Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, had a number of wives estimated to be between 30 and 40, according to official LDS Church admissions and historical research
. The exact number is debated among historians, with some estimates ranging from about 33 to 49 women, including his first wife Emma Smith
. Many of these marriages were religious sealings rather than civil marriages, and some wives were already married to other men. The nature of these plural marriages varied, and the extent of Joseph Smith's relationships with these wives is not fully documented
. The LDS Church officially acknowledges that Smith practiced plural marriage and introduced it to close associates
. In summary, Joseph Smith had up to approximately 40 wives, though the precise number and details remain subject to historical debate.
