Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Dedicated 21 May 2000
by James E. Faust

Our Eternal Father in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thou great Elohim. We come unto Thee in solemn prayer on this historic day of dedication. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for this beautiful temple which has been erected as Thine abode, the house of the Lord.

As was done in Kirtland, we today pray "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 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" (D&C 109: 12-13).

Acting in the authority of the holy priesthood which Thou hast vested in us, and in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, we dedicate and consecrate unto Thee and Thy Beloved Son this, the Nashville Tennessee Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We thank Thee for the purpose for which it has been built. Here in the authority of the fullness of Thy priesthood will be provided those ordinances which Thou hast designed for the salvation and exaltation of Thy children, both those now living, and those who have passed beyond the veil of death.

We dedicate the entire structure, including the grounds on which it stands with their beautiful vegetation. We dedicate the building from the footings to the figure of Moroni atop the steeple. We dedicate the beautiful baptistry, the facilities for the administration of ordinances, including the endowment rooms, the magnificent celestial room, and the sealing rooms with their sacred altars. We dedicate every other facility found in this Thy sacred house.

It is our gift of love. Please accept of it, dear Father, as an expression of the faith we have in Thine eternal purposes. This sacred structure stands as a monument before the world of our belief in the immortality of the human soul and that a great work is going forward on the other side of the veil to bring blessings to those who will accept the ordinances which will be performed in their behalf in this Thy house.

We thank Thee for the Prophet Joseph Smith, unto whom Thou didst reveal these ordinances which are everlasting in their efficacy. We thank Thee that Thou didst bestow upon him the keys of the everlasting priesthood in which authority these ordinances will be administered.

Bless Thy Church in all the world. Bless the messengers of eternal truth who go out to declare Thy gospel. Protect and watch over them, and lead them to those who will accept the truth. Bless all who enter the waters of baptism, that they may do so with resolution in their hearts to remain ever faithful to the covenants they make with Thee. Bless all who come into the Church that they may look forward with eagerness to the day when they may enter this Thy holy house and receive the higher ordinances of the gospel. May Zion grow and flourish in this part of Thy vineyard.

We pray for the temple workers, for the presidency of the temple, for the matron and her assistants, and for all who serve in any way. Bless them with joy and gladness in that which they do whether they be workers or patrons. Bless Thy faithful Saints everywhere. Prosper them, increase their faith, strengthen their families, pour down upon them the comforting, enlightening blessings of the Holy Ghost.

We pray for all who stand at the head of Thy work throughout the earth. Grant unto them strength and vitality, and above all, words of revelation concerning the on rolling of Thy great kingdom.

Now, Father, we bow before Thee in humility. Accept of our love. Let Thy blessings distill upon us as the dews from heaven. May we walk with faith, never faltering in the testimonies which we carry in our hearts concerning Thee, and Thy precious Son, our Redeemer. For all of this we humbly pray in His sacred name, even the name of Jesus Christ, amen.