Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration (2011) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

In 1813, Joseph Smith suffered a severe injury to his left leg that became infected. Doctors performed an experimental operation to remove the infected parts of the bone, which saved his leg from amputation. This experience shaped his character and resilience, preparing him for the difficult journey ahead as a religious leader.

Foreshadowing: The injury occurred years before his spiritual calling, establishing early that Smith endured physical suffering.

• leg injury
• surgery
• 1813
• health
• young joseph smith

In spring 1820, Joseph Smith experienced a vision where God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. They instructed him not to join any existing churches because he would be called to start his own church. This event is considered the founding revelation of the Latter-day Saint movement.

Foreshadowing: The vision directly led to his later work establishing a new religious congregation.

• first vision
• 1820
• god
• jesus
• revelation
• church founding

Three years after the First Vision, the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and guided him to the location of the golden plates buried in a hill. These plates would become the source material for the Book of Mormon, which Smith translated and published as sacred scripture for his new church.

Foreshadowing: Moroni's appearance was the first step toward producing the Book of Mormon.

• angel moroni
• golden plates
• book of mormon
• 1823
• revelation

Alvin Smith was Joseph's eldest brother, and his death in 1823 was a profound turning point in the family. The loss deeply affected Joseph and shaped his spiritual development. Many historians note that Alvin's death influenced Joseph's later teachings about family, eternal relationships, and the importance of his religious mission.

Foreshadowing: This loss occurred shortly before the golden plates were revealed, marking a period of personal tragedy alongside spiritual discovery.

• alvin smith
• brother death
• 1823
• family
• grief

Joseph Smith met Emma Hale and they fell in love, marrying in the late 1820s despite initial opposition from her parents. Emma became his lifelong companion and support, serving as his scribe during the translation of the golden plates. Their marriage provided emotional stability throughout the challenges of establishing the church.

Foreshadowing: Emma's support proved essential during the difficult translation period that followed.

• emma hale
• marriage
• wife
• support
• scribe

During a translation session with scribe Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith prayed to understand a particular doctrine. John the Baptist appeared and granted them the authority to baptize. Later, Peter, James, and John appeared to confer additional priesthood authority. This enabled them to officially organize the Church of Christ in April 1830.

Foreshadowing: This authority was essential for formally establishing the church and performing its rites.

• john the baptist
• priesthood
• authority
• baptism
• church organization
• 1830

As the church grew, members faced increasing persecution and harassment from external threats. This forced the community to relocate from their original location to Kirtland, Ohio in 1836, seeking safety and a fresh beginning where they could practice their faith without constant opposition.

Foreshadowing: The move to Kirtland led to temple-building efforts and further spiritual manifestations.

• kirtland
• ohio
• relocation
• persecution
• 1836
• church migration

Joseph Smith proclaimed that God desired a temple to be built in Kirtland. After its completion, Smith and Cowdery witnessed a vision in which God accepted the temple. Additional heavenly personages appeared and conferred further priesthood keys and authorities, reinforcing the divine mandate of the church's leadership.

Foreshadowing: The temple's success was followed by continued persecution, demonstrating that spiritual victory did not end opposition.

• kirtland temple
• temple building
• visions
• priesthood keys
• 1830s

As threats against Joseph and his brother Hyrum increased, with enemies seeking to kill them, Joseph gradually transferred his authority to several apostles, including Brigham Young. This prepared the church for leadership continuity should harm come to its founder, signaling a pivotal leadership transition within the movement.

Foreshadowing: This preparation proved essential after Joseph's assassination.

• brigham young
• apostles
• leadership transition
• authority transfer
• succession

Joseph and Hyrum Smith traveled to Carthage, Illinois despite knowing enemies wanted them dead. Joseph reportedly told Hyrum they might not return. At the jail, armed men broke in and killed both brothers on June 27, 1844. Their martyrdom marked a tragic climax to years of persecution against the Latter-day Saint community.

Foreshadowing: This event was the culmination of escalating tensions that had built throughout the film.

• carthage jail
• death
• martyrdom
• 1844
• hyrum smith
• assassination

Mary was a recent convert to the church who traveled over 4,000 miles to Nauvoo, Illinois with her father to meet Joseph Smith. She believed he was a prophet of God and invited her father to discover the truth by reading what Smith wrote. Their journey represents the film's framing device, showing how new converts sought to meet the church's founder.

Foreshadowing: Mary arrives just as Joseph leaves for Carthage, representing the passing of an era.

• mary
• nauvoo
• convert
• journey
• father
• 1844

On June 24, 1844, Joseph Smith, Hyrum, John Taylor, and Willard Richards rode out of Nauvoo on horseback toward Carthage. Mary and her father arrived in Nauvoo hoping to meet Smith but only saw the riders depart. They watched until the riders disappeared, unaware it would be the final departure of the prophet.

Foreshadowing: This scene directly precedes the Carthage jail massacre.

• final departure
• june 1844
• nauvoo
• cartwright
• last ride

After relocating from Kirtland, the church settled in Nauvoo, Illinois where they constructed another temple. The temple represented the community's spiritual center and the fulfillment of their temple-building mission. Like the Kirtland Temple, it served as a sacred space for key ordinances and divine manifestations.

Foreshadowing: The temple's construction occurred as tensions with outsiders escalated.

• nauvoo temple
• temple
• illinois
• sacred
• worship

Throughout the film, the church faced consistent harassment and opposition from external groups, driving multiple relocations from New York to Kirtland to Nauvoo. This persecution was fueled by skepticism toward Smith's prophetic claims, fear of the church's growing influence, and religious prejudice against the new movement.

Foreshadowing: The persistent persecution culminated in the violent deaths of Joseph and Hyrum.

• persecution
• opposition
• harassment
• violence
• church growth
• Relocation