monogamy vs. Polygamy]

4. Babies optional

In many early cultures, men could dissolve a marriage or take another wife if a woman was infertile. However, the early Christian church was a trailblazer in arguing that marriage was not contingent on producing offspring.

"The early Christian church held the position that if you can procreate you must not refuse to procreate. But they always took the position that they would annul a marriage if a man could not have sex with his wife, but not if they could not conceive," Coontz told LiveScience.

5. Monogamy established

Monogamy became the guiding principle for Western marriages sometime between the sixth and the ninth centuries, Coontz said.

"There was a protracted battle between the Catholic Church and the old nobility and kings who wanted to say 'I can take a second wife,'" Coontz said.

The Church eventually prevailed, with monogamy becoming central to the notion of marriage by the ninth century.

6. Monogamy lite

Still, monogamous marriage was very different from the modern conception of mutual fidelity. Though marriage was legally or sacramentally recognized between just one man and one woman, until the 19th century, men had wide latitude to engage in extramarital affairs, Coontz said. Any children resulting from those trysts, however, would be illegitimate, with no claim to the man's inheritance.

"Men's promiscuity was quite protected by the dual laws of legal monogamy but tolerance basically enabling of informal promiscuity," Coontz said.

Women caught stepping out, by contrast, faced serious risk and censure.

7. State or church?

Marriages in the West were originally contracts between the families of two partners, with the Catholic Church and the state staying out of it. In 1215, the Catholic Church decreed that partners had to publicly post banns, or notices of an impending marriage in a local parish, to cut down on the frequency of invalid marriages (the Church eliminated that requirement in the 1980s). Still, until the 1500s, the Church accepted a couple's word that they had exchanged marriage vows, with no witnesses or corroborating evidence needed.

8. Civil marriage

In the last several hundred years, the state has played a greater role in marriage. For instance, Massachusetts began requiring marriage licenses in 1639, and by the 19th-century marriage licenses were common in the United States.

9. Love matches

By about 250 years ago, the notion of love matches gained traction, Coontz said, meaning marriage was based on love and possibly sexual desire. But mutual attraction in marriage wasn't important until about a century ago. In fact, in Victorian England, many held that women didn't have strong sexual urges at all, Coontz said.

10. Market economics

Around the world, family-arranged alliances have gradually given way to love matches, and a transition from an agricultural to a market economy plays a big role in that transition, Coontz said.

Parents historically controlled access to inheritance of agricultural land. But with the spread of a market economy, "it's less important for people to have permission of their parents to wait to give them an inheritance or to work on their parents' land," Coontz said. "So it's more possible for young people to say, 'heck, I'm going to marry who I want.'"

Modern markets also allow women to play a greater economic role, which lead to their greater independence. And the expansion of democracy, with its emphasis on liberty and individual choice, may also have stacked the deck for love matches.

11. Different spheres

Still, marriage wasn't about equality until about 50 years ago. At that time, women and men had unique rights and responsibilities within marriage. For instance, in the United States, marital rape was legal in many states until the 1970s, and women often could not open credit cards in their own names, Coontz said. Women were entitled to support from their husbands, but didn't have the right to decide on the distribution of community property. And if a wife was injured or killed, a man could sue the responsible party for depriving him of "services around the home," whereas women didn't have the same option, Coontz said.

12. Partnership of equals

By about 50 years ago, the notion that men and women had identical obligations within marriage began to take root. Instead of being about unique, gender-based roles, most partners conceived of their unions in terms of flexible divisions of labor, companionship, and mutual sexual attraction.

13. Gay marriage gains ground

Changes in straight marriage paved the way for gay marriage. Once marriage was not legally based on complementary, gender-based roles, gay marriage seemed like a logical next step.

"One of the reasons for the stunningly rapid increase in acceptance of same sex marriage is because heterosexuals have completely changed their notion of what marriage is between a man and a woman," Coontz said. "We now believe it is based on love, mutual sexual attraction, equality and a flexible division of labor."

Follow Tia Ghose on Twitterand Google+.FollowLiveScience @livescience, Facebook& Google+. Original article onLiveScience.com.

