N. B. Lundwell - Temples of the Most High

1941 Deseret Book CompanyAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Deseret Book Company, P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130. This work is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church or of Deseret Book Company.Deseret Book is a registered trademark of Deseret Book Company.

Chapter I

THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE

DEDICATORY PRAYER

(Given by revelation to Joseph, the Seer, and repeated in the Kirtland Temple at the time of its dedication, March 27th, 1836.)

Thanks be to Thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto Thy servants who walk up-rightly before Thee, with all their hearts;

Thou who hast commanded Thy servants to build a house to Thy name in this place. (Kirtland.)

And now Thou beholdest, O Lord, that Thy servants have done according to Thy commandment.

And now we ask Thee, Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of Thy bosom, in whose name alone, salvation can be administered to the children of men, we ask Thee, O Lord, to accept of this house, the workmanship of the hands of us, Thy servants, which Thous didst command us to build;

For Thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance, to build a house to Thy name, that the Son of man might have a place to manifest Himself to His people.

And as Thou hast said in a revelation, given to us, calling us Thy friends, saying, "Call your solemn assembly, as I have commanded you;

And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently, and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books, words of wisdom, seek learning even by study, and also by faith.

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.

That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High.

And now, Holy Father, we ask Thee to assist us, Thy people, with Thy grace, in calling our solemn assembly, that it may be done to Thy honor, and to Thy divine acceptance.

And in a manner that we may be found worthy, in Thy sight, to secure a fulfillment of the promises which Thou hast made unto us, Thy people, in the revelations given unto us;

That Thy glory may rest down upon Thy people, and upon this Thy house, which we now dedicate to Thee, that it may be sanctified and consecrated to be holy, and that Thy holy presence may be continually in this house.

And that all the people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord's house, may feel Thy power, and feel constrained to acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it, and that it is Thy house, a place of Thy holiness.

And do Thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house, may be taught words of wisdom out of the best books, and that they may seek learning even by study, and also by faith, as Thou hast said;

And that they may grow up in Thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost and be organized according to Thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing;

And that this house may be a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of glory and of God, even thy house;

That all the incomings of Thy people, into this house, may be in the name of the Lord;

That all the outgoings from this house may be in the name of the Lord;

And that all their salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with holy hands, uplifted to the Most High;

And that no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into Thy house to pollute it;

And when Thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent, and return unto Thee, and find favor in Thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which Thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those who shall reverence Thee in Thy house.

And we ask Thee, Holy Father, that Thy servants may go forth from this house, armed with Thy power, and that Thy name may be upon them, and Thy glory be round about them, and Thine angels have charge over them;

And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the end of the earth, that they may know that this is Thy work, and that Thou hast put forth Thy hand, to fulfill that which Thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.

We ask Thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity;

That no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself;

That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over Thy people upon whom Thy name shall be put in this house;

And if any people shall rise against this people, that Thine anger be kindled against them,

And if they shall smite this people, Thou wilt smite them, Thou will fight for Thy people as Thou didst in the day of battle, that they may be delivered from the hands of all their enemies.

We ask Thee, Holy Father, to confound, and astonish, and bring to shame and confusion, all those who have spread lying reports abroad, over the world against Thy servant or servants, if they will not repent, when the everlasting gospel shall be proclaimed in their ears,

And that all their works may be brought to naught, and be swept away by the hail, and by the judgments which Thou wilt send upon them in Thine anger, and there may be an end to lyings and slanders against Thy people;

For Thou knowest, O Lord, that Thy servants have been innocent before Thee in bearing record of Thy name, for which they have suffered these things;

Therefore we plead before Thee a full and complete deliverance from under this yoke;

Break it off, O Lord, break if off from the necks of Thy servants, by Thy power, that we may rise up in the midst of this generation and do Thy work.

O Jehovah, have mercy upon this people, and as all men sin, forgive the transgressions of Thy people, and let them be blotted out forever.

Let the anointing of Thy ministers be sealed upon them with power from on high;

Let it be fulfilled upon them, as upon those on the day of Pentecost, let the gift of tongues be poured out upon Thy people, even cloven tongues as of fire, and the interpretation thereof,

And let Thy house be filled, as with a rushing mighty wind, with Thy glory.

Put upon Thy servants the testimony of the covenant, that when they go out and proclaim Thy word, they may seal up the law, and prepare the hearts of Thy saints for all those judgments Thou art about to send, in Thy wrath, upon the inhabitants of the earth, because of their transgressions, that Thy people may not faint in the day of trouble.

And whatsoever city Thy servants shall enter, and the people of that city receive their testimony, let Thy peace and Thy salvation be upon that city, that they may gather out of that city the righteous, that they may come forth to Zion, or to her Stakes, the places of Thine appointment, with songs of everlasting joy;

And until this be accomplished, let not Thy judgments fall upon that city.