Church: Mormon founder Joseph Smith wed 40 wives

(CNN) -- The founder of the Mormon church, Joseph Smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including some who were already married and one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged in a surprising new essay.

Smith's marital history had been the subject of frequent historical debate, but until recently Mormon leaders had taken pains to present its founding prophet as happily married to one woman. Now, the church says, "careful estimates put the number between 30 and 40."

The church, officially called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, disavowed plural marriage in 1890 under pressure from the U.S. government, which had imprisoned polygamists and seized their assets.

It's hard to overestimate Smith's importance to Mormons. He is viewed as a larger-than-life prophet who received special revelations from God. The news that he had taken so many wives, including teens and other men's spouses, rocked some members of the faith, according to Mormon blogger Jana Riess.

What's remarkable about the new statement, said Steve Evans, who blogs at By Common Consent, a site that takes an intellectual approach to Mormon history, is that came from the church itself. Twenty years ago, Mormons could be excommunicated for addressing controversial topics like polygamy and the church's former ban on black priests.

But in recent years, with information about Smith's multiple marriages only a Google search away, Mormon church leaders felt pressure to answer questions from the faithful, Evans said. Some Mormons had even left the church after discovering its polygamist past.

"The church is realizing that all of these really controversial topics are being openly discussed on the Internet. So why not put out something that acknowledges the history and tries to get a little bit ahead of it?"

According to the church's essay, Smith had not wanted to take multiple wives, but relented after an angel appeared to him three times between 1834 and 1842. On the angel's last visit, the church said, "the angel came with a drawn sword, threatening Joseph with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment fully."

As the church's essay notes, Smith also saw his fledgling Mormon movement as a restoration of the "ancient principles" of biblical prophets like Abraham, who practiced plural marriage.

Smith's first wife, however, was not amused. In fact, the church said, "it was an excruciating ordeal for Emma."

Sometime in the 1830s, Smith took his second wife, Fanny Alger, according to the church. They later separated, the church said.

At one point, Emma Smith accepted four of her husbands' plural wives into her household, according to the church. But she likely never knew the full extent of her husband's polygamous unions, LDS officials acknowledge.

Although Smith wed as many as 40 women, he did not necessarily consummate the marriages, the LDS church said. Some might have been "eternity-only sealings," meaning that the relationships were held on reserve for the afterlife.

Most of the women Smith married were between 20 and 40, the church said, but one was as old as 56 and one as young as 14.

"Marriage at such an age, inappropriate by today's standards, was legal in that era, and some women married in their mid-teens," the church said in its online essay.

Helen Mar Kimball, the teen, said her marriage to Smith was "for eternity alone," suggesting the relationship did not involve sexual relations, the church said.

Though controversial, polygamy did have an upside, according to the church: it increased the number of children born in Mormon households.

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

The essay is part of a three-part series on the subject, said LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins.

A relatively small number of Mormon fundamentalists, who split from the church over polygamy, continue to practice plural marriage, pointing to Smith's original teachings as more authentic than later revisions.

"I kind of look at the gospel as a stream of water, and it's the purest at its source," Anne Wilde of Principle Voices, a Utah-based group that educates the public about polygamy, told CNN four years ago. "If those are eternal doctrines, then how can man change them?"

Sugarhill Gang rapper Big Bank Hank dead at 57

(CNN) -- A member of the Sugarhill Gang, whose pioneering hit "Rapper's Delight" brought hip hop to mainstream audiences 35 years ago, died Tuesday of complications from cancer.

"Big Bank Hank," whose real name was Henry Jackson, died early Tuesday in Englewood, New Jersey, according to David Mallie, who manages the two surviving Sugarhill Gang members. The New York native was 57.

A beefy, boisterous presence onstage, Hank handled vocals in the early to middle portion of "Rapper's Delight," which despite its extended length -- one version was more than 14 minutes long -- became the first rap song to reach the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard charts.