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13 Facts on the History of Marriage | Live Science

If you love shows about large families with tons of kids running around, Sister Wives is the perfect show for you. 'Sister Wives' is returning for its 15th season on February 14 on TLC and fans can expect to see a lot more drama, including how the Brown family are dealing with the pandemic.

But before you get stuck into Season 15, let's get you up to speed on Kody Brown's kids. We understand that it's not easy to follow the formula of this, here's a quick recap. Take a deep breath because we're about to introduce you to his 18 children!

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First up Mariah Brown, Kody Brown's only child with first wife Meri.

Even though Kody and Meri are now divorced, they claim to still have a 'spiritual union'. Mariah is the family's openly gay member. Her family certainly made their reservations known but now Mariah is happily engaged to her girlfriend, Audrey Kriss. Mariah is currently studying social work at Loyola University in Chicago and is expected to graduate in November 2020.

But while Kody has one child with first wife, Meri, he has six kids with his second wife, Janelle Brown. They are Logan, Maddie, Hunter, Garrison, Gabriel and Savannah. Let's introduce you to this side of the family.

Logan Brown, son of Kody and Janelle Brown, appeared on the show in his early school years but recently has had less screen time on the show. He proposed to his longtime girlfriend Michelle Petty in 2017. Logan studied kinesthesiology and graduated with a Bachelor's in 2017.

In earlier seasons, fans watched as Logan took on the responsibility of his younger siblings. Speaking about Logan's reduced participation in 'Sister Wives', dad Kody said in a podcast last year, that most of his older children are now stepping away from the limelight.

In 'Reality Life with Kate Casey' Kody said, "My older children aren't always interested in being a part of the show. And they don't always have a story to follow. They're trying to live professional lives and sometimes it's a hard balance to make."

Maddie, 24, is the second child of Kody and Janelle and was the first of Kody's children to get married. She married Caleb Brush in 2016, and welcomed their first child, Axel, in 2017.

Evie was born in 2019, and the couple learned during pregnancy that the baby had oligodactyly (have less than 10 fingers or toes). Maddie recently took to social media to reveal that her young daughter had her foot amputated in a planned surgery.

Hunter Brown

Hunter is the third child of Kody and Janelle Brown. He attended the United States Air Force Preparatory School, from which he graduated in May of 2016. He is currently enrolled in the United States Air Force Academy. He graduated in April 2020. He was a distinguished graduate, finishing in the 10 percent of his class. He is going to study at Johns Hopkins to complete Master's in nursing.

Garrison is the fourth child of Kody and Janelle Brown. He enlisted in the Nevada Army National Guard on November 19, 2015. He wanted to join the Army but joined the Nevada National Guard as a compromise with his father, who wanted him to attend school first.

Garrison is currently a student at the College of Southern Nevada. He opened his own online clothing store in 2019 called Bob's Floral; he sells Hawaiian floral shirts. Some reports say that Garrison is now trying to distance himself from the family and is going by the name Robert. He has also joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints which renounced polygamy back in 1890, putting him at odds with what his family practices.

Gabriel Brown is Kody and Janelle's fifth child. He is currently a student at Northern Arizona University (NAU).

Savanah Brown, 16, was born on December 7, 2004, to Kody Brown and Janelle Brown. She was the couple's sixth and final child.

In case you now need to take a bit of a breath and do a recap, who can blame you? So let's take this from the top! Kody had one daughter, Mariah, with his first wife Meri and six children with his second wife Janelle. You might think six kids is a tough number to match but it looks like Kody's third wife Christine managed to do just that.

While the marriage between Kody and wife Meri is legal, his marriages to Gwendolyns mom Christine, and also Janelle and Robin are considered 'spiritual unions' rather than legal unions. So who are Kody's kids with Christine and if you're wondering how on earth four wives and eighteen children keep the peace, well more on that coming up.

Kody Brown has six children with Christine including Aspyn, Mykelti, Paedon,Ysabel, Gwendolyn and Truely. Let's introduce you to this side of the family.

