What Are Sister Wives?

Unless you are part of the Mormon sect that participates in polygamy, it is unlikely that you are aware of what a sister wife is or why she was given that name. A sister wife is part of a polygamist marriage that can include other women who are all married to the same man. This phenomenon was banned in the United States as well as a number of other countries.

What exactly is a sister wife?

Sister wives exist in certain splinter groups of Mormons that broke off of the main church back in the 1890s. A sister wife is one of several women, all of whom are married to the same man. It is not uncommon for each wife to have her own group of children with the husband, just as it is not uncommon for all of them them to live together in the same home. The women all consider themselves "sisters" of the others and wives to the man, hence the name "sister wives." In some cases, depending on the family's means, each wife might have her own home, where she can live with her children, and where the husband visits when it is her time. The fact that these women are involved in this type of marriage arrangement makes them liable to the full extent of the law as far as taking part of an illegal marriage.

Sister wives provide an internal support network for themselves and their families. As part of marriage that is considered illegal in the eyes of the law of this nation, their lives are shrouded in secrecy; the fear of exposure is on their minds every day.