Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage by Kody Brown, Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, Robyn Brown

very quiet. Kody kept engaging my sister in conversation about plural marriage. She was a first wife and was interested in living the principle, which intrigued Kody.
    My impression of Kody was that he was a nice, thoughtful, interesting man who liked conversation. After he and Meri left, my sister started teasing me, telling me that she was sure Kody liked me. I told her she had no idea what she was talking about. Then I explained it wouldn’t have mattered if Kody had been head over heels for me. I had made an agreement with myself and with God. I was not putting myself out there. I was not available. If God wanted me to marry someone, then He’d have to hit me over the head with it and give me irrefutable proof that this is what I was meant to do. In the meantime, I told my sister, I’m going to figure myself out and get my kids in a safe situation.
    The next day I drove home to southern Utah. I assumed I’d never see Kody again.
     
Kody
    After Meri and I met Robyn on the lawn of her cousin’s house, Meri instantly sensed that there was something special about Robyn. I was nervous because Robyn was divorced and divorce can bring a lot of technical difficulties in terms of blending families and raising another man’s children. I had always declared that I wouldn’t invite this situation into my life. But the stirring I felt around Robyn changed this almost right away.
    Meri was incredibly excited to run into Robyn at the dance. She acted like a schoolgirl, figuring out how and when I should ask Robyn to dance. The minute Robyn and I hit the dance floor, I became transfixed by her spirit. I couldn’t deny the spark I felt—not the kind of spark you feel in your loins, but something deep and transcendent. I guess you could call it love at first sight.
    When we were talking after the dance, I went out of my way to avoid flirting with Robyn and focused most of my energy on talking to her sister. By that time, I had a very deep sense that there was a spiritual connection between us, but I didn’t want to be overbearing or inappropriate. Eventually, I ended the conversation with Robyn and her sister. I assumed I would see Robyn at church with the main congregation the next day.
    When Meri and I got home that night, we stayed up for two more hours talking about Robyn. We rehashed the whole experience at the dance and after. We discussed our feelings about a new wife and whether Robyn would be that person. Robyn’s energy really appealed to Meri, and Meri was looking forward to having her as a friend, as well as a potential sister wife.
    Despite our minor disagreements, our family was stable. All my wives were happy. Our children were happy. We had arrived at the place we’d be dreaming of since I married Christine. Itseemed like an insane idea to threaten the peace in our household by considering a new wife. But both Meri and I were convinced that Robyn had a wonderful spirit—kind and profound. Even our brief conversation with her stirred our souls. We wanted to get to know her better. I felt an undeniable connection to this woman I had just met, as did Meri. This connection was so deep and spiritual that it kept us up all night.
    We were lost in our own world as we discussed this undeniable feeling we both shared that Robyn was not just a special person on her own, but a special person to us. Meri and I kept looking into each other’s eyes and saying, “Something’s happening. We feel something happening.”
    Before we went to sleep, I climbed out of bed and went to the living room. I fell on my knees and began to pray. I told God that I felt a stirring, and that I wanted to know if this special woman I’d just met belonged in our family.
    When I got to church in the morning, Robyn was nowhere to be found. I was crestfallen. I was certain that she was as interested in me as I was in her. It seemed impossible to me that she wouldn’t have attended my congregation in the hopes of seeing me again.
    I was angry at