Why 1820?

There are several people that come across our path who ask us, "If a restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was necessary, why did the Lord wait until the year 1820 to do it?" I’d like to build a historical case for why I believe why 1820 was the only time the Gospel of Jesus Christ could have been restored and survive on the earth. This is going to be a little quick, but it will be accurate nonetheless. I want to first preface this by referencing John 6:66-69. It says, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." There was an apostasy, or rejecting of the truth. "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" That's a very pointed question. I think Peter, the chief apostle, was a little shocked by this question. "Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." We learn from this that the apostles were not going to abandon Jesus, but that everybody else did because there was heavy persecution going on at this time.

I got this from a man named Hyrum W. Smith. You may never see a time line like this again: