Dan Bammes

The Mormon church's founder was married to as many as 40 women in the years before his murder in 1844, the church acknowledged in an article posted on its website.

Activists are now asking Mormon church leaders to reconsider a policy that allows only men to be ordained. One Mormon woman has just been expelled from the church for her activism.

The ruling is welcome news for those like Joe Darger, who live in polygamous relationships. But others question the court's interpretation and worry about young girls they say are vulnerable to coercion into polygamous marriages.