M'LISA - Although polygamy isn't sanctioned by he church, we do in fact practice it in a sense by allowing men to be sealed to more than one woman in the temple. For example, if a first wife dies, the man may then remarry for time and eternity. If the reverse were happening a woman could only remarry for time. While both men and women are loved and equal in the eyes of the Lord, this seems to place women in second-rate status in the laws of the church.

JOEL - That is your perception and you are entitled to it; but is it the perception and intent of God? That's what counts the most. If both men and women are loved and equal in the eyes of the Lord, then they are also equal in the laws of the Church; because God is the one who made the laws of the Church. God has never said that the woman is "second rate" to man; but He has appointed man to be the patriarch and head of the wife and family.
A proclamation made by our Church leaders says:

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and the protection of their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners." (Proclamation on the Family, 1995)

The scriptures tell us:
"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." (1 Cor. 11:3)

As long as man realizes that Christ is his head, and conducts himself accordingly, the woman can accept the husband as her head and they can exist as equal partners in raising their family in eternity.
If the man does not follow Christ and does not respect his wife as an equal partner, he will be judged for "exercizing unrighteous dominion" (D&C 121: 37, 39)

The wife might also want to keep in mind the old Greek saying, "The man is the head of the family, but the woman is the neck and can turn the head any way she wants." :-)

Because there can only be one head of a family and man is appointed by God to be that head, there can only be one husband and father of a family; but there could be more than one wife if God so commands it (Jacob 2:27-30). That is why Celestial marriage was set up the way it was.
The multiple sealings to one man also allows for the possiblity for women who never had the chance to be sealed to enjoy the eternal blessings of being sealed and achieve exaltation.