Mormon History - A Chronology Part 1


			Compiled by N. R. Tidd from Internet souces through 13 August, 1998
			Mormon Chronology Rev 01 Volume 01
Subject	Date		Event

Doctrine, Press		1611	King James Bible published, includes the Apocrypha (a few Protestant books between the Old and New Testaments whose origins were not confirmed).Book of Moses mentions the Urim and Thummim.
Doctirne, Press		1629	Apocrypha dropped from printings of the King James Bible.
Doctrine, Press		1678	Pilgrim's Progress, (1st part) published.
Birth		1761	Solomon Spalding [sometimes spelled Spaulding] born in Ashford, CT.
Birth	12 Jul	1771	Joseph Smith Senior (Joseph Smith's father) born in Topsfield, MA.
Birth	14 Apr	1773	Peter Whitmer Sr. born.
Bk of Morm, Press		1775	History of the American Indians by James Adair published. (His thesis.) Provides 23 arguments that Indians are descendants of Hebrews. It tells of buried plates (5 copper and 2 brass) kept by an Indian tribe (per "Old Bracket"). [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth	8 Jul	1775	Lucy Mack (Joseph Smith's mother) born in Gilsum, NH.
Birth	22 May	1775	Alva Beman born in New Marlboro, MA
Birth	11 Apr	1779	John Johnson born in Chesterfield, NH.
Birth	18 May	1783	Martin Harris born in Easttown, NY.
Birth	About	1784	Jesse Gause born in East Marlborough, PA.
Birth	About11 Mar	1784	Isaac Morley born in Montague, MA.
Bk of Morm		1785	Solomon Spalding graduates from Dartmouth (previously attended Plainfield Academy and Studied Law in Windam), later ordained as a Congregational Minister and preaches for 3 or 4 years. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth		1785	Joseph Coe born.
Bk of Morm		1786	Ethan Smith (reportedly a Seminary classmate of Solomon Spalding) enters Dartmouth. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth	28 Oct	1787	Frederick G. Williams born in Suffield, CT.
Birth		1788	Warren A. Cowdery (Oliver's brother) born.
Birth	About Jul	1788	King Follett born in Winchester, NH.
Birth		1789	Algernon Sidney Gilbert born.
Politics	30 Apr	1789	George Washington becomes 1st U.S. President.
Birth	3 Apr	1790	Reynolds Cahoon born in Cambridge, NY.
Migration		1791	Joseph Smith Senior Moves to Tunbridge, VT.
Birth	17 Feb	1792	William W. Phelps born in Hanover, NJ.
Birth	15 Nov	1792	William Marks born in Rutland, VT.
Birth	20 Nov	1792	Simonds Ryder born in Hartford, VT.
Bk of Morm	From 1792 -	1831	Martin Harris (a farmer) lives in Palmyra, NY. During this period, Harris was a Quaker, a Methodist, a Universalist; a Restorationer, a Baptist, and a Presbyterian. He was known as a visionary fanatic and prone to visions. [Nibley's Sketch of the Life of Martin Harris] & [Mormons in Transition site]
Birth	19 Feb	1793	Sidney Rigdon born in St. Clair or Piny Fork, PA.
Birth	27 Aug	1793	Edward Partridge born in Pittsfield, MA.
Birth		1794	John Corrill born.
Birth		1795	Josiah Butterfield born in Dunstable, MA.
Birth	5 Feb	1795	Newel Kimball Whitney born in Marlborough, VT.
Birth	23 Oct	1795	Elias Higbee born in Galloway, NY.
Marriage	24 Jan	1796	Joseph Smith Senior Marries Lucy Mack.
Birth	9 May	1796	Lyman Wight born in Fairfield, NY.
Birth, Death	About	1797	Son born to Joseph Senior and Lucy Mack Smith and died.
Politics	4 Mar	1797	John Adams becomes 2nd U.S. President.
Birth	27 Mar	1797	Joseph Fielding born in Honidon, Bedfordshire, England.
Birth	18 Jan	1798	Christian Whitmer born in Pennsylvania.
Birth	11 Feb	1798	Alvin Smith (Joseph's brother) born in Tunbridge, VT.
Birth	25 Feb	1799	John E. Page born in Trenton, NY.
Birth	1 Nov	1799	Thomas B. Marsh born in Acton, MA.
Birth		1800	Hiram Page born in Vermont.
Birth		1800	David W. Patten born.
Birth		1800	Sampson Avard born.
Birth	27 Jan	1800	Jacob Whitmer born in Pennsylvania.
