Orson Hyde (January 8, 1805 – November 28, 1878) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement and a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 to 1875 and was a missionary of the LDS Church in the United States, Europe, and the Ottoman Empire.
Early life
Hyde was born on January 8, 1805, in Oxford, Connecticut, to Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. His father served in the War of 1812. His mother died when he was seven years old, and Hyde and his eleven siblings were "scattered among several foster parents." Hyde spoke publicly against the Book of Mormon. However, when his former minister, Sidney Rigdon, joined the Church of Christ, Hyde investigated the claims of the missionaries and was baptized by Rigdon in October 1831. then he was again called in January 1832 to go with Samuel H. Smith to "take their journey into the eastern countries and proclaim" the gospel to the inhabitants there. His mission proved successful as he baptized many during his time in the eastern states, which included Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. During one trip, Hyde traveled about on foot between New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine.
Bed-bound, sick and isolated, Hyde swore before the same justice on the same day that he either knew Marsh's statements to be true or believed them to be such.
Because he had signed the Richmond affidavit with Marsh, Hyde was disfellowshipped (disciplined, but not removed from membership) in 1838. On May 4, 1839, he was removed from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Eight years after receiving this blessing, Orson Hyde had a vision in March 1840 in which the Spirit told him he was to visit the cities of London, Amsterdam, Constantinople, and Jerusalem, and that in Jerusalem he was to declare to those of Judah that they must "gather together," "assemble yourselves," and "go into the defenced cities." One month after this vision, on April 6, 1840, Orson Hyde spoke at a church general conference in Nauvoo, Illinois. When Hyde concluded speaking, Joseph Smith motioned to those in attendance at the conference and resolved that Hyde should proceed on a mission to Jerusalem. For the following months, Hyde and Page traveled as circumstances allowed, sometimes together and at other times apart.
His letter of introduction claimed that "The Jewish nations have been scattered abroad among the Gentiles for a long period; and in our estimation, the time of the commencement of their return to the Holy Land has already arrived." He left the United States and traveled through Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Egypt before arriving in Jerusalem. He recorded that before dawn on October 24, 1841, he climbed up the Mount of Olives overlooking the city, then both wrote and recited a prayer, part of which reads:<blockquote>Now, O Lord! Thy servant has been obedient to the heavenly vision which Thou gavest him in his native land; and under the shadow of Thine outstretched arm, he has safely arrived in this place to dedicate and consecrate this land unto Thee, for the gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants, according to the predictions of the holy Prophets -- for the building up of Jerusalem again after it has been trodden down by the Gentiles so long, and for rearing a Temple in honor of Thy name. Everlasting thanks be ascribed unto Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast preserved Thy servant from the dangers of the seas, and from the plague and pestilence which have caused the land to mourn. The violence of man has also been restrained, and Thy providential care by night and by day has been exercised over Thine unworthy servant. Accept, therefore, O Lord, the tribute of a grateful heart for all past favors, and be pleased to continue Thy kindness and mercy towards a needy worm of the dust.</blockquote>thumb|Sign located at the entrance of the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden Having dedicated Jerusalem for the gathering of the Jews, Hyde departed the mountain after building a small altar with stones.
The Orson Hyde Memorial Garden on the Mount of Olives was dedicated in 1979. The park was funded by donations to the Orson Hyde Foundation through the Jerusalem Foundation. The sign at the front of the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden was created by the Israeli government; however, it contains several mistakes that are common misconceptions about Hyde's mission to Jerusalem: 1) Unlike most other missions, Hyde was not called to preach the gospel in Jerusalem but to dedicate the land for the gathering of Judah, However, one of Smith's scribes, Thomas Bullock, later wrote a list of plural marriage dates in the back of one of Smith's journals and noted a sealing date of April 1842. It is not clear when or if Hyde learned about his wife's sealing to Smith, however, John D. Lee, in his book Mormonism Unveiled, reported that Hyde may have given his consent. Three months after his return from his mission, Hyde learned about plural marriage and married two additional wives. He ultimately took eight wives and fathered 32 children. He moved with them to the staging grounds at Council Bluffs, Iowa, for their trek west and to oversaw their emigration to Utah. He then was sent to England, presiding over the British Mission from 1846 to 1847. He also led an expedition to the Green River in 1853. Hyde was a member of the Manti Temple Building Committee and the Utah Territorial Assembly until he was sent to settle Spring City, Utah.
Death and legacy
Hyde died in Spring City on November 28, 1878 at 72 years of age. Hyde is mentioned by name in six sections of the Doctrine and Covenants: sections 68, 75, 100, 102, 103, and 124. In his Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson describes Hyde as "a man of great natural ability, and by industrious application had acquired a good education, which, with his great and varied experience and extended travels, rendered him a powerful instrument in the hands of God for the defense and dissemination of the gospel and the building up of the Latter-day Work."