William Hyde and Elizabeth Howe Bullard

William Hyde is my great-great-great grandfather, born September 11, 1818 in Livingston County, New York. When William was about seven years old, his family settled in Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, where his father, Heman, established a successful business in wool carding and cloth dressing.

Around the year 1830, Heman heard about the Book of Mormon for the first time, as well as the setting up of the Kingdom of God on the earth in the last days. Most of the information the Hyde's learned about the church was from Warren A. Cowdery, brother of Liver Cowdery.

In 1834, Joseph Smith and Parley P. Pratt came to the Hyde's home. They preached two or three times in the neighborhood and talked with many people in private. The first to be baptized was William's oldest brother, who went to Zion's Camp. In April of 1834, Heman and William were also baptized, and soon after that, the rest of the family was also baptized. The family was convinced previous to being baptized that God had set to his hand for the last time to prune the Earth, and that in fulfillment of his word, He would gather together a people who would serve him, and be prepared to escape the distress that should come upon the nations as well as for the coming of the son of man, when he should be revealed in the glory of this father.

About two years after baptism, William moved with his family from New York to Kirtland, Ohio. After being driven from Kirtland and from two other counties, they settled in Nauvoo. In 1840 he left on a mission to New York and Philadelphia. He met his wife, Elizabeth Howe Bullard, while returning from his mission. She was with a group of converts traveling to Nauvoo. They were married in February of 1842.

In 1846 William joined the Mormon Battalion. It is very ironic that the government would offer no help to the Mormons when they were being driven, but then come to their camps and ask for 500 men to fight in the war. Here are Williams thoughts about joining in the cause:

"This Government of the United States were at this time at war with Mexico, and not being satisfied with either having assisted, or by their silence acquiesced in driving and plundering thousands of defenseless men, women and children, and driving them from their pleasant and lawful homes, and of actually murdering, or through suffering causing the death of hundreds, they must now send to our camps...and call upon us for five hundred young and middle aged men, the strength of our camp, to go and assist them in fighting their battles. When this news came I looked upon my family, and then upon my aged parents, and upon the situation of the camps in the midst of the uncultivated, wild Indian country, and my soul revolted. But...when our beloved President came to call upon the saints to know who among all the people were read to offer the case; I said, 'Here am I, take me.'"

William returned to his family in 1847 after traveling 5000 miles and suffering greatly, especially hunger and thirst. In 1860 Brigham Young asked William and his son-in-law, Simpson Molen, to settle an area in Cache Valley five miles north of Logan. William was appointed Bishop, and the new location was called Hyde Park.

Elizabeth Howe Bullard

Elizabeth Howe Bullard is my great-great-great grandmother, born October 2, 1813 in Holliston, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Her father was a well-to-do farmer who did not belong to any church, but was a generous and kind man. He died at the age of 55, leaving his wife with seven children. Elizabeth's mother was beloved by all who knew her. She was a member of the Congregational Church and taught her children to love and fear God, and to be honorable and industrious.

Elizabeth wrote the following concerning her conversion to the Church:

"I was a subject of serious impressions from my earliest recollection. I would often go to my chamber and pray that God would direct me how to obtain a change of heart, which the ministers told us we must obtain in order to be saved, but they did not tell us how to obtain it, not knowing themselves, thus proving they were blind teachers of the blind. I continued pray- ing, however, until I felt that light had broken into my mind, and I thought I had obtained what I had so anxiously been seeking after. Accordingly I manifested a wish to become a member of the church to which most of our family belonged. This was when I was seventeen years old...

...I was either a pupil or teacher in the Sabbath School in the church to which I belonged until I became connected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After completing the district school, in 1833 I went to Amherst Female Seminary.

The first Mormon elders that I saw were Brigham Young and his brother Joseph, who were relatives of our family. This was in the fall of 1837. They stayed at our place and conversed upon the subject of their belief and sang beautifully, 'Now Let Us Rejoice In The Day Of Sal- vation.' The next elder to come to our house was Willard Richards. He was also a relative of the family. He too, preached the restored gospel, which brought with it the spirit of investigation.

I had faith in God that if I would humble myself before Him in an acceptable manner, He would manifest unto me the truth. I accordingly spent many hours each day in my chamber searching the Scriptures, and asking in earnest prayers that if this was the work of God, I might know it myself. I had thus been employed when at last, on one special occasion, I arose from my knees and opened my Bible to the 15th Psalm, 5th verse, which reads, 'Gather my saints together unto me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.' Those words were accompanied with the Spirit of God to such a degree that my heart rejoiced, and I knew for myself that this was indeed the work of God. I was then ready for baptism. I was willing, and even anxious, to leave my pleasant home where I had spent so many happy days, and gather with the Saints of God. This rejoiced the heart of my dear mother, for she, being a true Israelite, believed the work from the first.

We accordingly went forth and were baptized on the 30th day of June, 1838, by Elder Joseph Ball, and from that day to this, September 24, 1904, I have never for one moment doubted this work or regretted the sacrifice, if it can be called a sacrifice, of leaving friendly neighbors and home."

Following her conversion, Elizabeth journeyed to Illinois. On her way she met William Hyde, and they were later married by Heber C. Kimball. The Prophet Joseph was absent from Nauvoo when they were married. When he returned and heard about it, he said he had expected to perform the ceremony himself.

Elizabeth also wrote an account of hearing the prophet Joseph Smith speak:

"The first Sabbath which I spent in Nauvoo, we attended a meeting held in the grove, and everybody was an entire stranger. There was no one near me that I had ever seen before. There were several elders on the stand. Some of them had spoken, when the Prophet Joseph Smith arose and commenced to speak. A feeling like electricity passed through me, and his words thrilled my whole being. I knew for myself that he was a Prophet of God. I was at this time twenty-eight years of age. I shook hands with the Prophet. I heard him speak many times."

Source: The Journal of William Hyde, and a comilation by Myrtle Stevens Hyde from An autobiography of Elizabeth Howe Bullard (Hyde), written in 1904, published by Kate B. Carter in Our Pioneer Heritage, Volume 7 (1964), pages 430–434 as well as a shorter semi-autobiography, written in 1912, appearing in The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Volume 3 (1912), pages 206-208.