1805	December 23	Joseph Smith, Jr. born in Sharon, Vermont
1816		Smith family moves to New York state
1820	Spring	Joseph Smith has his first vision in which the Father and Son reveal that all existing religions are "wrong".
1822		Smith locates "seerstone", a magical device used to find lost objects.
1823	September	Existence of golden plates and translator keys, Urim and Thummin revealed to Smith by the Angel Moroni. Smith attempts to retrieve the plate but says he was not allowed to take them.
1824-27		The Smith family continues to work their farm and engage from time to time in "treasure hunting", using Joseph's seerstone. Joseph reports three more visits from Moroni, but is still unable to take possession of the plates.
1827	January	Smith marries Emma Hale of Harmony, Pennsylvania.
1827	September	Smith reports that he was allowed to take posession of the golden plates.
1827-1828	Fall to Spring	Smith translates the first 116 pages of the plates and allows friend, Martin Harris, to take them east to show his wife. Harris loses the pages and Smith claims the plates have been taken from him for his irresponsible behavior.
1828	September	Smith reports that the plate have been returned to him.
1829	April to July	Intense transcribing of what would become the Book of Mormon. Book goes to publisher by late summer.
1830	March	Book of Mormon first advertised for sale.
1830	April	Church of Jesus Christ organized in Fayette, New York.