1820s (Mormonism)

Centuries: 18th century - 19th century - 20th century
Decades: 1790s 1800s 1810s - 1820s - 1830s 1840s 1850s
Years: 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829

Spring: Joseph Smith, Jr. sees Jesus Christ and God the Father near his home in upstate New York (also known as the First Vision).
August: Joseph Smith, Sr. contracts to buy land in Farmington.
The Smith family moves to the end of Stafford Road.

Fall: The log cabin on the Farmington land is built and the Smith family moves in.

September 21: Joseph Smith, Jr. receives a visit from an angel named Moroni in the upstairs room of the cabin in which he lived. During this visit Joseph receives instructions on where to find the gold plates. The following day he receives another visit after which he goes to the Hill Cumorah to locate the plates. He is not however allowed to remove the plates until September 22, 1827.
November 19: Alvin Smith, Joseph Smith, Jr.'s older brother, dies from poor treatment by a doctor after feeling ill.

In both 1824 and 1825, major religious revivals continue to take place in the Palmyra region.
Spring: Four members of Joseph Smith, Jr.'s family join the Presbyterian Church, including Hyrum Smith and his mother, Lucy Mack.

January 18: Joseph Smith, Jr. elopes with his wife, Emma Hale.
September 22: Joseph Smith, Jr. acquires the Golden Plates on which The Book of Mormon is inscribed.
December: Joseph Smith Jr. and his new wife, Emma, move to Harmony, Pennsylvania.
December: Joseph Smith Jr. begins translation of the gold plates.

July: The first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript translated by Joseph Smith Jr. and transcribed by Martin Harris are stolen or lost.

The translation of the Book of Mormon is completed.
The gold plates are retrieved by the angel Moroni.
Peter, James, and John, three of the apostles of Jesus Christ during his ministry in Jerusalem, appear to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery and confer upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood.
February: Martin Harris visits Dr. Charles Anthon, a professor at Columbia University, to verify the authenticity of the characters Joseph Smith Jr. was translating.
May: John the Baptist appears to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery and confers upon them the Aaronic Priesthood.
July: The translation of the Book of Mormon is completed. Oliver Cowdery copies the manuscript so two versions exist in case the original is lost.
Augusts 25: A contract is drawn up with E.B. Grandin to print 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon for $3,000. Martin Harris agrees to mortgage his farm to pay for the printing.

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