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

Dedicated 6–8 April 1877
by Daniel H. Wells (with Brigham Young presiding)

Almighty and Everlasting God, our Heavenly Father, Thou who are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Moses, of David, of Solomon; the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the God of Joseph and of Brigham, even the God of Israel; Thou who art the Father of our spirits; it is to Thee we approach this morning to worship and to offer up our dedicatory prayer, in thanksgiving and praise for this offering, even a Temple which Thou hast enabled Thy people to rear unto Thy most Holy Name. We realize, Our Father, that we are dependent upon Thee, and that, although we are shut out from Thy presence, inheriting many weaknesses and made subject to many temptations and sins, we are Thy children and as such, we come before Thee in the depths of humility, with broken hearts and contrite spirits, praying that Thine indulgence, Thy tender mercy and compassion may be extended toward us, and that Thou wilt forgive everything which thine all-seeing and searching eye hath held amiss in us.

We thank Thee, O Lord, that Thy people whom Thou hast led to this distant land, and whom Thou hast preserved by Thine own right arm, have been permitted to establish themselves in the homes, which Thou hast given them, and that, through thy continued efforts and that through Thy continued blessings they have been enabled to gather together the materials of which this building is composed; to put together and erect the same, even a Temple, which we dedicate and now consecrate to Thee that it may be holy unto Thee the Lord our God, for sacred and holy purposes and that the blessing, even life for evermore, may be commanded here from heaven, even from Thy presence, and may flow through the ordinances which appertain unto Thy holy place, unto us Thy children. We pray that the blessings pertaining to our eternal salvation and to the establishing of Thy kingdom upon this, Thine earth, may be poured out upon Thy Holy Priesthood and Thy people, who shall worship and officiate in this Thy Holy House.

We dedicate and consecrate the foundation of this building upon which it stands. Cause, O Lord, that it may not give way nor yield in consequence of any destructive elements which may be in the soil, but may the nature of those elements be changed so as to become strengthening instead of weakening, that the same may always remain firm and sound.

We dedicate and consecrate the lower and upper walls of the building and the buttresses which support the same and all the materials: the stone, the lime, and the sand which compose the mortar, and all that pertains thereunto, together with the flagging, the timbers, the joints, the floors, and the foundations upon which they rest, that the same may be protected and preserved, that none of the elements, either through storms, fire or earthquakes, may have power to destroy, disturb or injure this, Thy Holy House. We also dedicate and consecrate unto Thee, all the openings, entrances, doors and windows, and their fastenings of the basement story.

We also present to Thee the Baptismal font in which is performed the ordinance of baptism for the living and for the dead, with the steps, the railings around and the oxen upon which it rests, the foundations, together with the connections and apparatus for furnishing, conveying, holding and heating, the water with all that pertains to it, dedicating and consecrating all unto Thee, the Lord, our Father and God, that they may be Holy unto Thy name.

We pray that Thy blessing may attend those of Thy servants who administer and who may officiate in the ordinances that may be performed therein in behalf of Thy people, and in behalf of those our progenitors, our relatives and friends, who have gone before us to the spirit world, so far as we may be enabled and permitted to officiate for them. We dedicate also to Thee the rooms of this building in the first, second and third stories, with the pillars and supports thereof, including the side rooms, with the partition wall for the purposes for which they may be used, by the Priesthood, for prayer, for worship for councils or meetings, or for administering the Holy Ordinances of Thy house, that they may be holy unto Thee, the Lord our God. We also dedicate the roof and the tower with its dome, its covering and walls and the battlements around and above the roofs with the timbers and frames and supports upon which the roof and tower rest, and are made permanent, and the fastenings and all that appertain thereto and the materials of which they are composed.

We dedicate also the entrances, the steps and the circular stairs, with the railings and banisters thereunto attached. Grant, O Lord, that the roof which covers all, may shield and protect the building from the storms which may come upon it. We dedicate the pipes which convey the water from the room with their fastenings and the materials of which they are composed. We also dedicate the chimneys, flues, conduits, and sewers and openings for ventilation; also all the doors, windows and glass, the hinges and nails and screws, the door locks and handles, the windows, weights and cords and fastenings of every kind; and all the paint, putty, plaster, whitewash and all the ornamental work within and without, everything used in the construction and completion of the entire building, from the foundations unto the top thereof that all may be holy unto the Lord our God.

