Orson Hyde Park
Orson Hyde was one of the early members and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So why do they have a park located on the Mount of Olives/Mt. Scopus dedicated in his name? Here is a little history:
Follow these links for an account of Orson Hyde's mission to the Holy Land: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1991/10/orson-hydes-1841-mission-to-the-holy-land http://www.nyx.net/~cgibbons/orson_hyde_prayer.html http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/selections-2003-religious-education-student-symposium/ottoman-palestine-and-orson-hyde#_edn61 When I was in the Holy Land I often found myself visiting the Orson Hyde Park. Not only does it have an excellent view of the Old City, but it also gave me a quiet place where I could enjoy the gardens along the beautiful walkways and sit and enjoy the scenery. One of my most cherished experiences I had in the Holy Land occurred here where I was able to join my elders quorum in consecrating oil from olives picked on the Mount of Olives and squeezed at the BYU Jerusalem Center using a replica of an ancient oil press. I will never forget that experience and am so grateful I had that opportunity. August 22 “…When we arrive at the Old City we got off the bus…and I found myself in a huge crowd of Muslims going to Al Aqsa Mosque to begin Ramadan. I walked through the opposite direction up the Mount of Olives, passed the Garden of Gethsemane, and went into the Orson Hyde Park where I could see the amazing view from the top of the Old City along with the flood of people heading towards Temple Mount for Ramadan. I spent the next hour from 12 to 1 eating my lunch on a rock right in front of the small auditorium on the edge of a path under a small tree…” |
The Presence of the Church in the Holy Land
I think it is so neat that my church, with the Orson Hyde Park, the BYU Jerusalem Center, the BYU students and LDS tourists, and the dozens of shops with BYU shirts or woodcarvings of LDS beliefs, has such a strong presence in the Holy Land. I remember one time walking through the market areas within the Old City towards the end of my stay and one of the shop owners looking at me and saying, “You are a Mormon are you not?” I was surprised at the question because I was wearing nothing that would give it away, so I replied, “Yes, I am. How did you know?” He then looked at me as if he knew something I didn’t, raised one finger in the air, and said, “I just know.” I bought a shirt from him. J I won’t go into the history of how the church gained its presence here with the BYU Jerusalem Center, but I want to share a famous story recalled by President James E. Faust during the October 2005 General Conference. He said,
“I recently recalled a historic meeting in Jerusalem about 17 years ago. It was regarding the lease for the land on which the Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies was later built. Before this lease could be signed, President Ezra Taft Benson and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, then president of Brigham Young University, agreed with the Israeli government on behalf of the Church and the university not to proselyte in Israel. You might wonder why we agreed not to proselyte. We were required to do so in order to get the building permit to build that magnificent building which stands in the historic city of Jerusalem. To our knowledge the Church and BYU have scrupulously and honorably kept that nonproselyting commitment. After the lease had been signed, one of our friends insightfully remarked, “Oh, we know that you are not going to proselyte, but what are you going to do about the light that is in their eyes?” He was referring to our students who were studying in Israel. What was that light in their eyes which was so obvious to our friend? The Lord Himself gives the answer: “And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings.” 1 Where did that light come from? Again the Lord gives the answer: “I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” 2 The Lord is the true light, “and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.” 3 This light shows in our countenances as well as in our eyes.” I’m not sharing this to boast or to appear self-righteous. I share my experience to illustrate the kind of presence the church has in the holy land as well as share a little history of how we gained this presence. Although I was instructed as a member of the church not to share the gospel in order to honor this agreement, I felt the truth of the restored gospel spreading through the examples and behavior of the members who live, work, study, and visit the Holy Land. I’ve witnessed the kind of service that goes on among members of the church in the Holy Land and how it blessed the lives of those all around them. |