Orson Hyde on Mission to Palestine

“From April 1841 to December 1842, [Orson Hyde] proselyted in Palestine.” (wikipedia: Orson Hyde)

Marriage/Sealing Documentation

Joseph Smith Journal Entry (April 1842)

Joseph Smith Journal entry “Later, Thomas Bullock inscribed the following list of marriages and sealings in ink on page [310]” footnote 634

April 42 Marinda Johnson to Joseph Smith

Marinda’s 1869 Affidavit (May 1843)

Transcript from Mormon Polygamy Documents JS1498.pdf

[Affidavit of Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde]

Territory of Utah SS.

County of Salt Lake

Be it remembered that on this first day of May A. D. 1869, personally appeared before me, Elias Smith, Probate Judge for said County, Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, who was by me Sworn in due form of law, and upon her oath Saith that on the [blank space] day of May A. D. 1843, At the City of Nauvoo, County of Hancock, State of Illinois, She was married or Sealed to Joseph Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, by Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, of Said Church, according to the laws of the same, regulating marriage; in the presence of Eliza Maria Partridge Lyman, and Emily Dow Partridge Young

Subscribed and sworn to by the Said M. N. J. Hyde, the day and year first above written

E. Smith Probate Judge M.N. J. Hyde

(Joseph F. Smith Collection, Affidavit Book 1:15, LDS archives; typed copy)

Revelation encouraging move

2 December 1841 Revelation about Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde

Accounts of Nancy Johnson Hyde’s marriage/sealing to Joseph Smith

Transcription of Compton’s In Sacred Loneliness:

…

There are four antagonistic reports of this marriage. The earliest, from Sidney Rigdon in 1845, has already been partially quoted: “H. [Orson Hyde] by and by finds out the trick which was played off upon him in his absence, by his two faithful friends. His dignity becomes offended, (and well it might) refuses to live with his wife, but to be even with his companions in iniquity, takes to himself three more wives.” By this scenario, Orson did not know of the marriage until 1843. This may well be, and Orson did marry polygamously after he returned to Nauvoo. However, contrary to Rigdon, Orson did not stop living with Marinda at this time and Marinda continued to have children with him until 1858.

Second, according to William Hall, published in 1852, Joseph Smith demanded Orson’s wife and all his money when Orson sued for reinstatement in the church after his Missouri disaffection, and Orson gave her up. This flatly contradicts Rigdon’s account, in which Joseph and Marinda marry without Orson’s knowledge. It could be noted that Hall’s discussion of Zina Huntington’s marriage to Smith was extremely unreliable, which lessens his authority here.

The next account is much later, but still from an early Nauvoo insider, John D. Lee. After describing Hyde’s repentance and mission to Palestine, Lee wrote, “Report said that Hyde’s wife, with his consent, was sealed to Joseph for an eternal state, but I do not assert the fact.” Lee agrees with Hall that Hyde knew of the marriage, but honestly reports that the story was hearsay.

A further antagonistic report by an early Mormon—Ann Eliza Webb Young-sides with Rigdon in suggesting that Orson did not know of the marriage in 1842 and that he was extremely upset when he returned home from his mission and found out that Marinda had married Smith in his absence.

Thus the four writers offer no consensus on the issue of Orson’s knowledge. Smith’s other polyandrous marriages and the statements of Lee and Hall suggest that Orson may have known of the marriage beforehand. However, if Marinda and Joseph had wanted to marry with Orson’s knowledge and consent, they probably would have waited until he returned from his mission before performing the ceremony. Orson’s not knowing is probably the preferable interpretation, but neither view is certain.

Nancy Marinda Johnson Hyde Letter Transcript

Mormon Polygamy Documents JS0498 Johnson Hyde, Marinda Nancy, letter, undated (after Dec. 1, 1841). Transcript.

The peculiarity of my condition in life seems to call for an explanation at my hand

The Lord gave me to Joseph Smith \before I married Orson Hyde. This I did not know until/ ten years after, when Joseph taught me the doctrine of celestial marriage. This was in the fall of 1841 and the following Dec, the following revelation was brought to me by Apostle Wilford Woodruff, -

Nauvoo Dec 1, 1841

“Verily thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have called upon me to know my will concerning my handmaid Nancy Marinda Hyde; behold it is my will that she should have a better place prepared for her, than that in which she now lives, in order that her life may be spared unto her; therefore go and say unto my servant Ebenezer Robinson and to my handmaid his wife, - Let them open their doors and take her and her children into their house, and take care of them faithfully and kindly until my servant Orson Hyde returns from his mission, or until some other provision can be made for their welfare and safety. Let them do these things and spare not and I the Lord will bless them and heal them, if they do it not grudgingly saith the Lord God; and she shall be a blessing unto them; and let my handmaid Nancy Marinda Hyde hearken to the council [sic] of my servant Joseph in all things whatsoever he shall teach unto her, and it shall be a blessing upon [overwrites ‘unto’] her and upon her children after her, unto her justification saith the Lord.”

Ebenezer Robinson and wife received me and mine and gave us shelter until another place was provided. – I followed the council [sic] of the prophet Joseph as above instructed and cherish in my \heart/ the hope of realizing [sic] the fulfillment of \the promises and blessings/ here in contained. –

A few years before Mr. Hyde departed this life he told me that Joseph Smith before our marriage, requested him not to marry me, but gave no reason for the request

Nancy Marinda Hyde