Holy Father, we dedicate unto Thee the furniture and utensils used in the holy washing, anointings and ceremonies of this Thy Holy House; also the curtains and frames for partitions; together with the altars and their cushions and the tables and chairs, stools and desks that all may be sanctified for the use and purposes intended. We dedicate also the tower on the outside, containing the fountain, also the aqueduct and pipes conveying water thereunto.

We dedicate the block of land upon which this Temple is situated and the fence which encloses it, with its opening and gates, the hinges, hangings and fastenings and the materials of which they are composed, also the roads and walks leading thereto and through the same.

We dedicate and consecrate the pulpits with the cushions thereon, and the ornamental fringe around, together with the steps, railings and banisters and the seats, with the cushions on them; and the floors, and the foundations upon which they stand. May nothing unholy, impure ever enter here but may the same be Holy unto the Lord our God.

Especially do we pray that Thy power may rest upon Thy servants who may occupy these pulpits when they shall minister by virtue of their holy calling, either in preaching, in counseling or in transacting business pertaining to the welfare of Thy Church and kingdom here upon earth. We implore Thy blessings upon the various congregations of Thy people who may assemble in this House from time to time, both in their incomings and outgoings and may Thy blessing and Thy spirit dwell herein and rest upon them for their comfort and edification, and abide richly in their hearts, that they may learn further of Thy ways and walk in Thy paths. We desire also to commend these Thy servants and people to Thy kind care and keeping, that they may be preserved unto Thee from the powers of the wicked and ungoldly, and from the powers of all evil and opposing influences, from whose grasp Thou hast heretofore delivered us in bringing us here to these valleys and the fastnesses of these mountains. We acknowledge Thee and the great deliverance Thou hast wrought out for us, and we pray Thee, O God, in the name of Jesus, to accept of these Thy servants and the people and preserve and keep us in Thy most holy keeping. Let the ministering angels from Thy presence attend us, and let Thy grace and power be upon us that we may walk in the paths of purity and holiness, and be enabled to bring forth Thy purposes and establish Thy kingdom in all its fullness, administering in all the ordinances pertaining to Thy House; and also send forth salvation to all the children of men, scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth, for their redemption from sin and bondage, even from gross darkness.

We now ask, our Father, that we Thy servants and people may be acceptable unto Thee, praying Thee to grant that Thy Holy Spirit may pervade each heart before Thee, that our worship may be such as Thou delightest to behold and that the revelations of Thy mind and will may continue to be made manifest through Thy servant Brigham, and all of Thy servants upon whom Thou hast conferred the authority of the Holy Priesthood.

We feel not to multiply words before Thee, for language is inadequate to express the fullness of the feelings and emotions of our souls in being thus privileged to meet before Thee in this sacred, this holy place.

Accept, O God, of this tribute of our hearts, and let Thy peace and blessing dwell and abide here in this Holy Temple, which we now, with uplifted hearts and hands, present and consecrate and dedicate entire as a sacred offering unto Thee for Thine acceptance. May it stand as a monument of purity and holiness as long as the earth shall remain, commemorative of Thy great goodness toward us, Thy people, and Thy name shall have the honor, the praise and glory, for we ask all in Jesus'' name, and unto Thee and our blessed Lord and Savior, and to the Holy Spirit be all power, might and dominion worlds without end. Amen.

Rededicated 11–12 November 1975
by Spencer W. Kimball

O God, our Heavenly Father, the loving parent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of Joseph, Peter and the great modern-day Joseph Smith, through whom the gospel has been restored; Thou who hast created the heavens and the earth and the seas and fountains of waters and all things pertaining to this world and its people; Thou who has developed the program of life and growth and salvation and exaltation for all Thy sons and daughters, we express our love for Thee.

Our gracious and beloved Father, Thou hast permitted us to build and dedicate to Thee for Thy glorious work for the living and the dead, the many temples, near a score of them, among which is this beautiful, well-appointed temple, which for many years was the only spot in the world where Thy sacred ordinances could be fully performed in proper order.

As we come to rededicate this lovely edifice-newly enlarged, cleansed, refurbished-our memories return to the beginnings when loyal, devout people, who were hardly settled from their long, painful and distressing exodus across the plains, were again uprooted and sent to this desert place to colonize the valleys of the mountains and to build the first temple west of the Mississippi River.

We remember their tears through their long trek, these hundreds of miles from the headquarters of the Church, in the heat, with scanty supplies, malaria, alkali soil, floods and winds, in strict obedience to Thy leaders.

