Mormon church admits, founder Joseph Smith had 30 to 40 wives, and his REAL wife was none too happy about it

A new essay from the Mormon church reveals that Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, had as many as 40 wives. Some were as young as 14 and some were already wed.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The marital history of the Mormon founder has been a subject of heated and historical debate. Until recently, Mormon leaders have taken great care to present its first prophet as married happily to just one woman.

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But now the church says that the number is actually "between 30 and 40."

Church officials from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-the Mormon church's official name-disavowed polygamy in 1890 due to increased pressure from the U.S. government, which had a policy of imprisoning polygamists and seizing their assets.

The Mormon's view smith as a major prophet, who was given revelations from God that detailed biblical events in the Americas, including Jesus arriving after his resurrection.

The essay says that Smith did not want to take multiple wives, but he had to relent after an angel appeared to him three times from 1834 to 1842.

"The angel came with a drawn sword, threatening Joseph with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment fully," the church said.

However, the church notes that Smith saw his new religious flock as a restoration of the practices of biblical prophets like Abraham had multiple wives.

The church has also recognized that Smith's first wife, Emma-whom he was married to prior to receiving his new revelations-was not pleased at all about the polygamy. "It was an excruciating ordeal for Emma," the church said.

At one point four of Smith's wives were living in the household, but it is unlikely that Emma knew the full extent of her husband's polygamist relationships.

One benefit of polygamy was the increased number of children born to Mormon households.

"A substantial number of today's members descend through faithful Latter-day Saints who practiced plural marriage."

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