Before they were famous: Orson Hyde's contradictory life
August 21, 2026 at 10:05 PM MT · via Sunstone · Summarized by Mormon News from original reporting
Lindsay Hansen Park and Bryan Buchanan trace the astonishing and contradictory life of Apostle Orson Hyde for Sunstone. Hyde dedicated Jerusalem for the return of the Jews, renamed Nevada's oldest town, nearly became church president, and may have helped create one of Mormonism's most enduring succession myths. The episode examines Hyde's orphaned childhood, his rise to apostolic authority, his temporary excommunication and return, and his complex legacy. The hosts explore how Hyde's life illuminates early Mormon leadership dynamics and the fluid nature of apostolic succession in the 19th century.
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