PODCAST · history
Sisters Not Wives
by Kensley and Joslyn Hatch
The history of Mormon polygamy from female perspectives.
Episodes
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Did Polygamy Build Utah's Fortune or Destroy it? #22 Sisters Not Wives
In this episode, we dig into the real economics of polygamy in early Mormon Utah. For years, people have argued about why plural marriage existed—some claim it was about caring for widows, others say it was purely religious devotion. But what do the actual economic studies and historical records...
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3 Lies About Women's Fertility That Fueled Mormon Polygamy | Sisters Not Wives #21
In this episode, we unpack one of the most persistent narratives in religious history: the claim that polygamy was necessary to “build up the kingdom,” increase fertility, and rapidly populate the church. Leaders and advocates often framed plural marriage as a divine solution to demographic…
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What Netflix Got Totally Wrong | The Actual History of Mountain Meadows Massacre | Sisters Not Wives#20
The Mountain Meadows Massacre is one of the darkest and most disturbing events in Utah history and the truth is far more twisted than what most people have seen on screen. In this episode, we break down where Netflix’s American Primeval gets the story wrong, why its portrayal of frontier violence...
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"Obedience Over Logic!" 2025 LDS Sunday School Debacle | Sisters Not Wives #19
In November 2025, the LDS Church’s Sunday School lesson on polygamy and Doctrine & Covenants Section 132 raised more questions than answers and for many, confirmed long-standing concerns about how the Church handles its own history. In this episode of Sisters Not Wives, we break down what…
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How Tension on the Frontier Turned Deadly: The Road to Mountain Meadows | Sisters Not Wives #18
Today, we're exploring how a rising climate of religious fervor, growing suspicion, and a sense of impending doom shaped life in Utah Territory during the 1850s. As tensions escalated between Latter-day Saint settlers and outsiders, the community braced for what many believed would be another...
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The Untold History of Why Early Mormons Believed In Blood Atonement | Sisters Not Wives #17
In this episode, we uncover the chilling truth behind why early Mormons believed in Blood Atonement: one of the most disturbing doctrines to ever emerge from 19th-century American religion. We explore how this belief shaped the foundations of early Mormon history and how a culture of fear, guilt,...
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What No One Talks About In Mormon Temple Culture | Sisters Not Wives #16
Three sisters, each raised in the LDS (Mormon) Church and now at different stages in their faith journeys, sit down for a raw, unfiltered discussion about what no one talks about in Mormon temple culture. We dive deep into the traditions, expectations, and emotional layers behind eternal…
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3 Terrifying Mormon Blood Atonement Cults | Sisters Not Wives #15
Today, we dive deep into one of the darkest doctrines to ever come out of American religious extremism, Mormon blood atonement, and the chilling ways it has surfaced in modern history. We break down three disturbing real world examples of cult leaders who justified violence in the name of God: •...
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Did We Accidentally Join a Cult in Utah? | Sisters Not Wives: # 14
Growing up in Utah, we were part of three different groups that, looking back, might’ve been more cult-like than we realized. In this episode, we revisit our teenage experiences, what was tied into money and power, and the red flags we missed along the way. From risky rituals to systematic…
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The Mormon Makeover - How Utah Changed The Religion | Sisters Not Wives: #13
After the end of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young led the Latter-day Saints west to the remote Utah Territory, but the move wasn’t just geographical. In this video, we dive deep into the surprising doctrinal changes and theological shifts introduced by Brigham Young that reshaped Mormonism as we know...
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The Most Bizarre (and Hilarious) Mormon Homeschool Stories | Sisters Not Wives: #12
Today, we're taking a slightly different turn by talking about modern-day Mormonism, namely what it was like growing up in an extremely religious, conservative lds homeschool community in the early 2000s. Join or reminiscing and reenactments as we go down memory lane with some of the cringiest…
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#11: Exploring the Roots of Mormon Feminism
In this episode, we take a look at the history of women's rights within the church and how they were slowly dismantled and changed. With a mass exodus of women leaving religion, we discuss the challenges and obstacles in a system that still has gender-based power structures. And finally, listen…
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#10: The Polygamy Power Struggle | How Brigham Young Took Control
A murdered prophet. A power struggle. And a flood of hidden wives.
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#9 The Scripture Brigham Young Didn't Want You To See
In this episode of Sisters Not Wives, we uncover the scripture Brigham Young didn’t want you to see, one that directly contradicts the narrative he later built around Joseph Smith and plural marriage. This chapter, once part of LDS canon, mysteriously vanished as polygamy took hold. We dig into…
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#8 Mormon Polygamy Stories | The Reputation Scandal | Fighting Over Sarah Pratt
In this eye-opening episode, we uncover the long-suppressed story of Sarah Pratt, the wife of early LDS apostle Orson Pratt, and the explosive scandal that shook the foundations of Nauvoo in the 1840s. While Orson was away on a mission, Sarah found herself entangled in a bitter power struggle...
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#7 The Cult That Started Polygamy Before The Mormons
Before the mainstream Mormon Church embraced polygamy, another radical sect in the United States was already practicing it, and they were the ones who ended up being converted by the Mormons. In this episode, we dive deep into the little-known story of a cult-like religious group in early...
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#6 The Sketchy Mayor/Controversial Children's Picture Book about Polygamy
In this episode, we dive into the wild rise and fall of John C. Bennett, a man who swept into Nauvoo with charm and ambition, became the city's mayor, and then left a trail of scandal, betrayal, and chaos in his wake. From his political maneuvering to his secret spiritual wifery and eventual...
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#5 Fires, Riots, and Murder in LDS History!
Today, we're investigating a particularly chaotic period in LDS Church history, marked by significant religious turmoil and historical violence. The context of the Mormons' time in Missouri is a key part of the story to fully understand the people who later became involved in polygamy and what...
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#4 What Happened During the Polygamy Era?
Before diving into the jaw-dropping personal stories tied to polygamy in Mormon history, we’re stepping back to lay the groundwork. This episode breaks down the key events: from the Church's founding in 1830, through the rise of plural marriage, to its official end in 1904 when the LDS Church...
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#3 Fanny Alger: The Forgotten Beginning of Mormon Polygamy
This is the origin story for polygamy in Mormonism and where our jorney begins... Sadly, we do not have any records from Fanny herself, but quite a number of people had things to say about her and Joseph Smith and we are diving into the sources that have been relied upon most heavily in their...
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#2: Leaving the LDS Church - Joslyn's Story
We decided to do this podcast together to have an open discussion from two different viewpoints. Last week, Kensley told some of her experience and her story of choosing to stay in the LDS Church and looking into Church History and particularly the history of polygamy. A lot of people asked to…
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#1: Mormon Polygamy from Female Perspectives
Welcome to the first episode of our podcast Sisters Not Wives where we are looking at the history of Mormon polygamy from a female lens. This topic that has always been controversial and hence silenced and suppressed in the past and today. We're two sisters openly discussing the history of…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The history of Mormon polygamy from female perspectives.
HOSTED BY
Kensley and Joslyn Hatch
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Sisters Not Wives have?
Sisters Not Wives currently has 22 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Sisters Not Wives about?
The history of Mormon polygamy from female perspectives.
How often does Sisters Not Wives release new episodes?
Sisters Not Wives has 22 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Sisters Not Wives?
You can listen to Sisters Not Wives on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Sisters Not Wives?
Sisters Not Wives is created and hosted by Kensley and Joslyn Hatch.
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