Sister Wives' Janelle talks to Meri as she prepares to pursue a spiritual divorce and formally end her marriage to Kody

In Season 20, Episode 13 of Sister Wives, Janelle Brown focused on taking steps to formally end her marriage to Kody Brown through a spiritual divorce.

She reached out to Meri Brown to seek guidance and support during this process.

The episode details Janelle’s preparation for the spiritual release, including her reflections on the church procedures involved and her desire to complete the process in a way she considers proper.

The conversation also highlights her considerations about interacting with church leadership and the steps required to formally conclude the spiritual and legal aspects of her marriage.

Sister Wives' Janelle’s decision to pursue a spiritual divorce

Janelle shared with Meri her intentions to formally complete the spiritual divorce and end her marriage to Kody in a manner she considers appropriate.

She explained that they had discussed the process of the "spiritual divorce" in detail, and she expressed that she feels ready to be "done" with the marriage.

Janelle emphasized that her focus is on formally concluding the marriage covenant in the way she understands to be proper, rather than seeking remarriage or additional commitments.

She cited that this step is part of completing her obligations within the framework of the marriage she once held.

Meri provided context on the perspective of the church they were previously part of, explaining that within that system, marriages were regarded as having an "eternal nature."

She clarified that the process of a spiritual release is understood as the formal termination of a marriage, not just legally but also in "spiritual" terms. 

Janelle emphasized her personal motivation, adding,

"But like at the end of the... end of my life, and I want to feel like I'm standing there before God and be like, okay, I did all the things I was obligated to do, right?"

Preparing for the process

Janelle discussed her prior conversations with Kody regarding her plans. She said,

"Look, I mean, I've told Kody. I mean, I talked to him. I mentioned it when we were working on the property back and forth. His attitude has been kind of like, well, I don't know why you're doing it, but okay, it's fine, you know, whatever."

She also expressed concerns about approaching church leadership, explaining that she was seeking to formally close the relationship in a "respectful and appropriate" way, but felt intimidated about initiating contact with leaders she had not interacted with in years.

Meri acknowledged these challenges, noting that church leadership can be "intimidating" and has the authority to determine whether someone remains married or is allowed to pursue a spiritual release, which can create additional pressure during the process.

Support and guidance from Meri

Meri shared her experience with the "spiritual release" to guide Janelle, explaining that the church leadership initially had no intention of granting the release on the day she arrived.

She described that the leaders appeared to want to talk to Kody first, but ultimately allowed the process to proceed, and she completed the release, leaving the meeting "single."

Janelle noted feeling "nervous" because she had not communicated with anyone in the church leadership for over a decade and was uncertain how they would perceive her request.

Meri offered to provide moral support during the process, stating,

"Well let me know how it goes if you want to share it with me let me know when your meeting is up there and if you want me around, I'll be around. Okay, just it's nice to have moral support."

Stay tuned for more updates.