The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-24

ton oil tQe Smuns, III loff, ID iSuoih sucu
of the Twelve" attained to the highest position in
the church, Brother Hyde. now occupying his former
position may one day be called to the chair of 10
seph position which few even of the faithful would
accept il offered and refusal at all admissible.
| Brother Orson is a man of considerable ability
has travelled extensively in the Old and the New
Worlds, is very eloquent preacher and clear and
forcibe writer. Aside from his profession and prac
tice of the peculiar faith. he would figure in any
ciety as a gentleman of education and person des
tined to rise in the world, and who would leave
name and history the records Of time for future
generations to read and study. His name being now
prominently before the public connected with Utah
affairs, we have traced his since his relation
ship with Mormonisn, which, while it furnishes
some knowledge of the man, throws considerable
| light on of the missionary enterprises of the
movement scarcely if at all known in the world.
The subject of our sketch was born on the 9Th of
January 1906 and is, consequently now in his fifty
second year-what the Mormons in the mountains
would not regard more than the prime of life. OF
his birthplace and parents know nothing, and Of
his early life are nearly AS ignorant AT his bap-
tism, in October, 1881 he says
He left his infancy orphan, with none to look
upon him with fathers eye and feel for him with mo-
TIERS heart The hand that wiped his infant
still the breast that nursed him was cold and sumoered
in the OF death He thrust abroad the cold
and frendless bosom Of uneelng world that for
twenty long years he one whose veins flowed
drop of kindred blood, and, seluenty, grew up as
| wild and uncultivated plant Of nature, &c.
| At the time of his baptism into the Mormon
church he was clerk in the store of Brothers Gil
bert & Whitney, in Kirkland, Ohio; but previous to
| his acquaintance with the Morm0ns he had been mi
tated into the Baptist church. and was student for
the ministry under Sidney Rigdon. who in course OF
time became counsellor TO Joseph Smith Soon after
| his baptism, Orson designated as one OF the
chosen men of the Lord, to bear His word to the Ma
| tions, and before he month in the new faith
he appointed one of committee OF six elders to
instruct the several branches Of the church, The
| following month revelation was given to him and
few others, in which his missionary labors were
| early sketched out He was ''to proclaim the ever
lasting Gospel by the spirit Of the living Cod from
people TO people and from land to land, in the
gTegations of the wicked, in their synagogues, rea-
| soning with them, and eXpoundng all scriptures
unto them &c. To this commission was added the
promise that the blessings enjoyed by the first Chris
tians should be impaired to the faithful repentant
believers who should receive his testimony, and to
| himself, the promise:-
Unto you shall be given to know the signs of the
times aud the signs of the coming Of the Son OF Man. aud
of many the father shall bear record, to you shall
be given power to seal them up unto eternal life &C.
His first years in Mormonisn were spent princi-
| paly in KiItand, where he had constant and init
mate relationship with Joseph Smith. AT the hume
rous conferences where the Prophet presided Orsons
name figures generally as Secretary In the capaci-
ty of scribe he seems to have rendered considerable
service to the young cause. When the Saints in
jackson county, Mo-, had their first difficulties with
their neighbors Brother Hyde was despatched by
the Prophet to give them counsel and advice in their
unfortunate circumstances. On his arrival there he
and another elder appointed to visit the Cover
nor of the State at his residence In Jefferson City,
with petition setting forth the prosecutions which
the Saints had endured through the charge of tam
pering with the slaves and inviting free negroes
and mulattoes from other States to become Mormons
and settle among US" &c. Having had an unsuc
cessful mission, so far as redress for losses
and the armed protection sought from the
Governor were concerned, the deputation
returned to Jackson county in time to have share
| in greater muss than that Of which they had COM
| planned Orson soon returned to Kirkland with the
news of the riot. His account of the affair pub
lished at the time in the Missouri Republican, and
gained for him no blessing from his enemies
/ In the beginning of 1894 he was chosen one
pointed b" to settle any important difficulties
| which might arise in the church The
troubles in Missouri continuing, brother Hyde was
appointed. with another elder to come to the East
ern States for assistance from you" Donations
were few and far between, and not large at that so
that but little good was effected in that direction
| Ia the beginning Of June. 1887, he was appointed
| to accompany Heber c. Kimball on the first English
| mission. About the middle OF the month he left
| home and found his way TO this city. which had
| been designated the rendezvous for the mission
difficulty TO raise their passage money to Liverpool.
While in this city they had to rent a room in an I'M
finished store house and took lodgings on the floor,
and there eat their bread and drank their water
until they went ON shpboard During their short
stay in that uncomfortable position brother Hyde
managed to send copy of his Timely Warnings
to each Of the sectarian priests in the city"
He left this port the LIST July with the other mis-
| sionares on board the ship Garrick and was the
elder chosen to preach on deck the Sunday before
their arrival at Liverpool Soon after his landing in
the Old World he full of business. With his bro.
ther missionaries he made quite stir in Preston in
Lancashire. The third Sunday Brother Hyde was
| preaching in the market place, where he had the
good fortune to be opposed by minister. He soon
demolished his reverend opponent, without much
trouble and much TO the delight Of their new friends
The same evening the elders confirmed between
forty and fifty persons. So successful had they been
in that neighborhood, they were enabled to hold
conference on Christmas day in a large and com.
modous building where were met three hundred
persons who had been baptised. That day fourteen
were confirmed, and about one hundred children
blessed. Another conference was held in April, at
which eight elders ordained besides consider
able number of priests teachers and deacons.
About sixty children were blessed, and twenty per
baptised, that same day. In the evening coun-
ell was held at which fifty official members were pre-
sent---such had been the success Of Mormonism,
through the labors of Elders kimball Hyde and one
or two others. Having accomplished his mission
Brother Hyde returned TO this country, and on the
10Th July, 1888, preached at Far West. Missouri,
where he rendered an account Of his labors.
At the first General Conference of the church, held
at Nauvoo illinois, the 9th of April. $780, Elder
Hyde addressed the congregation AZ some lengtn,
and stated that IL had been prophe lied some years
before that he had great work 10 perform among
the Jews; and that he had recently been moved upon
by the spirit Of the Lord to visit that people and
gather up all the information he could respecting
their movements, expectations, &c, and communi-
cate the same TO the church, and to the nation at
large: stating that he intended TO visit the JewsIn
New York London and Amsterdam, and then visit
Cnnstantinople and the Holy Land. Following
this address II was moved that he proceed on his mis-
sion to the Jews, which was unanimouly sustained
by the conference. As this mission to that peoole
il the most important event in the life OF Brother
Orson, and touching a subject on which orthodox
Christians are nterested-the return OF the seed Of
Abraham TO the land Of their fathers-we have pur
posely hurried over his other missionary labors, to
devote greater space 10 this that readers might
know what the Mormon apostle had done, in his way
and manner, for the accomplishment Of that which