Aspyn Brown

Aspyn Brown Kody and Christine's first child is now Aspyn Thompson. She married Mitch Thompson in June 2018 and her sister, Truely, was one of her bridesmaids. Aspyn graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in early 2019. She studied Education, before becoming a student-teacher. In May 2019, she began working as an Assistant Manager of Events at Kendra Scott.

Mykelti Brown Kody and Christine's second child, now known as Mykelti Padron, works as a fashion consultant for LuLaRoe. Mykelti married Antonio Padron on December 17, 2016. They are expecting their first child in March 2021.

Paedon Rex Brown was born on August 7, 1998, to Kody Brown and Christine Brown. He was the couple's third child, and they went on to have three more children after him. On his Instagram account Paedon describes himself as "Army man for life. Living my best life to the fullest of my abilities".

While fans have suspected for a while that many of the Brown kids do not get along, Paedon was the first to publicly acknowledge a rift recently saying, "I love Mariah very much, but we cant stand each other.

Seventeen-year-old Ysabel Paige Brown was born on March 7, 2003, and is currently a senior in high school.

Gwendlyn Brown

Gwendlyn Brown recently made headlines for her announcement on Twitter saying that she is a "Raging Bisexual". She also recently took to Twitter to discuss how her siblings gossip about her sexuality. She also claimed that her brother Paedon is a racist. Gwendlyn doesn't shy away from making her political stance clear. Her Twitter bio reads, in its entirety, Im your basic, average girl and Im here to save the world. BLACK LIVES MATTER Raging Bisexual she/her #settleforbiden2020.

Truely Brown

Truely's birth was featured in the first season of the show. She was born on April 13, 2010. In 2014, Truely was admitted to the hospital for acute kidney failure and dehydration after her mother took her to the emergency room for what she believed to be the flu. She was started on abdominal dialysis and was not expected to survive. After 11 days in the hospital, Truely returned home.

Now onto Kody's last and hopefully final wife Robyn and the children they share. Kody divorced his first wife Meri in order to be able to adopt Robyn's children from a previous marriage and the couple needed to be legally married to do so.

Robin's three children from a previous marriage include Dayton, Aurora and Brenna. Let's introduce you to them.

Dayton Brown was born in January 2000 and has been adopted by Kody Brown. Unfortunately, his own father was an absentee father for most of his childhood.

Aurora was adopted by Kody Brown in June of 2015 when she was 13 years old. She legally changed her last name to Brown at that time.

Breanna Rose Brown was born on July 10, 2005, to David and Robyn Jessop (now Brown). Breanna was adopted by Kody Brown in June of 2015 when she was 10 years old. She legally changed her last name to Brown.

Robyn and Kody also went onto have two children of their own Solomon and Aurelia. Let's introduce you to the youngest members of the brood.

Solomon Kody Brown was born on October 26, 2011. Solomon seems to also share a great relationship with Meri Brown, Kody's first wife who often posts about Solomon on Instagram.

Ariella Mae Brown was born January 10, 2016, and is Kody's youngest child.

So there you have it all 18 children and yes, there are grandchildren also in the mix. But perhaps we'll keep that branch of the family tree for another day. If you're ever cribbing about childcare or your life is chaotic, we suggest you call to mind Kody Brown, as we suspect he's always got a fuller day than most!

Catch the trailer of the latest season of 'Sister Wives':

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Kody Brown's children: Who are 'Sister Wives' star's 18 ...

It looks like Porsha Williams doesnt have to worry about introducing another participant into her relationship.

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

Though he admits to growing up in a culture where a man having multiple wives is normal, Simon Guobadia took to Instagram this week to declare that he will always be a man who dedicates himself to one woman, and one woman only.

On Thursday, December 9, Porshas fianc took to Instagram to share a picture featuring a message about his beliefs.

The message reads: Unequivocally, Im a one man one wife individual. He went on to say, My grandfather having 25 wives 100 years ago or my father having 2 wives 56 years ago, bears no relevance to my life today other than for historical context.

Guobadia even doubled down on his statement in the caption, saying that Nigerian culture has adapted to the point where most men today have only one wife, despite their history of polygamy.

