Wed Nov 12, 2014 8:38pm EST (Reuters) - The Mormon church has said that founder Joseph Smith married about 40 women including a 14-year-old and others who were already the wives of his followers, having publicly portrayed him over the years as lovingly committed to one woman. "The fact that Joseph Smith had plural marriage relationships is not new, of course," said church spokesman Eric Hawkins, adding the essay was an effort to help people understand church history and doctrine. " (The church) publicly asserted Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy over a century and a half ago, especially in debate with other faith groups who traced their origin to Joseph Smith and who asserted that he did not practice plural marriage," Hawkins said. This version of the story corrects to clarify the church's position regarding Smith's practice of polygamy in the first paragraph; adds statement in paragraphs 8-9