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'MISSIONARIES, ETC., WITH A VARIETY OF INFORMATION ON THE PRESENT STATEOF THAT AND OTHER COUNTRIES WITH REGARD TO
COMING EVENTS AND THE RESTORATION OP ISRAEL.
COMPILED FROM HIS LATE
LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS,
The last of which bears date at Bavaria, on this Danube, Jan. 18,1842.
LIVERPOOL:
PUBLISHED BY P. P. PRATT
STAR OFFICE, 36, CHAPEL STREET.
PRINTED BY JAMES AND WOODBURN, 14, HANOVER STREET.
The circumstances which gave rise to this mission of Elder Hyde arequite peculiar and extraordinary; and in an American publication arethus described by himself: "Something near eight years ago, JosephSmith, a prophet and servant of the Most High God, did predict upon myhead, that I should yet go to the city of Jerusalem, and be a watchmanunto the house of Israel, and perform a work there which would greatlyfacilitate the gathering together of that people: the particulars ofwhich it is not necessary to mention here.
"Year after year has passed away since that period, and my labours inthe ministry have been confined to the Gentiles on both sides of theAtlantic.
"In the early part of March last (1840), I retired to my bed oneevening as usual, and while contemplating and enquiring out, in my ownmind, the field of my ministerial labours for the then coming season,the vision of the Lord, like clouds of light, burst upon my view. Thecities of London, Amsterdam, Constantinople, and Jerusalem all appearedin succession before me, and the Spirit said unto me, 'Here are many ofthe children of Abraham whom I will gather to the land that I gave totheir fathers, and here also is the field of your labours.'
"A strict observance of the movements of the Jews, and a carefulexamination of their faith relative to their expected Messiah—thesetting up of his kingdom among them, and the overthrow of the presentkingdoms and governments of the Gentiles, will serve to open the eyesof many of the uncircumcised, when faithfully laid before them, thatthe great day of the Lord comes not upon them unawares as a thief.
"Take, therefore, proper credentials from my people, your brethren,and also from the governor of your state, with the seal of authoritythereon, and go ye forth to the cities which have been shown unto you,and declare these words unto Judah, and say: 'Blow ye the trumpet inthe land: cry, gather together; and say, assemble yourselves, and letus go into the defenced cities. Let the standard be reared towardsZion. Retire! stay not; for I will bring evil from the north and agreat destruction. The lion is come up from his thicket, and thedestroyer of the Gentiles is on his way, he is gone forth from hisplace to make thy land desolate, and thy cities shall be laid wastewithout inhabitant. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto herthat her warfare is accomplished—that her iniquity is pardoned, forshe hath received at the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Let yourwarning voice be heard among the Gentiles as you pass, and call ye uponthem in my name for aid and for assistance. With you it mattereth notwhether it be little or much; but to me it belongeth to sh