The polygamist Brown family can rest easy when traveling back to Utah.
Earlier in the season, thefamily was fearful as they returned to the place they once called home, where bigamy was a felony at the time. But in PEOPLE’s exclusive sneak peek at Sunday’s episode, the Browns rejoice over the news they have long waited to tell their children.
Janelle, who shares six children with Kody — Logan, Maddie, Hunter, Garrison, Gabriel and Savannah — is relieved, to say the least. “We’re like, no longer felons for living our religion,” she says in a confessional while reacting to the “surreal” news.
Historically, “for about 50 years after the Mormon pioneers came to Salt Lake in about 1847, they practiced polygamy — it was part of the religion, it was just a thing that was done. It wasn’t weird,” says Janelle, 51.
But more than 40 years later, in “about 1890, they decided they wanted to try for statehood, so in order to do that they had to outlaw polygamy and it’s been illegal ever since,” she continues. “For 150 years, we’ve been felons.”
Meri — who wasraised in a plural family— says she views polygamy as “basic human rights, civil rights.”
“I don’t think Kody sharing a bedroom with another adult woman is hurting anybody else,” adds the 50-year-old.
Kody believes the new law will benefit the plural community as a whole. “It’ll get this polygamist community, which is vast and various different groups of people, to open up,” he tells cameras.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Kody, who has acombined 18 childrenwith his wives, says he hopes the ruling will “ultimately lead to the freedom of all plural families everywhere.”
Brown family.TLC
“This change in polygamy law is hard-earned and way overdue as the polygamist community in Utah has been marginalized for over a century. I feel that this is just the first step to destigmatize plural families,” says Kody.
“Witnessing the law change last year and knowing it came from legislation is very promising. I hope it will ultimately lead to the freedom of all plural families everywhere. To witness the Utah Legislature make this change gave me both hope and joy, and even a sense of social acceptance,” he continues. “It’s an indirect victory for so many that worked so hard, but a huge victory still.”
Sister Wivesairs Sundays (10 p.m. ET) on TLC.
source: people.com
