It’s Official: Mormon Founder Had Up to 40 Wives

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Laurie Goodstein

A statue of Joseph Smith and his first wife, Emma,
at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Credit Jim McAuley for The New York Times

UTAH---Mormon leaders have acknowledged for the first time that the church’s founder and prophet, Joseph Smith, portrayed in church materials as a loyal partner to his loving spouse Emma, took as many as 40 wives, some already married and one only 14 years old. The church’s disclosures, in a series of essays online, are part of an effort to be transparent about its history at a time when church members are increasingly encountering disturbing claims about the faith on the Internet. Many Mormons, especially those with polygamous ancestors, say they were well aware that Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, practiced polygamy when he led the flock in Salt Lake City. But they did not know the full truth about Smith. [link]