Richard, Tina, Julena and Rebecca all say they feel responsible for how their relationships are managed. "We take care of each other's needs; it's not him taking care of us," Julena says. "We're taking care of each other, the four of us."

"Sometimes one of us can give somebody else a different perspective. It's almost like a counselor," Rebecca says. "You have two counselors there all the time, but someone who truly knows what you're facing, what the situation is every day."



With three women in the same house, jealousy and hurt feelings seem like they would be a constant problem. Yet Richard says his wives know how to avoid those conflicts. "They have an incredible ability to space themselves throughout the home. It's not like there's women on top of each other all over the place. They're all doing different things."

What if they wanted to expand the plural family to include even more wives? Julena says the entire family would discuss it first, but that she would look forward to it. "It's a blessing," she says. "This is a belief we truly believe in. It's sacred to us."

While many people think plural marriage is synonymous with forced marriage, rape and child abuse, Richard says the reason he agreed to speak out—risking prosecution, since polygamy is illegal—is to open a dialogue. "This is a big step for people to look in and say, 'You know what? Yes, [plural marriage] may not be my personal choice, but it is a choice,'" Richard says.

Richard says the goal he shares with his wives is to raise children with opportunities and values. They will not, he says, force them to have plural families of their own. "We are for choice, for what people want to do when it does not harm other people," he says. "We hold our children and the raising of our children and our family very sacred."

Lisa Ling investigates Warren Jeff's polygamist community


From The Oprah Winfrey Show "Polygamy in America: Lisa Ling Reports"