[Joseph Smith] Joseph and Judge Higbee meet with President Martin Van Buren and tell him their petition. The President says he cannot help them. Joseph spends a few more days in Washington trying to find someone who will help the Saints but no one will. (1)
-- 1839 29 November
[Joseph Smith] [Joseph Smith] Visits United States president Martin Van Buren. (2)
-- 1839, November 29
[Joseph Smith] Visits Martin Van Buren, the president of the United States, in Washington, D.C., seeking redress for Missouri injustices. While there, he also petitions the United States Congress for help. (3)
-- 1839 Nov 29
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph visits President Martin Van Buren: "Your cause is just . . ." (4)
-- During 1839, November
First issue of Times and Seasons published, Commerce, IL. (5)
-- During 1839 November
Times and Seasons began publication in Nauvoo. (6)
-- During 1839 Nov
[Lucy Mack Smith] Times and Seasons is published at Nauvoo, Ill. (4)
-- December 5, 1839
[Joseph Smith] Washington, D.C. Joseph Smith sent a letter to his brother Hyrum Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois, reporting his visit with United States president Martin Van Buren. (7)
-- December 7, 1839
[Joseph Smith] Washington, D.C. Joseph Smith consulted with the Illinois delegation about how to get the Churchs petition for redress brought before Congress. (7)
-- 1839, December 16
Nauvoo charter signed by Illinois Governor Thomas Carlin. (5)
-- December 21, 1839
[Joseph Smith] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Joseph Smith arrived in Philadelphia by railway and spent several days preaching and visiting from house to house, among the brethren and others. (7)
-- 21 Dec. 1839
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph Jr. reaches Philadelphia and preaches there for a week; then he and Orson Pratt go to New Jersey, return to Philadelphia on 9 January 1840, then return to Washington on 5 February for a short time. Joseph Sr. is bedfast and terminally ill. Lucy assures him by the Spirit that he will not die without his children around him. (8)
-- 1839 Winter-Spring
Most Saints fled from Missouri. (6)
Footnotes:
1 - http://www.prophetjosephsmith.org/joseph_smith_timeline
2 - http://josephsmithpapers.org/TimelineOfEvents.htm
3 - Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah
4 - History of Joseph Smith by His Mother: Revised and Enhanced by Scot Facer Proctor Maurine Jensen Proctor
5 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
6 - http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
7 - BYU Studies Journal, volume 46, no. 4: A Chronology of the Life of Joseph Smith
8 - Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, Edited by Lavina Fielding Anderson, 2001, Signature Books
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