Birth	9 Feb	1800	Hyrum Smith (Joseph's brother) born in Tunbridge, VT.
Birth	13 Sep	1800	Newel Knight (son of Joseph Knight) born in Marlborugh, VT.
Birth	1 Jun	1801	Brigam Young born in Whitingham, VT.
Birth	14 Jun	1801	Heber C. Kimball born in Sheldon, VT.
Politics	4 Mar	1801	Thomas Jefferson becomes 3rd U.S. President.
Birth	13 Apr	1802	John H. Gilbert born.
Birth	27 Aug	1802	John Whitmer born.
Birth		1803	Warren Parrish born.
Birth		1802	Northroop Sweet born in NY.
Birth	7 Apr	1803	Levi Ward Hancock born in old Springfield, MA.
Birth	17 May	1803	Sophronia Smith (Joseph's sister) born in Tunbridge, VT.
Birth		1804	John C. Bennett born in Massachusetts.
Birth	4 or24 Jun	1804	Willard Richards born in Hopkinton, MA.
Birth	10 Jul	1804	Emma Hale born in Harmony, PA.
Birth	7 Sep	1804	Zebedee Coltrin born in Ovid, NY.
1st Vision	Before	1805	Lucy Mack Smith says she believed no church was right and prayed in a grove. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Migration	In or before	1805	Joseph Smith's family moves to Sharon, VT. (county next to county of Poultney, VT.) [Lucy Mack Smith's Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith]
Birth	7 Jan	1805	David Whitmer born near Harrisburg PA.
Birth	8 Jan	1805	Orson Hyde born in Oxford, CT.
Birth	23 Dec	1805	Joseph Smith (Junior) born in Sharon, VT.
Birth	18 Jan	1806	William McLellin born in Smith Co., TN.
Birth	6 Jun	1806	Philo Dibble born in Peru, MA.
Birth	3 Oct	1806	Oliver Cowdery (third cousin of Joseph Smith) born in Wells, VT.
Birth	1 Mar	1807	Wilford Woodruff born in Farmington (Avon), CT.
Birth	12 Apr	1807	Parley P. Pratt born in Burlington, NY.
Birth	3 Nov	1807	Luke Johnson born in Promfret, VT.
Birth	13 Mar	1808	Samuel Harrison Smith (Joseph's brother) born in Tunbridge, VT.
Birth	1 Nov	1808	John Taylor born in Milnthorp Westmoreland England.
Bk of Morm		1809	Solomon Spalding (reportedly an anti-Mason) moves to Conneaut (New Salem) OH from Cherry Valley, NY. Builds a forge but business fails. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Politics	4 Mar	1809	James Madison becomes 4th U.S. President.
Birth	8 Sep	1809	William Law born in Tyrone Co. Ireland.
Birth	27 Sep	1809	Peter Whitmer Jr. born in Fayette, NY.
Migration	From 1809 -	1825	Oliver Cowdery lives in Poultney, VT. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth	13 Mar	1810	Ephriam Smith (Joseph's brother) born in Royalton, VT.
Death	24 Mar	1810	Ephriam Smith dies.
Birth	3 May	1810	Anson Call born in Fletcher, VT.
Birth	18 Sep	1810	Hosea Stout born in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky.
Finances		1811	Knights move to Colesville, NY and employed Joseph Smith from time to time. [Newel Knight autobiography]
Bk of Morm		1811	Lucy Mack Smith says Joseph Smith Senior has visions in a dream where plates would be found in a box. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth	22 Feb	1811	Ezra Taft Benson born in Mendon, MA.
Birth	13 Mar	1811	William Smith (Joseph's brother) born in Royalton, VT
Migration	After 13 Mar	1811	Joseph Smith's family moves from Royalton, VT to Lebanon, NH. [Lucy Mack Smith's Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith]
Birth	18 Sep	1811	Orson Pratt born in Hartford, NY.
Birth	24 Oct	1811	Lyman L. Johnson born in Pomfret, VT.
Bk of Morm		1812	Solomon Spalding (~51) leaves Conneaut OH, moves to Pittsburgh, PA. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth	6 Sep	1812	John D. Lee born in Kaskaskia, IL.
Birth	28 Dec	1812	Catherine Smith (Joseph's sister) born in Lebanon, NH.
Bk of Morm, Press	Btwn 1812 -	1814	Solomon Spalding brings a manuscript of Manuscript Found to printers Patterson & J. Harrison Lambdin. Lambdin wants Spalding to write a preface and provide funds to print it. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Bk of Morm	Btwn 1812 -	1814	Solomon Spalding suspects Sidney Rigdon (18-20) of taking his missing manuscript (later found). (Sidney Rigdon lives within 15 miles of Pittsburgh.) [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth		1813	Orrin Porter Rockwell born in Belcher, MA.
Birth		1813	James J. Strang born in NY.
Birth	30 Mar	1813	Amasa Lyman born in Lyman, NH.
Bk of Morm	About	1814	Solomon Spalding moves to Amity, PA. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth		1814	George W. Robinson born.
Birth	17 Jul	1814	William Clayton born in Penworthan, Lancashire, England.
Doctrine	1814 or	1815	The Reformed Methodists break off from the Episcopal Methodists. [Solomon Chamberlain autobiography]
Bk of Morm		1815	Joseph Merrick finds Pittsfield Parchments containing verses from Deuteronomy and Exodus in Hebrew characters. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Birth	22 Jan	1815	Elizabeth Ann Whitmer born in Fayette, NY.
Birth	28 Jun	1815	Marinda N. Johnson born.
Migration		1816	Joseph Smith's family moves to Palmyra, NY. [Church History Vol I]
Bk of Morm, Press		1816	Elias Boudnot book published, referencing Adair's book. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
1st Vision		1816	Elias Smith's (a minister) story published, telling of a vision in woods (when he fell and was injured) and seeing the "Throne of God" and ."the Lamb appeared." [Reason site]
Death, Bk of Morm		1816	Solomon Spalding (~55) dies in Amity, PA.
1st Vision		1816	Solomon Chamberlain has a vision from the Lord that all churches were corrupt and that a new one would be raised up. [Solomon Chamberlain autobiography]
Finance		1816	Martin Harris frequently hires Joseph Smith to work on his farm. [Nibley's Sketch of the Life of Martin Harris]
Birth	25 Mar	1816	Don Carlos Smith (Joseph's brother) born in Norwich, VT.
Birth	25 May	1816	Ebenezer Robertson born in Floyd, NY.
Doctrine	About	1817	Sidney Rigdon joins the regular Baptists. [Church History Vol I notes]
Politics	4 Mar	1817	James Monroe becomes 5th U.S. President.
Birth	26 Jun	1817	George A. Smith (Joseph Smith's cousin) born in Potsdam, NY.
Politics		1818	Illinois admitted into the Union.
Birth	9 Apr	1818	Mary Elizabeth Rollings born in Lima, NY.
Birth	28 Jul	1818	Benjamin F. Johnson born in Pomfret, NY.
Magic	After Aug	1818	Luman Walter lives in Sodus after escaping from jail in Hillsborough Co., NH. Jospeh Smith learned divining lore from Luman Walker and from his father. [Honest Intellectual Inquiry site]
Doctrine	Mar	1819	Sidney Rigdon moves in with Rev. Andrew Clark in Beaver County, PA and gets his minister's license. [Church History Vol I]
Migration	May	1819	Sidney Rigdon moves to Trumbell Co. OH. [Church History Vol I notes]
Migration	Jul	1819	Sidney Rigdon moves in with Adamson Bentley in Trumbell Co. OH. [Church History Vol I]
Magic	Sep	1819	Joseph Smith borrows Sally Chase's green glass to find a whitish opaque stone. [Honest Intellectual Inquiry site]
Finances, Magic	About	1820	Joseph Smith Senior and older sons begin operation with a group of "money diggers" (term for treasure hunters using occult methods to find and retrieve treasure); Alvin is reportedly the leader. [Saints Alive in Jesus site]
1st Vision	Spring	1820	First Vision: Church History puts the first vision at this date, but the description of the circumstances at the time, place it in 1824 (Joseph Smith does not mention the event until 1832).
1st Vision	1 Mar	1820	Alexander Campbell tells of a man reporting a vision where he saw the Savior at the tree tops and gave him forgiveness. [Reason site]
Marriage	12 Jun	1820	Sidney Rigdon (26) marries Phebe Brook. [Church History Vol I]
Bk of Morm	From 1821 -	1826	Ethan Smith (author of View of the Hebrews) is a minister at Poultney, Vermont Congressional Church, attended by Oliver Cowdery's family (Step Mother and three sisters). [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Doctrine		1821	Sidney Rigdon and Adamson Bentley go to Bethany, WV. and meet Alexander Campbell. Also meets Walter Scott. [Book of Mormons Studies site]
1st Vision	21 Mar	1821	Burt, NY separates from Farmington, NY. [Manchester, NY Hometown page]
Birth	18 Jul	1821	Lucy Smith (Joseph's sister) born in Palmyra, NY.
