We welcome requests for interviews and speaking engagements about Love Times Three and the mainstream polygamous lifestyle.
To arrange an interview or book one or more of us for a speaking engagement, please contact:
Suzanne Wickham
Senior Director of Publicity, HarperOne
HarperCollins Publishers
Suzanne.wickham@HARPERCOLLINS.com
I have lots of questions and I was wondering if I could be in contact via email?
Some questions that I have for the family would be:
What is your opinion on the Brown family?
Have you ever thought that this lifestyle wasn’t for you?
If need be, Joe, are you willing to move out of state like the Browns?
Why is polygamy illegal? I don’t understand? (To me, from what I’ve learned from your book is that plural marriage is a religious practice and the first amendment states that this country has freedom of religion, so why is it illegal if it’s what you guys believe in?)
Do you believe that if more families came out, and more people understood why you live this way, that it would become more acceptable and maybe even legalized or do you think that the government would push harder to show it’s illegal? (does that make any sense?)
I think that is all my questions for now.
Please reply and I thank you so much!
Steve,
Thank you for your support and your questions. You’ve given us an idea to perhaps include more of a forum for questions and inquiries.
We certainly can keep any thing private you send via our email if you have anymore questions. To answer what you inquired:
Brown’s: We will write some upcoming blogs on the show Sisterwives. We have commented on their lawsuit which we support and think they have done a marvelous job publicizing plural marriage. We felt that a book was still needed as on the show they don’t go into the history, theology or political ramifications at all.
As in any marriage we have all had second thoughts as to if we could make it or not. But we all know that this is the path for us.
We will not move out of state from threat or fear! We have chosen to stay and knew the ramifications when we chose to be public.
The answer as to why it is illegal is long an complex. The book has some of that history, and some of my blogs have addressed more issues. Essentially the Reynolds Supreme Court Case held that we could believe our religion but we could not practice it. This effectively killed the religious freedom argument for it. Many scholars believe the Reynolds case, based upon very racist and inflammatory logic by today’s standards, would not hold up to a challenge. The Courts have been unwilling to hear polygamy. We do believe the more people are educated the more the government will relax its control. So long as people associate polygamy with abuse such as Warren Jeffs, the courts, no matter how blind Justice claims to be, will block polygamy from decriminalization.
My sense is that more families will continue to come forward as need dictates.
God Bless,
Joe
Hello, my name is wendy and i live in pa I just read your book and I enjoyed it. I believe as long as your happy great, I watch sisterwives and they are great people and you all sound very nice and great parents to your kids. Keep up the great work, Im behind ya= Thanks for a great read!! wendy in pa.
I woud love to email you some questions, but I am somewhat computer illiterate. Where can I find your families email address?
While we don’t have a family email set up, if you send us questions via the blog the comments are not made public until our web master approves them and sends them to us. If there are questions you would prefer to keep private let us know and we will not post them. Otherwise we are happy to answer whatever questions we can and share them with others who desire to be better informed. As always all we can answer is from our own life experience. We have enjoyed your comments on this blog and appreciate especially what you said concerning the cancer.
Joe,
Thank you for your response. Since our family made the decission to become polygamists, I have often struggled with some aspects, such as who to inform in our lives about our choice (IE Employers, friends, family, etc.). Since non of us were raised or exposed to anyone in a polygamist family I have been on a journey that past year to learn all I can. I believe it is more of trying to find others who live as we do. I will admit I was starting to believe we were alone in the world, and unsure how to locate others I could discuss different things that come up and get their perspectives on it. So, I greatly appreciate your families williness to be so open, and willing to answer questions.
I am not looking for expert set in stone answers but perspectives from others who actually live and believe as we do.
The biggest question I get from people is since we made the decission prior to even realizing it is accepted within segments of the Jewish faith how we could even consider it. The answer of because my husband loves me and C, it was the logical solution since I refused to be “the other woman” so to speak. That answer does not seem to be accepted by most people.
I understand your faith is a large reason for the choice of polygamy, but it appears to me even if we take faith out of the equation, you and your wives love each other and have built a wonderful life, and as such it would not change your desire to spend your life with your wives and not limit it to just one. Am I correct? Any suggestions on how I can better answer this question when it comes up?
Lastly pleaset let me know if there is a better place here to post the many questions I have, or if you prefer to do so through email.
I have already informed my husband I full intend to attend one of your family’s public appearences when timing is possible. So, if you ever come to Nevada it would make it much easier for me *laughs*
Joe has been unavailable, but I will answer for him. We all are deeply in love with Joe and he with us, and we have all said we would probably stay in our plural marriage even without our faith, so from that aspect you are correct. However, it is impossible to know for sure because it had everything to do with our culture, our faith and our beliefs that led us to it, and when we had the hard struggles it was our faith that kept us toegther. People may not accept that you entered in your marriage for love, but there is nothing to be ashamed of in that response, especially where the roots of your faith allow it. I have found that I don’t care if people find me happy, or agree with my choice or not, only that they respect my ability to choose it.
Just wanted to say your family inspires me. I enjoyed the book immensely. I did not grow up in a polygamous family. However, I started watching Sisterwives and thought to myself how wonderful the family is. Then I started researching more and came across your book. Your love for one another and honesty about the struggles you face really just opened my mind and my heart.