Day by Day in the Life of Joseph Smith

In celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, BYU Studies and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have collaborated in producing a detailed online daily chronology of the Prophet’s life. This personally engaging chronology can be accessed through various web addresses, including byustudies.byu.edu  JosephSmith.net, JosephSmith.byu.edu, or lds.org. By going to http://byustudies2.byu.edu/jschronologysignup.aspx you may have these events emailed to you each day so that you can learn what happened on that specific day of the year in the life of Joseph Smith.

Extensive research for this chronology has made use of all major resources, including History of the Church, Joseph’s letters compiled by Dean Jessee in The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, the Prophet’s diaries, and numerous scholarly books and articles. Citations are given for each event, and each citation is linked directly to the relevant pages in History of the Church, to the pertinent letters in The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, or to articles from past issues of BYU Studies. These materials can be viewed directly from the link provided and most of these pages can be downloaded for free. For example, this chronology shows that on December 27, 1832, Joseph Smith received Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants; a click on the link brings up the full text of that revelation.

Viewers can experience these events in two ways: First, date by date. Thus, if your birthday is on July 14, you can call up a page that will show all of the known events that happened in any year of Joseph Smith’s life on that particular date. Second, year by year. Here you can click on a certain year and run through all of the datable events in Joseph’s life during that single year.

The Joseph Smith Chronology lists only the events that can be dated precisely and specifically. Thus, many things that we know Joseph did are not listed here; but it is quite remarkable how many days are covered. In many ways, Joseph Smith lived under a microscope. His life is known in fascinating detail.

When the BYU Studies staff began working on this project in the summer of 2004, many research questions were raised: What events made the life of Joseph Smith unique? How did his day-to-day activities support and affirm his calling as a prophet? How did he spend his time? How did his family life fit into his prophetic roles? As various sources were perused, everyone involved was impressed with the breadth and diversity of Joseph’s daily experiences. He was busy as Prophet and President of the Church; he was involved in the lives of Church members; he was a community leader; he traveled extensively; and he cared for his family.

As Church Leader

Joseph’s responsibilities as Church President included significant events such as the First Vision, the restoration of the Priesthood, the translation of the Book of Mormon, the organization of the Church, the receiving of revelations, and the building of temples. While all of these major events are highlighted and documented in the Chronology, we have also included many other visions, revelations, prophecies, ordinances, heavenly visitations, and other events of the restoration that are not commonly studied. For example, the organization of the Church was not the only significant event that occurred on April 6. On the same date in 1836 Joseph gave patriarchal blessings to other Church leaders, including his own father; in 1839 he was conveyed with other prisoners from Liberty Jail to Gallatin in Daviess County, Missouri; two years later in 1841 he was in Nauvoo celebrating with the Saints as they lay the cornerstones for the Nauvoo Temple; and in 1843 Joseph taught the Saints about the Second Coming of Christ in an afternoon session of a Church conference.

In many cases, the specific date is known on which a particular revelation was received. Fortunately, amazingly good records were kept concerning the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, as Joseph or his scribe almost always indicated at least the month and year the revelation was given.

One example of the variety of spiritual events included in the Chronology relates to his work translating ancient scripture. In addition to translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith revisited and retranslated the King James Version of the Bible. Milestones along the way in completing these projects are marked in the Chronology. Joseph also brought forth other scripture, such as the books of Moses and Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price. While translating the book of Abraham, Joseph received numerous visitors who were interested in his work on ancient manuscripts and in seeing the Egyptian papyri. The Chronology includes some of these visits—showing how Joseph always welcomed such visitors and took time to host them and show them what he was working on. The Prophet’s lesser-known work with ancient texts and languages also motivated him to pursue various language studies, including Greek, Hebrew, and German. He spent time studying and learning and setting up schools to gather with other Saints for gospel and secular instruction. Such incidents and events are also noted in the Chronology, day by day.

Joseph’s ecclesiastical calling and ministry included involvement in the lives of the Saints, for he was not only the spiritual leader for the restoration of the whole Church, but he also functioned in early years in a role similar to that of a bishop or local leader. He was constantly teaching and instructing the Saints on Sundays and at other meetings, as well as making personal visits to the homes of brothers and sisters in the gospel to bless families and heal their sick. He was integrally involved with civic and gospel ordinances such as baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths. He performed the marriages of countless members of the Church and was often called upon to speak at their funerals as well. Many of these events are contained in the Chronology.

As Public Servant

Events in the Chronology include highlights of Joseph’s extensive involvement in community, civic, and political affairs. He served on city councils and committees, read and wrote responses to news publications, organized and attended social events, ran for and held public offices, and associated with numerous state and federal political leaders. This breadth of community involvement and activity was often a reaction to the extensive injustices committed against Joseph and the Saints. He spent much of his time tied up in trials, hearings, prison sentences, and other legal procedures. As these events transpired, they are duly noted and referenced in the Chronology.

On the Road

Because of persecutions and commandments from the Lord, the Saints moved frequently, which necessitated extensive travel especially for Joseph and other leaders. Much of Joseph’s time was spent traveling between Kirtland and Missouri to visit the Saints. He also took trips to Canada and New York to do missionary work and to Washington, D.C., to speak with numerous politicians (including the President of the United States) about some of the wrongs committed against the Saints. The Chronology includes many of Joseph’s travels, including events associated with the three-month Zion’s Camp in 1834.

In the Home

The last category included in the Chronology contains those everyday events that show Joseph’s character, personality, and involvement with his family. With so much other activity in his life, we often overlook the day-to-day activities that, while “ordinary,” are integral to giving us an accurate picture of who Joseph Smith was. Some of these are light-hearted, such as playing ball with his boys or going for a carriage ride with his wife, Emma, but others demonstrate the hardships and trials he experienced in his personal life, such as losing children and being betrayed by friends and family members. Joseph’s range of activity on a major holiday such as Christmas shows how he never strayed from his calling as a prophet, yet also found time to enjoy important traditions with his family. One Christmas day in 1832 Joseph received a revelation that contained prophecies about upcoming wars, including the American Civil War. In contrast, on Christmas in Nauvoo in 1843 he and Emma hosted fifty couples for a festive Christmas dinner after being serenaded in the morning by Sister Lettice Rushton’s family.

No matter how much knowledge of the Prophet’s life a person may already have, this Chronology will give new insights into the rich and active life of Joseph Smith. Even events that are already familiar may strengthen one’s testimony and understanding when considered in this new context, whether sequentially, one by one, or comprehensively, as a whole. To access the chronology, please visit JosephSmith.net, JosephSmith.byu.edu, lds.org, byustudies.byu.edu, or go http://byustudies2.byu.edu/jschronologysignup.aspx to have daily events emailed directly to you.