Orson Hyde

Orson Hyde was one of the original Twelve Apostles known for his 1841 dedicatory prayer on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem—the first such dedication of the Holy Land by a Latter-day Saint leader. Born in Connecticut, Hyde converted to Mormonism in 1831 and quickly rose to leadership.

Hyde’s path was not always steady. During the 1838 Missouri persecutions, he briefly left the church after signing an affidavit against Joseph Smith, though he soon returned and was restored to his position. This wavering affected his seniority among the apostles.

He was a practicing polygamist with nine wives. Hyde served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and presided over significant periods of the church’s westward migration. He founded communities in Nebraska and Iowa during the migration period.

His Jerusalem mission, where he traveled alone through Europe and the Middle East to offer the dedicatory prayer, became a significant event in LDS history and established a pattern of modern church leaders visiting and dedicating lands for missionary work.

Hyde remained an active apostle until his death in 1878, serving for 43 years.