Politics	10 Aug	1821	Missouri admitted to the Union.
Doctrine	Nov	1821	Sidney Rigdon invited to preach at the Baptist society of Pittsburgh and agrees to become their minister. [Church History Vol I]
Magic		1822	Joseph Smith gets a brown seer stone while digging the well of Willard Chase (neighbor). [Willard Chase 1833 affidavit / Reason site] & [Honest Intellectual Inquiry site]Mason Chase (son of Willard) claimed the stone was his and that Lucy Mack Smith got the stone from Mason's mother. [Abel Chase (Mason's brother) 1881 interview]
Doctrine		1822	Sidney Rigdon preaches Reformed Baptist (Campbellites), as opposed to the Redstone Baptists. [First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh site]
Migration	Feb	1822	Sidney Rigdon moves to Pittsburgh, PA. [Church History Vol I]
1st Vision	16 Apr	1822	Manchester, NY named and established as a town, was temporirly called “Burt” after being separated from Farmington, NY on 21 Mar 1821 [Manchester, NY Hometown page]
Migration, 1st Vision	After Apr	1822	Joseph Smith's family begins move to Manchester, NY (100 acres purchased by Joseph Smith Senior and Alvin Smith). [Berean Christian Ministires site] & [Mormon Origins site]
Bk of Morm, Press	About 1822 -	1824	Sidney Rigdon is known as a friend or associate of J. Harrison Lambdin and is often at his printing office (Patterson & J. Harrison Lambdin). [per William Eichbaum / Book of Mormon Studies site]
Bk of Morm	Btwn-1822 -	1824	Sidney Rigdon shows the Spalding manuscript to John Winters. [per Winters / Book of Mormon Studies site]
Magic, Finances	In or before	1823	Joseph Smith spends time with a itinerant magician and diviner visiting Palmyra who has magic stones and claims to be able to find water and treasure. Some residents hire the magician at $3.00 per day.Joseph Smith later gets stones of his own and used them to locate lost tools, thereby gaining a reputation as a seer. [Joseph Smith by C. Clark Julius, MPS / Honest Intellectual Inquiry site]
Bk of Morm, Press		1823	View of the Hebrews by Ethan Smith published in New York.
Masonry		1823	Heber C. Kimball is a member of the Masons. [Heber C. Kimball Autobiography]
Migration1st Vision	Spring	1823	Joseph Smith's family completes move to Manchester, NY. [per Lucy Mack Smith / Mormon Origins site]
Bk of Morm	21 Sep	1823	Joseph Smith (17) tells of Moroni visit and of the existence of the gold plates and, later, writes of instructions to wait four years. [Church History Vol I]
Bk of Morm, Magic	22 Sep	1823	Joseph Smith tells of attempt to get plates, but set them down (to look for other treasures [per Lucy Mack Smith]) and they disappeared. Smith struck by toad-like creature when trying to take back the plates. Told to return in one year with Alvin. [per Joseph Smith, per several / Saints Alive in Jesus site]Joseph Smith Senior tells Willard Chase (a neighbor and friend to the Smiths) that a spirit appeared to Joseph Smith on 21 Sep, 1823 and told him of gold plates to be retrieved on 22 Sep, and instructed him to dress in black clothes, ride a black horse with a switch tale, and demand book in a certain name and, after getting it, take it away without laying it down. Joseph complied and found the box, opened the cover, removed the plates, but laid them down to put the cover back on the box and the plates disappeared and returned to the box. Smith tried to re-take the plates but he saw something like a toad, which soon assumed the appearance of a man and struck him on the side of his head. It struck him again when he tried to take the plates again. The spirit told Smith he could not have them, as he had not obeyed the orders and was instructed to return in one year with his oldest brother (Alvin). [Inventing Mormonism / Reason site] John A. Clark says Joseph Smith was known as a "money digger" and was encouraged by his father to use the "seer" stone. Says the father was present at the first attempt to get the gold plates. [John A. Clark 1842 interview]Joseph Smith Senior tells Fayette Lapham and Jacob Ramsdell in about 1830 that Joseph Smith saw, in a dream, a large and tall man in ancient clothing that was covered in blood that told him of the treasure and that a spirit had been murdered on the spot to guard the treasure. On one of the attempts, Smith was told he wasn't punctual and to return in one year with Alvin. [Inventing Mormonsim / Reason site]Joseph Smith tells Emma's cousins Hiel and Joseph Lewis in about 1828 that while trying to get the Plates, he was knocked down three times and a man appeared, like a Spaniard, with a long beard and his throat cut from ear to ear with blood flowing down. [Inventing Mormonism / Reason site]Oliver Cowdery says Smith opened the box, saw the plates but before trying to take anything, look in the box to see if there was any other treasure then tried to take the plates but received a shock. Then an angel appeared and told him he couldn't have them because he didn't obey the commandment of the lord. [Oliver Cowdery letters]
