Discuss Sister Wives
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Three Wives, One Husband
posted by DesertDudeSTAFFMOD on March 7, 2018 at 12:12 AM
I don't know if any of you plan to watch this but I encourage you to do so. This was actually filmed by a British film crew a couple of years ago and was aired on a UK TV station. I actually watched it before, but plan to watch it again. Rather than being reality TV it is shot in documentary form and is only a few episodes. The Foster family lives about 30 miles south of me. I have known them for almost 25 years. Hopefully TLC won't try to turn this into a regular series. The Fosters are an awesome family, much like Joe Darger's family. I loved it when the Dargers told TLC to shove it.
One of the reasons that I like the Fosters and the Dargers is that they are the ones that are really publicly fighting the polygamy fight in Utah at the grass roots level. They know Utah isn't going to put them in jail, or to take away their land. They know Utah will only fight polygamy on the grounds of when other crimes are committed. While they fight for the end to the criminalization of polygamy, it is still against the law Federally. Utah laws don't mean shit as long as polygamy is outlawed nationally.
Yes, the Browns filed suit against Utah and lost, but it wasn't because of what was explained on the show. They filed a suit against the State of Utah and the Supreme Court found there wasn't a problem created by the State because the Browns opted to move to another state. There wasn't a violation of their civil rights. The State of Utah has not taken legal action against anyone, just because they were polygamists, since the raids in the 1930's. The last time the Federal Government did raids concerning polygamy was in 1889. In 1890 the Mormon Church issued the Mormon Manifesto which ended the sanctioning of polygamy. In 1896 Utah became a State. The Feds ended their fight with the State of Utah, who then, unfortunately, had to fight the offshoots of the Mormon Church that still believed in polygamy.
Unless the State of Utah or the Federal Government arrests someone simply because of being a polygamist, there isn't a need for the Supreme Court to intervene.
Reply by Terrie
on March 19, 2018 at 1:47 PM
Well .............. I think this may be more interesting than Sister Wives...........
Reply by jonnieblack
on March 19, 2018 at 2:08 PM
Pretty much everything I watch is recorded. Haven't seen last night's episodes yet. Will weigh in when I do.
Reply by Cinles
on March 19, 2018 at 5:23 PM
Just finished the 3rd episode and they remind me of the Browns when their show first started, especially the dogma that women have to suffer to be closer to God. It also reminded me of the family meetings, like when Robyn gave her famous speech. But these women don't hide that they hate each other.
I imagine this is how it was with Meri & Janelle when they were young. Thank goodness these people have their babies in a medical center. What about that one couple who are monogamous & the wife looks like his mother & the couple with the Christine & Robyn act alike wives? I thought it was great - it was just like all first seasons of reality shows and that is a beautiful part of our country.
Reply by Cinles
on March 19, 2018 at 11:13 PM
I was wondering about ownership of the land. So they lease the land from the state, then they must know they're polygamists - right? That is kind of weird since they're fighting the state about polygamy. If they don't own the land, what if they get thrown off after building those homes?
Reply by DesertDude
on March 20, 2018 at 8:59 AM
The land was originally State Institutional Trust Land which is land given to the State by the Federal Government to establish a trust to support education. In the 1970's Bob Foster leased the land for 99 years from SITLA. Starting in the 2000's SITLA started selling land to lease holders to increase the amount of money that the School Trust Lands were earning. The leases only earned between $100-$1000 a year through lease payments.
On July 14, 2011 Rockland Ranch LLC purchased the 272 acre parcel from SITLA for $500,000 on a 20 year contract.
Reply by Cinles
on March 20, 2018 at 11:40 AM
Thank you for that information.
"On July 14, 2011, Rockland Ranch LLC purchased the 272-acre parcel from SITLA for $500,000 on a 20-year contract."
So they own the land for 20 years & then they have to buy it again? I guess that's more secure than leasing it. This group seems pretty smart - is that the consensus?
Reply by DesertDude
on March 20, 2018 at 12:07 PM
No the land agreement changed from a lease to a purchase. SITLA realized they weren't making very much money off of leases, so for those that had long term leases they offered to sell the land to them. The sales contract was for $500,000 with a 5.25% interest, with payments due annually on the 30th of June. At the rate that Rockland has been paying off the contract they will own the ranch free and clear after 10 years, which is in 2021. The great thing about Utah is that everything is on line.
Reply by Cinles
on March 20, 2018 at 12:13 PM
I see. I was thrown by the word 'contract'.
Reply by Poetist
on March 21, 2018 at 1:29 AM
OMG! It's so obvious the husband wants a second wife, but not only does he want a second wife, he wants a "younger" one. He's not bad looking. I'm surprised the wife was able to lock him down like that.
Reply by Cinles
on March 21, 2018 at 1:44 AM
Wasn't it hilarious when they were talking about getting a 2nd wife - she's all, no we don't want that & he's like well if it happens, it happens?
Reply by Poetist
on March 21, 2018 at 2:17 AM
I know. Her body language was speaking volumes. Even the producers asked them are they on the same page? LOL.
Reply by Cinles
on March 21, 2018 at 2:57 AM
I thought it was interesting that they moved there in the 70's so most of these people are their kids & only half of them are polygamists.
Reply by DesertDude
on March 23, 2018 at 3:25 AM
"They" didn't move there in the 1970's, Bob Foster and his wives did. Some of his wives didn't chose to live there. Some moved to Moab, some moved to Salt Lake. Bob, like his sons, always chose women that were strong and were professionals. The families that live at "The Rock" moved there in the 1990's. Bob didn't die at "The Rock", he passed away in Salt Lake in 2009.
Yes some of them are monogamists, like Bob's daughter, but they live his religion, even though he has passed.
Reply by Cinles
on March 23, 2018 at 4:05 AM
I thought they said in the show or I read somewhere 'they' meaning the original families moved there in the 70's. Actually, that's just what you wrote. Bob Foster moved there in the 70's, but then the families that live there now moved there in the 90's. What happened to the land between the 70's & the 90's?
Reply by DesertDude
on March 23, 2018 at 4:33 AM
Bob kept developing the land and making more houses from the 1970's through the 1990's. I think I first met Enoch when he was about 14. His mom lived in Park City, and he came down to the ranch on weekends and during the summer. I met Bob because it is one of my favorite places to hike. I got a flat tire driving out to the overlook (Canyonlands) and Bob rescued me. We were friends forever after. That was in the late 70's. In the 1980's and 1990's, Bob had a B&B out at The Rock. I used to visit him then. But it was in the 1990's more families started to arrive out there. The Morrisons, and some of Bob's kids. I haven't been there for a long time, but I see Enoch at City Market every once in a while.