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

Dedicated 21 January 2024
by D. Todd Christofferson

O God, the Eternal Father, Thou great Elohim, Creator of heaven and earth, we present ourselves before Thee in humility to dedicate unto Thee and Thy Son this, the Orem Utah Temple. We are grateful for this privilege, and we pray that Thou wilt look upon us in Thy tender mercy and grant that Thy Holy Spirit may attend us.

We are grateful to live in the day of the hastening of Thy work. We thank Thee for the multiplying of temples across the earth in our time. We thank Thee, dear Father, for Thy perfect plan that provided our first estate as spirits in Thy presence, and now our second estate in this mortal sphere, and the promise of celestial glory with Thee and Thy Son for all who are “valiant in the testimony of Jesus.” We are grateful for Thy Beloved Son, whose Atonement and Resurrection enable and sustain Thy plan and redeem us. We feel impelled to exclaim in joy, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever” (Matthew 6:13).

We are grateful for our membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many of us have enjoyed this blessing throughout our lives thanks to the faith and example of our fathers and mothers, grandparents and other ancestors. Through their nobility and sacrifices they built families of faith that have endured and will yet endure through generations. Bless them, dear Father, and help us to be faithful in our time as they were in theirs.

Others participating in these dedicatory services have come into the Church as the first in their family’s generations. Bless them and all members similarly situated as they begin a chain of eternal families including both their ancestors and their descendants.

We thank Thee for the Book of Mormon, the great instrument of gathering and conversion that Thou has prepared and preserved for this great and last dispensation. We thank Thee that Thou didst raise up the Prophet Joseph Smith and by Thy gift and power enable him to translate and publish this uniquely powerful testament of thy Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that our faith in the Savior may grow as we study the Book of Mormon such that we “shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in [Him]” (Moroni 7:33).

Father, we recognize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the kingdom of God upon the earth, tasked to gather Thy scattered covenant people both here and in the world of spirits. And so, we pray, “May the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 65:6).

Now, Father, on this day of joy and gladness, with hearts full of love and yearning to please Thee, acting at the direction of the First Presidency and in the authority of the Holy Priesthood, we humbly dedicate to Thee and Thy Son, this, the Orem Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We pray that Thou wilt accept this offering and put Thy name and the name of Thy Son upon this house that it may indeed become The House of the Lord. We pray that the presence of Thy Holy Spirit may be here continually.

We dedicate the foundation, the walls and windows, the roof, and all elements of the construction. We dedicate each of the rooms that they may serve their intended purpose. We dedicate the furnishings and fixtures, the mechanical equipment, the beautiful grounds, and all else pertaining to this holy building.

We also dedicate the stake center and service buildings located on this property to the purpose of worshipping Thee in the name of Christ and for accomplishing the work of the Church — the work of salvation and exaltation — in all its facets.

Holy Father, we ask Thee to bless and protect this temple and the other buildings we dedicate today. Grant that they may not be marred by earthquakes, storms or other natural forces. We pray that they may be protected from evil-disposed persons and any form of desecration. May Thy Saints be permitted to worship and serve Thee here without distraction or disturbance. May Thy servants “go forth from [the temple] armed with thy power, and ... thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:22).

We pray for Thy blessings upon the leaders, members and missionaries of the Church from the First Presidency to the newest convert. Minister to us through Thy Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ in our individual needs and together as the body of Christ. We ask to be filled with joy and light. We would be holy.

We also pray for the United States of America, the host nation for the headquarters of the Church and some 85 of its temples with more to come. For the sake of the righteous, we plead that this nation might be preserved in freedom and that its moral foundations be strengthened. Wilt Thou maintain it as a force for liberty and a beacon of hope in the world. May its citizens repent and turn unto Thee that Thou canst bless them.

Our gracious God, we thank Thee for this day and for this temple. Most of all, we thank Thee for Thy Beloved and Only Begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. We thank Thee for His birth, His sinless life, His death to atone for our sins, and for His Resurrection that we might have immortality and eternal life. We raise to Thee this dedicatory prayer of gratitude and supplication in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.