Orson Hyde Dedicates Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, Fulfilling a Nine-Year-Old Prophecy
Published March 25, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Contributed by
Todd Morgan
Beaumont, CA, 92223
On October 24, 1841, after a three-year journey traveling without purse or scrip through England, Germany, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and the Holy Land, Orson Hyde climbed the Mount of Olives before dawn and offered a dedicatory prayer over the land of Israel — fulfilling almost word for word a prophecy Joseph Smith had pronounced upon his head in January 1832.
Hyde's prayer, offered at the rising of the sun over Jerusalem, included the following passages:
"O Thou! who art from everlasting to everlasting, eternally and unchangeably the same, even the God who rules in the heavens above and controls the destinies of men on the earth, wilt Thou not condescend to look down from Thy holy habitation upon Thy servant who has, with weary feet, travelled a long distance that he might come to this place to dedicate and consecrate this land unto Thee, for the gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants..."
"Let the land become abundantly fruitful when possessed by its rightful heirs; let it again flow with plenty to feed the returning prodigals who come home with a spirit of grace and supplication; upon it let the clouds distil virtue and richness, and let the fields smile with plenty. Let Israel, Abraham's seed, be gathered home again to the land of their fathers, there to remain until the end come."
Hyde also erected a small pile of stones on the Mount of Olives as a witness of the dedication. He had set out on this mission in April 1840, walking and preaching his way through Europe and the Middle East, often teaching the English language to fund his travel. The dedication of the Holy Land — over a century before the founding of the modern State of Israel in 1948 — was regarded by the Saints as one of the great prophetic acts of the Restoration, fulfilling Joseph Smith's 1832 blessing with extraordinary specificity.
Hyde received financial support from a stranger in Philadelphia after preaching about his mission there, who gave him a purse of gold with the request that he pray for the donor in Jerusalem. The identity of this anonymous benefactor was later identified in 1924 as Joseph Ellison Beck. Additionally, prior to his departure, Hyde was publicly reprimanded by Joseph Smith in the Times and Seasons in early 1841 for delaying his mission, which prompted Hyde to proceed to the Holy Land alone.
In Their Own Words
“ALEXANDRIA, Nov. 22, 1841. DEAR BROTHER PRATT:—A few minutes now offer for me to write, and I improve them in writing to you. On Sunday morning, October 24, a good while before day, I arose from sleep, and went out of the city as soon as the gates were opened, crossed the brook Kedron, and went upon the Mount of Olives, and there, in solemn silence, with pen, ink, and paper, just as I saw in the vision, offered up the following prayer to Him who lives forever and ever:— O Thou! who art from everlasting to everlasting, eternally and unchangeably the same, even the God who rules in the heavens above and controls the destinies of men on the earth, wilt Thou not condescend to look down from Thy holy habitation upon Thy servant who has, with weary feet, travelled a long distance that he might come to this place to dedicate and consecrate this land unto Thee, for the gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants, according to the predictions of the holy prophets—for the building up of Jerusalem again after it has been trodden down by the Gentiles so long, and for rearing a temple in honor of Thy name. Everlasting thanks be ascribed unto Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast preserved Thy servant and brought him in safety to this place, where the prophets of old once stood and poured forth their supplications to Thee, and where our Lord and Saviour once offered up His prayers. I do now dedicate and consecrate this land unto Thee, for the gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants, according to the predictions of the holy prophets—for the building up of Jerusalem again after it has been trodden down by the Gentiles so long, and for rearing a temple in honor of Thy name. Let the land become abundantly fruitful when possessed by its rightful heirs; let it again flow with plenty to feed the returning prodigals who come home with a spirit of grace and supplication; upon it let the clouds distil virtue and richness, and let the fields smile with plenty. Let Israel, Abraham's seed, be gathered home again to the land of their fathers, there to remain until the end come. My best respects to yourself and your family, to Brothers Adams and Snow, and to all the Saints in England. May grace, mercy and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, rest upon you all from this time, henceforth and for ever. Amen. Your brother in Christ, ORSON HYDE.”
— Orson Hyde, letter to Parley P. Pratt, November 22, 1841
Sources & References
Orson Hyde, dedicatory prayer on the Mount of Olives, October 24, 1841, in History of the Church, 4:453–60; 'History of Orson Hyde,' Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 26 (1864): 742–44, 760–61, 774–76, 790–92; full text of the prayer (B. H. Roberts Foundation record): https://bhroberts.org/records/0S8KMz-r4TBjk/text_of_orson_hydes_prayer_on_the_mount_of_olives_october_24_1841; 'Elder Hyde's Prayer Dedicating the Holy Land 180 Years Ago,' Church Newsroom: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/what-elder-orson-hydes-prayer-dedicating-the-holy-land-180-years-ago-means-to-latter-day-saints-today; Roy B. Huff, 'Orson Hyde: A Life of Lessons Learned,' Religious Educator 3, no. 2 (2002): 167–183 Additional sources (periodical research): David B. Galbraith, 'Orson Hyde’s 1841 Mission to the Holy Land,' Ensign, Oct. 1991: 16–19. Blair G. Van Dyke and LaMar C. Berrett, 'In the Footsteps of Orson Hyde: Subsequent Dedications of the Holy Land,' BYU Studies 47, no. 1 (2008): 57–93. David M. Whitchurch, 'Orson Hyde, the Holy Land, and Brigham Young University,' BYU Devotional, Oct. 4, 2016, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/david-m-whitchurch/orson-hyde-holy-land-byu Full first-person account: History of the Church, 4:453–457 http://www.vibrationdata.com/Orson_Hyde.htm
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