LDS Church News Archives,
            Saturday, December 23, 2000 
            Dedicatory prayer excerpts: 'May peace prevail throughout the land' 

            
            Following is the full text of the dedicatory prayer for the Recife 
            Brazil Temple given by President Gordon B. Hinckley on December 15, 
            2000.
            "Almighty Father, Thou great Governor of the universe, we come unto 
            Thee in solemn and reverent prayer.
            "We are met to dedicate this beautiful temple which has been erected 
            in honor to Thee and Thy Beloved Son, our Redeemer. Our hearts are 
            full on this occasion for which we have longed and prayed.
            "We are grateful to have in our midst a House of the Lord to which 
            we may come frequently and with convenience. We thank Thee, Father, 
            for this wonderful blessing.
            "And now, acting in the authority of the holy priesthood, that 
            priesthood which is Thine, we dedicate this the Recife Brazil Temple 
            of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, unto Thee and to 
            Thy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as Thy holy house.
            "We dedicate this beautiful site, the ground on which Thy temple 
            stands with its trees and shrubs, grass and flowers. May they 
            beautify this stately structure that it may be appreciated by the 
            millions who pass this way.
            "We dedicate this sacred building from the footings to the crowning 
            figure of Moroni. We dedicate the walls and windows, the roof, the 
            offices and corridors, and the mechanical equipment. We dedicate the 
            Baptistry, the ordinance rooms, the beautiful Celestial Room, the 
            sealing rooms with their sacred altars, and every other facility 
            found in this Thy house.
            "We ask that Thou wilt accept it as the offering of our hands and 
            our hearts. We pray that Thou wilt be pleased to honor it with Thy 
            presence. May Thy Holy Spirit abide here at all times, and may it 
            ever remain hallowed and sanctified unto Thee.
            "May no hand with evil intent desecrate it in any way. May all who 
            pass by look upon it with respect, even with reverence. May all who 
            enter be clean of hand and heart and worthy in every respect. May it 
            stand secure against the storms of nature and be kept inviolate from 
            evil of every kind.
            "May this sacred edifice be an inspiration to all who serve here, be 
            they workers or patrons. May it represent to them the holiest of all 
            things holy; and may the work they accomplish here be sacred and 
            divine unto them. May they know they are in the service of the 
            Master in that which they do in behalf of others.
            "Now, dear Father, we invoke Thy blessings upon the temple 
            presidency, the matron and her assistants, the recorder, and all who 
            serve here in any capacity. Grant them strength and vitality and 
            dedicated hearts as they strive to move Thy work forward. May Thy 
            people in this temple district be motivated to qualify themselves to 
            come to Thy house and be worthy of the blessings here to be gained.
            "Smile with favor upon this great nation of Brazil where Thy work 
            has grown in a remarkable and wonderful way. Prosper its economy. 
            May peace prevail throughout the land. May Thy messengers, the 
            missionaries, be welcomed here; and may their labors be exceedingly 
            fruitful.
            "Thou great Elohim, we pray "That thy church [in all the earth] may 
            come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair 
            as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners; 
            "And be adorned as a bride for that day when thou shalt unveil the 
            heavens, and cause the mountains to flow down at thy presence, and 
            the valleys to be exalted, the rough places made smooth; that thy 
            glory may fill the earth" (D&C 109:73-74).
            "We thank Thee for Thy great prophet of this dispensation, even 
            Joseph Smith, through whom Thou hast revealed the ordinances of Thy 
            house. These ordinances are eternal in their nature. They bless not 
            only those who receive them in their own behalf, but also the 
            eternal lives of the vast number of Thy children beyond the veil of 
            death.
            "Bless those who have been called to direct Thy work throughout the 
            earth in our time. Strengthen them for their duties. Shield them 
            from the darts of evil and designing men. Bless them to stand strong 
            against the powers of the adversary. Crown their labors with that 
            satisfaction which comes of witnessing the growth and strengthening 
            of Thy work.
            "And now, on this day of dedication, we rededicate ourselves and all 
            that we have and are to the advancement of Thy work and the building 
            of Thy kingdom; and do it in the sacred name of Thine Only Begotten 
            Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."
            
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