Here’s a simple combined timeline showing how the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and major world history are often lined up in Latter-day Saint understanding. Dates are approximate because ancient chronologies vary.
| Approx. Date | Bible Timeline | Book of Mormon Timeline | World History Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~4000 BC | Adam & Eve | — | Early human civilizations forming |
| ~2500–2300 BC | Noah & Flood | Jaredite story begins after Babel | Ancient Mesopotamia & Egypt |
| ~2200 BC | Tower of Babel | Jaredites leave Old World | Sumerian/Akkadian civilizations |
| ~2000 BC | Abraham | — | Middle Bronze Age |
| ~1500–1300 BC | Moses & Exodus 1500\text{ BC} \text{ to } 1300\text{ BC} | — | Egypt’s New Kingdom |
| ~1000 BC | King David & Solomon | — | Israelite kingdom established |
| ~600 BC | Jeremiah, Lehi leaves Jerusalem | Nephites & Lamanites arrive in Americas | Babylon conquers Jerusalem |
| ~500–100 BC | Old Testament prophets | Nephite kingdoms grow | Greek & Persian empires |
| ~5 BC–30 AD | Birth, ministry, death & resurrection of Jesus Christ | Signs of Christ’s birth in Americas | Roman Empire |
| ~34 AD | Apostles preach gospel | Christ visits the Americas | Early Christianity spreads |
| ~400 AD | Decline of Roman Empire | Moroni finishes record | Classical world changing |
| ~421 AD | — | Moroni hides plates | Post-Roman era |
| 600s AD | Rise of Islam | — | Islamic civilizations expand |
| 1000s–1400s AD | Medieval Christianity | — | Viking, Asian, African empires |
| 1492 AD | Bible in Europe | Americas connected to Europe again | Columbus voyages |
| 1820 AD | — | First Vision of Joseph Smith | Industrial Age |
| 1830 AD | Bible used with restored church | Book of Mormon published | Modern America forming |
| Today | Old & New Testament studied worldwide | Book of Mormon studied worldwide | Global connected world |
Simple “Big Picture” Flow
Old Testament
Creation → Noah → Babel → Abraham → Moses → Prophets → Jerusalem
Book of Mormon
Jaredites leave after Babel → Lehi leaves Jerusalem → Nephites & Lamanites → Christ visits Americas → Moroni preserves record
New Testament
Jesus Christ → Apostles → Early Christian Church
Doctrine & Covenants
Restoration through Joseph Smith → modern revelation → present day church history
Easy Child-Friendly Understanding
- God teaches people in many lands.
- Families journey and keep records.
- Jesus Christ is central to all the scriptures.
- The Bible teaches about the Old World.
- The Book of Mormon teaches about people in the ancient Americas.
- The Doctrine & Covenants teaches about modern restoration.
- The goal is to become more Christ-like:
- loving,
- truthful,
- self-governing,
- reverent,
- and helpful to others.
You could even summarize the whole thing for children like this:
“God teaches His children in every age, in every land, and we learn to love one another by practicing good works, truth, reverence, and kindness.”