Jackson traded rhymes with bandmates "Wonder Mike" Wright and Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien and spoke some of the song's catchiest lines, including "Ho-tel, mo-tel, Holiday Inn/If your girl starts acting up, then you take her friend."

Wonder Mike and Master Gee issued a statement Tuesday:

"So sad to hear about our brother's passing. The 3 of us created musical history together with the release of Rapper's Delight. We will always remember traveling the world together and rocking the house. Rest in peace Big Bank."

The three friends were unknown MCs when producer Sylvia Robinson recruited them to record the song for her rap label, Sugar Hill Records.

Released in fall 1979, "Rapper's Delight" became a novelty hit and a staple at dance clubs well into 1980. It was born from the emerging New York hip-hop scene of the late '70s, in which young rappers gathered in clubs and exchanged rhymes over instrumental breaks from popular songs, most notably Chic's hit "Good Times."

"Rapper's Delight" also borrowed its bass line and other flourishes from "Good Times," prompting threats of legal action by Chic co-founders Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. After a settlement, Rodgers and Edwards were listed as co-writers of the song.

"It felt like a new art form," Rodgers said later of "Rapper's Delight."

In 2011, Rolling Stone ranked "Rapper's Delight" at No. 248 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

People we've lost in 2014

Iran leader's call to 'annihilate' Israel sparks fury as nuclear deadline looms

(CNN) -- A new document by Iran's supreme leader calling for the elimination of Israel shows that world powers must not rush into a deal on the country's nuclear program despite an upcoming deadline, Israel's Prime Minister said Monday.

"There is no moderation in Iran. It is unrepentant, unreformed, it calls for Israel's eradication, it promotes international terrorism," Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

"This terrorist regime in Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear threshold power. And I call on the P5+1 countries -- don't rush into a deal that would let Iran rush to the bomb." (The P5+1 refers to the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany -- the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany.)

Iran insists it only wants nuclear energy. And Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while calling for the elimination of Israel, said he opposes "a massacre of the Jewish people in this region."

Instead, he seeks a referendum. But in the meantime, "armed resistance is the cure," he says, calling for the West Bank to be "armed like Gaza."

The call reflects internal Palestinian politics as well. Iran supports Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. Hamas' rival faction, Fatah, controls the West Bank. On Sunday, the government in the West Bank accused Hamas of bombing its leaders' homes.

Gun sales spike as Ferguson area braces for grand jury decision

Ferguson, Missouri (CNN) -- Lately, Dan McMullen has been bringing an extra gun to his office in Ferguson, Missouri.

McMullen runs Solo Insurance on West Florissant close to where looting and vandalism briefly broke out in early August after a police officer shot to death teenager Michael Brown.

"I bring an extra gun now only because it has a bigger magazine," McMullen says. He began carrying it after tensions increased in the area following the shooting. He says he would never use it to protect his business, but he would use it to save his life.

"So maybe I get trapped here or something and have to have a John Wayne shootout," McMullen says before interrupting himself, smiling. "That's the silly part about it: Is that going to happen? Not a chance. But I guess, could it? I'm the only white person here."

McMullen is particularly cautious now, as all of Ferguson and much of the nation waits to see whether a grand jury will indict Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting. Though the grand jury has until January to issue its ruling, the prosecutor's office has said a decision could come in mid-November.

McCullen warns others considering getting a gun not to be reckless. When his adult son told him he wanted a gun to protect himself after the grand jury decision, McMullen warned him not to rush into it.

"People like him need to think about it, and not think about 'I'm worried about this stuff,' " McMullen says.

On Monday, Steven King, who owns Metro Shooting Supplies told CNN that customers bought 100 guns this weekend. A typical weekend brings in about 30 buyers.

"People are afraid they are gonna throw Molotov cocktails," says King, referring to the mostly nonviolent protests that have taken place in Ferguson since the shooting.

The increase in gun sales reaches across racial and ethnic lines, he says.

"A lot of black people coming in saying they are afraid of the hooliganism," he says.

"But not all of Ferguson is hooliganish. The media portrays us that way. If the world can just see this is one little street in Ferguson going crazy, they'd understand that we're not just one big burning city."

At Metro Shooting Range in nearby Bridgeton, Missouri, manager John Stephenson says gun sales are up 40 to 50% as of last week.

And lots of folks are coming in to the gun range for training, which he says is important for new gun owners.

"Every time that door opens, we're seeing new faces," Stephenson says. Many new customers tell him they're concerned about the response to the grand jury decision.

The bulk of the weapons sold to new buyers are home defense shotguns. "We've sold tons," he says.

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles says a good number of residents have told him they're buying guns for protection. The mayor has warned law enforcement to be mindful that there are a flurry of new gun owners.

"It is a little frightening to think that somebody who is less trained may not have that restraint."

A gun owner himself, Knowles says gun ownership is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly.

India: 11 women die, 62 more hospitalized after being paid to be sterilized

New Delhi (CNN) -- At least 11 women have died and 62 were hospitalized after undergoing sterilization surgery at a government-run mobile health clinic in India, authorities said.

Those killed and injured were among more than 80 women who had come to a "camp" for sterilization surgery in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, said R.K. Vange, chief medical health officer for the area. The women were each paid 1,400 rupees ($23) to undergo the procedure

The sterilizations took place on Saturday, Vange said. Many of the women developed complications by Monday, with four different hospitals taking in patients.

Six of the dozens being treated were in critical condition Tuesday, according to hospital officials.

District officials have ordered an investigation and the results of post-mortems are expected by Wednesday, Vange added.

Four local health department officials have been suspended in the wake of the deaths and hospitalizations, according to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh's office.

 

Human Rights Watch has condemned sterilization drives by Indian health officials to curb population growth. Women are often paid or coerced to undergo surgery in unsanitary conditions.

The group has urged India to focus more efforts on contraception and male vasectomies, which are far less dangerous procedures.

According to CNN affiliate IBN, 83 women had the sterilization surgery in five hours at the mobile clinic.

Rosetta mission: Philae lander is 'Go' for attempted comet touchdown

London (CNN) -- Rosetta mission controllers have made the first call to "Go" for an attempted landing on Comet 67P, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced in a webcast Tuesday.

If it succeeds it will be the first time a spacecraft has landed on a comet.

Scientists say there are still a few more key decisions to take in the coming hours before a planned separation of the landing craft Philae from the mother ship Rosetta on Wednesday.

Philae, which has spent 10 years fixed to the side of Rosetta during the journey across the solar system, cannot be steered once released.

Before Tuesday's announcement, ESA lander system engineer Laurence O'Rourke told CNN that the orbiter Rosetta has to be in the right position to allow the craft to "free fall" on the correct trajectory to the chosen landing site.

Scientists are hoping the probe will help us learn a lot more about the composition of comets and how they react when they get close to the Sun.

Weighing in at 220 pounds, it might be the size of a domestic washing machine but Philae is considerably smarter.

It is equipped with an array of experiments to photograph and test the surface of Comet 67P as well as finding out what happens when the roasting effect of the Sun drives off gas and dust.

But first it has to reach the landing site -- and there's a lot that could go wrong.

O'Rourke explained that hours before separation, Philae's on-board batteries are prepared and a fly wheel is started to give the probe stability on its journey to the comet surface. Without the gyroscopic effect of the fly wheel there's a danger that the lander could turn end over end, he said.

To release Philae, wax over a latch is melted and the lander is automatically unscrewed. If it fails there's a back-up plan. A pyrotechnic charge will fire and push the lander away at just the right speed to set Philae on the right course, O'Rourke said.

Mission controllers then face a nervous seven-hour wait for Philae to reach the surface. The comet is so far away that a confirmation signal relayed from Rosetta, which remains in orbit around the comet, will take nearly half an hour to reach Earth.

The comet's gravity is so weak that engineers have come up with ingenious solutions to keep Philae in place. At touchdown two harpoons fire out from the legs, a thruster on top of the craft helps push it to the surface and screws on each of the three feet help attach it to the comet.

