“Elder Hyde was a man of great natural ability, and by industrious application had acquired a good education, which, with his great and varied experiences and extended travels, rendered him a powerful instrument in the hands of God for the defence and dissemination of the gospel and the building up of the latter-day work.” — Deseret News 18781¹

Orson Hyde was born in Connecticut and moved to Kirtland in 1819. After joining the Methodist and reformed Baptist churches, he was baptized into the Church of Christ by Sidney Rigdon in October 1831. Hyde was quickly integrated into Church leadership, being ordained a high priest by Oliver Cowdery and serving several missions.² He taught at the School of the Prophets in the Newel K. Whitney Store,^3,4 where Joseph Smith received the Word of Wisdom in 1833.⁵

1. Deseret News 1878-12-04, 8

2. "Hyde, Orson," josephsmithpapers.org; Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 15, 166

3. "N. K. Whitney & Co. white store, Kirtland Township, Ohio," josephsmithpapers.org

4. "Newel K. Whitney Store," churchofjesuschrist.org

5. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 15, 167-168; "Word of Wisdom," josephsmithpapers.org; D&C 89