Hyde, Orson.
A voice from Jerusalem, or a sketch of the travels and ministry of Elder Orson Hyde, missionary of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to Germany, Constantinople, and Jerusalem, containing a description of Mount Zion, the Pool of Siloam, and other ancient places, and some account of the manners and customs of the east, as illustrative of scripture texts, with a sketch of several interviews and conversations with Jews' [sic]
missionaries, etc., with a variety of information on the present state of that and other countries with regard to coming events and the restoration of Israel. Compiled from his late letters and documents, the last of which bears date at Bavaria , on the Danube , Jan. 18, 1842 . Liverpool : Published by P. P. Pratt, Star Office, 36, Chapel Street . Printed by James and Woodburn, 14, Hanover Street . [1842]
v, [6]?-36 pp. 18 cm.
View Document
The genesis of Orson Hyde's mission dates to 1832, when Joseph Smith predicted that Hyde would visit the Holy Land and "be a watchman unto the house of Israel ." Eight years later Hyde reported having a vision in which he was directed to visit London , Amsterdam , Constantinople , and Jerusalem in anticipation of the return of the Jews to Palestine . This drew an official call at the April 6, 1840 , conference for him to visit these four cities and communicate his findings to the Saints. Two days later John E. Page was called to be his companion, and on April 15 Hyde left Nauvoo for the east coast. In February 1841 he sailed for England without Page, and he traveled alone through Europe and the Middle East , returning to Nauvoo in December 1842.
From Trieste , Hyde sent Parley Pratt a long letter addressed to the Twelve, dated January 1, 1842 , together with a note asking him to publish the letter in pamphlet form. In this way he hoped to meet his obligation to inform the Saints as well as raise some money to support himself and his family during his mission. At the end of January Orson sent Parley a second letter, dated at Trieste , January 17, and addressed to the brethren and sisters in Nauvoo, with a second note, dated at Regensburg , January 30, urging him to publish the two letters. In response, Parley announced in the
Millennial Star for March 1842 his intention to issue Hyde's letters in pamphlet form, and the next month the
Star noted that the book was out of press and for sale at four pence each. Parley later reported that the edition was 3,000.
A Voice from Jerusalem includes the two letters from Trieste; the two notes; a third letter dated at Alexandria, November 22, 1841; a fourth dated at Jaffa, October 20, 1841; an introduction describing the origin and purpose of Hyde's mission, taken from the second edition of
An Appeal to the American People ; and, at the end, what seems to be a non-Mormon poem, "The Gathering of Israel" by Mrs. Tinsley. Letter I contains the bulk of Hyde's description of the Holy Land as well as an amusing report of his encounter with the Christian missionaries there. Letter III includes his prayer for the return of the Jews to Jerusalem offered on the Mount of Olives , Sunday, October 24, 1841.
The phrase in the title,
the last of which bears date at Bavaria , on the Danube , Jan. 18, 1842 , is a bit baffling since Hyde's second note to Parley Pratt is dated January 30, 1842 , and none of the letters is dated January 18. However, in the
Star of March 1842 Parley reports having "lately received two lengthy and highly interesting communications from Elder Orson Hyde, dated at Trieste , Jan. 1 st . and 18 th , containing a sketch of his voyages and travels in the East." So it is possible that the date "January 17" on the second letter is a misprint.
Excerpted and edited from Peter Crawley,
A Descriptive Bibliography of the Mormon Church. Volume One, 1830-1847. (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, Religious Studies Center, [1997]). Item 144, p. 187-89.
Used by permission of the author and the Religious Studies Center , Brigham Young University.
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY