The Mormon church has finally admitted that its founder, Joseph Smith, did have multiple wives. In a surprising essay posted on the church’s official site, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that Smith may have had as many as 40 wives and married one woman when she was just 14.
The new essay covers the history of polygamy in the Mormon church, since early members did believe in the biblical idea that a man could have more than one wife. However, after pressure from the U.S. government, the church finally rejected that in 1890, notes CNN.
In the essay, the church writes that Smith’s oldest wife was 56-year-old Fanny Young. His youngest was the daughter of one of his close friends. They married just before the young girl’s 15th birthday. In an added note, the church writes that “careful estimates” say that Smith had “between 30 and 40” wives.
While Smith died 170 years ago, this revelation is a shock to the church, since Smith is revered as a prophet who received orders directly from God. Emily Jensen, a Mormon blogger, told The New York Times that this changes the way she looks at Smith.
“Joseph Smith was presented to me as a practically perfect prophet, and this is true for a lot of people,” Jensen said. She later added that other church members have reacted on social media by stating, “This is not the church I grew up with, this is not the Joseph Smith I love.”
The church had taught that Smith was a loving husband to his first wife, Emma. While the church does say that Smith didn’t have sexual relations with all of his wives, it was “an excruciating ordeal” for Emma.
A church spokesman told CNN that this essay is just the first of three essays on marriage. Church historian Elder Snow also told the NY Times that another essay might focus on women and priesthood in the church, since only men can be priests in the church.