Built by a European consortium, led by the German Aerospace Research Institute (DLR), the landing probe has nine experiments.

If all goes well the first picture should be of the landing site taken by Philae during the final moments of descent, followed by a panoramic image from seven cameras on the top edge of the lander, O'Rourke told CNN.

According to details on ESA's Rosetta website, sensors on the lander will measure the density and thermal properties of the surface, gas analyzers will help to detect and identify any complex organic chemicals that might be present, while other tests will measure the magnetic field and interaction between the comet and solar wind -- high-energy particles given off by the Sun.

Philae also carries a drill that can drive 20cms (8 inches) into the comet and deliver material to its on-board ovens for testing.

O'Rourke told CNN that the landing is fraught with danger. Philae could hit a boulder or a crevice and tip over.

However, mission scientists are already pleased with progress.

ESA project scientists Matt Taylor said: "The orbiter will remain alongside the comet for over a year, watching it grow in activity as it approaches the Sun, getting to within 180 million kilometers (112 million miles) in summer next year, when the comet will be expelling hundreds of kilograms of material every second.

"It's got an awesome profile -- the adventure of the decade-long journey necessary to capture its prey, flying past the Earth, Mars and two asteroids on the way," he said.

And science fiction writer Alastair Reynolds added: "This is science fiction made real in terms of the achievement of the mission itself, but Rosetta is also taking us a step closer to answering science fiction's grandest question of all -- are we alone?"

Nigeria, Boko Haram reach ceasefire deal, kidnapped girls to go free, official says

(CNN) -- Nigeria has reached a ceasefire agreement with the Islamist terror group Boko Haram that includes the release of more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls, Nigerian officials said Friday.

The deal came Thursday night after a month of negotiations with representatives of the group, said Hassan Tukur, principal secretary to President Goodluck Jonathan.

"We have agreed on the release of the Chibok schoolgirls, and we expect to conclude on that at our next meeting with the group's representative next week in Chad," Tukur said.

Officials provided few details about the release.

Doyin Okupe, a government spokesman, did not specify when the girls would be freed. He said not all would be let go at once, but a "significant number" would be released soon.

"A batch of them will be released shortly, and this will be followed by further actions from Boko Haram," he said. "It is a process. ... It is not a question of hours and days."

The Nigerian government consented to some demands by Boko Haram, but Okupe declined to provide details.

The government, he said, "is looking beyond the girls. We want to end the insurgency in this country."

"On the war front," he added, "we can say there is peace now."

The agreement was first reported by Agence France-Presse.

What is Boko Haram?

The terrorist group abducted an estimated 276 girls in April from a boarding school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria. Dozens escaped, but more than 200 are still missing.

Nigerian officials met with Boko Haram in Chad twice during talks mediated by Chadian President Idriss Deby, according to Tukur.

"The group has shown willingness to abide by the agreement which ‎it demonstrated with the release of the Chinese and Cameroonian hostages few days ago," Tukur said.

In cross-border attacks by Boko Haram this week, eight Cameroonian soldiers and 107 group members were killed in heavy fighting that lasted two days in northern Cameroon, the country's defense ministry said Friday, according to state broadcaster CRTV.

The militants led an incursion near Limani, close to the border with Nigeria, on Wednesday, equipped with heavy weapons, including at least one tank, CRTV said, citing information from the defense ministry.

The fighting lasted two hours and resumed on Thursday, when Cameroonian soldiers forced the militants back across the border into Nigeria. Seven Cameroonian soldiers were injured. A Boko Haram tank and other vehicles were destroyed and weapons and ammunition were seized by Cameroonian forces, according to CRTV.

A source involved in talks with the militants told CNN last month that Nigerian government officials and the International Committee of the Red Cross had discussions with Boko Haram about swapping imprisoned members of the group for the more than 200 schoolgirls. It is unclear, however, whether the deal includes a prisoner swap.