My Nigerian culture and law allows for a man to have multiple wives, and this can vary by regions and part of Nigeria. The reality however is that most Nigerian relationships today are one man one wife, he wrote. I have a responsibility to ensure Im accurate in my utterances regardless of the platform I use to share my opinions and thought.

This clarification from Simon comes after a November episode of Bravos Porshas Family Matters, where he revealed his upbringing to his fiance.

I come from a family where there was abundant love, but there wasnt enough to go around, the 57-year-old told Porsha, adding that there were so many kids, so many wives.

He went on to explain, Where I come from, theres nothing abnormal about having different women. As a matter of fact, theres women from my part of the country that tell their husbands, You can have one side b***h. And from time to time, the wife and the side b***h get together and make sure theres not another side b***h.

At one point in their conversation, the reality star asked her fianc if he has ever cheated, to which he replied, Of course, everybody has cheated.

As fans watched the episode, they urged Porsha to leave Simon, saying this whole conversation was a huge red flag.

But, according to Simon, his fiance has nothing to worry about.

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Porsha Williams Fianc Simon Guobadia Insists Hes A One ...

Not to be confused with polygamy, being polyamorous means that you can be married and still have sexual relationships with other people. All it takes to be in a polyamorous is to have your partners consent. These celebs have been in the game.

The Divergent actor believes that the boundaries of a relationship should be set by the two people in the relationship. Whatever floats their boat should go. Woodley has been in multiple open relationships as well as a deeply monogamous one. So she has had ample relationship experience in both ends of the spectrum. Even though she believes in polyamorous relationships, Woodley states that there must be a level of responsibility in any relationship. The other person should not take things for granted and break the confines due to the newfound freedom.

The award winning actor married the love of his life, Jada Pinkett-Smith in 1997. After so many years of being married to each other, the two understand each other in more ways than one. Smith claims the couple must be ready to understand the needs and desires of their spouse. And if it asks them to go the unconventional route, then so be it. In an interview, the Men in Black actor said that they both need to seek each others approval before they do something. It is always natural to be sexually attracted to other people. But they need their as well as their spouses consent to go ahead.

The actor and singer first confirmed in 2018 that she was in a polyamorous relationship with rapper Mod Sun and YouTuber Tana Mongeau. The trio were very open about the nature of their relationship dynamics. Bella Thorne was also very frank about it and even explained in detail her feelings and perspective on the issue:

I dont think anybody will really understand the bonds that I share with Mod or Tana, Thorne said. Yeah, we joke around about poly, but we arent in the sense that we dont put a word, a box, or label too many things. It is what it is.

The online sensation became notoriously famous after his social media antics went viral. Jake Paul soon tied the knot (well.kind of) with Tana Mongeau. Mongeau had already been in a polyamorous relationship with Bella Thorne. Jake Paul even publicly joked that it would be super cool if she hooked up with Noah Cyrus, with whom Mongeau had been flirting with on Twitter. Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau have been in an open polyamorous relationship since a long time. They are giving the institution of marriage a whole new meaning.

The Youngerstar has been in a 14 year long relationship with gender identity and body neutrality advocate Bethany Meyers. Though they do not like to put labels on their relationship, the fans have termed their relationship and queer polyamorous. Thats a term they have grown to accept. Tortorella claims their relationship sort of developed to become a polyamorous one after spending time with each other for 12 years. The next few years saw them become what they are and they are loving each and every bit of it. Tortorella claims being polyamorous actually strengthens their relationship. It is hard to break something that bends.

It was during the Season 1 finale of The Hills: New Beginnings that Kaitlynn Carter opened up about her open relationship stance. She was in an open relationship with Brody Jenner, who was completely okay with her being poly. The question was asked by Ashley Wahler, to which Carter replied that she isnt ashamed of anything:

Theres not one part of our relationship that Im ashamed of or that I would do differently. I just think that the world isnt necessarily ready to hear about all that. Not everybody is so open-minded or accepting of other people.

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Celebs Who Openly Accept They Were In Polyamorous Relationships - FandomWire