Bk of Morm	Aft 22 Sep	1823	Alvin Smith was the most excited about retrieving the plates. [per Lucy Mack Smith / Inventing Mormonism / Reason site]
Bk of Morm	Aft 22 Sep	1823	Joseph Smith tells family about the continent's former civilizations. [per Lucy Mack Smith / Mormons in Transition site]
1st Vision	22 Oct	1823	Asa Wilds' story of vision with "Great Jehovah" published in Wayne Sentinel, saying: "...every denomination was corrupt." [Reason site]
Death	19 Nov	1823	Alvin Smith (25) dies. [Mormon Origins site]
1st Vision		1824	Religious Revival held in NY area (continues into 1825). [Reason site]
1st Vision		1824	George Lane, a Methodist Elder vistited and preached in Palmyra, causing religious excitement. (Cowdery says 1820.) [Oliver Cowdery letters]George Lane's records says he was in Palmyra in 1824. [Reason site]
1st Vision		1824	Lucy Mack Smith attends revivals (being grieved from Alvin's death [per Lucy Mack Smith / Mormons in Transition site]); she, Sophronia Smith, Hyrum Smith, and Samuel Harrison Smith join the Presbyterian Church. [Reason site]
Birth	28 Feb	1824	Emily Dow Partridge born in Painesville, OH.
1st Vision	1 Mar	1824	Alexander writes of a man claiming he heard a voice in woods saying he was forgiven. And of another man claiming he saw the Savior clearly at the tops of the trees. [Reason site]
Bk of Morm, Press	Aug	1824	Wonders of Nature and Providence, Displayed by Josia Priest published (20 miles from Palmyra). In Manchester Library (copyright 2 Jun 1824).
Finances, Competition	Aug	1824	Sidney Rigdon gives up minister's job at Pittsburgh Baptist Church and joins his wife's brother, Richard Brook in the tanning business. [Church History Vol I] The Redstone Baptists regain control of the Pittsburgh Baptist Church. [First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh site]
Bk of Morm, Magic	22 Sep	1824	Joseph Smith (18) tells of second attempt to get plates, but without Alvin (died). Smith told to return in one year with another that would be known to him as the right person. [Saints Alive in Jesus site]
Bk of Morm, Magic	After 22 Sep	1824	Smith decided the person was Samuel T. Lawrence (another treasure seeker and a seer). Lawrence told Smith to use his seer stone to look into the box and he asks Smith if he sees anything else in the box. Smith says no. Lawrence asks him to look again and asks Smith if he sees a large pair of specks with the plates; Smith says he sees the specks. Lawrence says the plates should not be seen by anyone for about two years. Joseph Smith changes his mind about Samuel Lawrence being the right man to bring. [per Chase / Inventing Mormonism / Reason site]Joseph Smith later (in or after 1825) tells a similar story to Joseph Knight but no mention of the toad like creature; says he looked into his glass (seer stone) and saw that the right person to bring was Emma Hale. [per Joseph Knight / Inventing Mormonism / Reason site]Joseph Smith later tells Henry Harris that he had a revelation from God that the plates were hid in a certain hill and he looked in his stone and saw them, but an angel said he couldn't get them until he was married. [per Henry Harris / Inventing Mormonsim] & [Reason site]
Magic, Bk of Morm	25 Sep	1824	Wayne Sentinel prints Joseph Smith Senior's account that reports of Alvin's grave being disturbed were untrue, as he and others checked.(In the occult, if the presence of a person is required, sometimes a piece of the person will do.) [Saints Alive in Jesus site]
Press		1825	View of the Hebrews reprinted.
Death		1825	J. Harrison Lambdin dies.
Migration		1825	Oliver Cowdery moves to western New York. [Nibley's sketch of the life of Oliver Cowdery]
Doctrine	In or after	1825	Sidney Rigdon at odds with Alexander Campbell. [Book of Mormon Studies site]
Magic		1825	Joseph Smith receives a green seer stone from Jack Belcher (a diviner and salt digger) in the Susquehanna Valley. [Honest Intellectual Inquiry site]

Compiled by N. R. Tidd from Internet souces through 13 August, 1998

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