Our Father, we remember their aches and their pains and their disappointments and their loneliness as they grubbed the stumps and cleared the land and built the dams and laid out the canals and dug ditches against great odds of heat and cold and wet and dry.

Our Holy Father, we remember their dialogue with the elements to make this a habitable region. We are grateful that Thou didst provide the volcanic rock, the beautiful red sandstone, the heavy timbers, the rock and plaster and silk, and the cotton and the wool and all those things needed for the building and furnishing of this structure; but above all, we are grateful for the men and women with faith supernal, with courage and stamina to meet all of the disciplines, discouragements and difficulties presented to them of a virgin land and a Virgin River and the storms and the heat and winds and animals and all the elements that were difficult to conquer.

We are grateful for the vision and revelations to Thy prophet, Brigham Young, and all those associated with him who went through the years of hard work and pain and anguish and disappointments to build this structure. We are grateful for "The Spirit of God," Thy spirit, which burned like a fire to build courage, determination and positiveness to the early Saints settling here.

We are grateful for the dreams and visions and the sacred manifestations which have occurred in this building and for angels and other spiritual beings who also have visited it; grateful also for near a hundred years of service by the good people of this temple district and others and for the numerous ordinances which have been administered to the living and vicariously performed for the countless dead whose work has been completed here. We thank Thee for the innumerable voices which have been raised to Thee in thanksgiving; for the presidencies, sealers and workers of this temple.

Chosen apostles and prophets have added to the spirit of this temple and its sacredness.

This structure was first dedicated by Thy prophet, Wilford Woodruff. The people could hardly restrain themselves as the opening day approached and the opportunity to perform the ordinances presented itself, and this was also true of the deceased, who apparently counted the days until its completion.

Some vital parts were dedicated January 1, 1877, by the apostles Wilford Woodruff of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and by Erastus Snow, and the block and the lot dedicated by President George A. Smith, also an apostle, and then when the general conference of the Church was held in this building April 6, 1877, the devout and dedicated people gathered here to finally dedicate this building. Here was given the promise of the multiplication of temples. Temples were here projected for Manti and Logan.

This being the first temple built in the west and having served long and well for almost a century, it needed cleansing and enlarging.

We appear before Thee this day in this holy house and stretch forth our hands unto Thee, our Father, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in His name we beseech Thee to take cognizance of the prayer of Thy servant apostle who dedicated it nearly a century ago and listen to his pleadings then and ours now as we invoke a dedication blessing upon this house.

Father, we consecrate and dedicate this building unto Thee and ask Thee to accept it as an offering unto Thee from Thy people with their reverent love.

We ask Thy protection to be upon it, from fire an water and lightning, winds, and all elements, and also from wicked, ungodly and destructive men and from defilement of every nature.

Our Beloved Father, let Thy holy spirit dwell herein. Let Thine angels minister here, to let Thy statutes be made known unto Thy people and be ever revered herein, that it may be a place of prayer and meditation and sacred instruction, that those who come within the sacred portals may feel to uncover their heads, loose their shoes from off their feet and reverence Thy holy name.

Kind Father, bless the people who come to this temple, that they may do so with humble hearts, in cleanliness and honor and integrity. We are grateful for this people, for their devotion and devoutness, for their worthiness and their determination to be pure and holy and worthy of the blessings which are prepared here for them.

We pray for Thy great Church and kingdom on the earth. Bless every department and program. Bless every leader, every convert from the oldest to the newest. Father, we pray that Thy word may go forth to all the nations and those who control the destinies of Thy children the feeling to open the gates so that Thy many missionaries may enter and teach the gospel to their people, to give them growth, independence, freedom and power as Thou dost promise. Open their eyes and their hearts to receive the gospel, and Father, likewise bless the seed of Jacob and the seed of Judah. Confound Thine enemies and all that fight against Zion, and clothe Thy faithful Saints with salvation as with a garment.

Our Heavenly Father, we dedicate to Thee this beautiful, functional temple, and we plead with Thee to accept it, and we rededicate our lives and pledge that we shall be faithful in performing the ordinances of Thy house for ourselves, this generation, our progenitors and our posterity.

Please bless us that we may be able to stir the youth of Zion with a desire for eternal marriage.

Father in Heaven, we dedicate to Thee this building with its stairs and timbers, studding, and in all of the several parts thereof; we dedicate to Thee the walls, the stones, the joists, the plaster, the ornamental carvings and cornices, and decorations. Please bless the altars, the doors, the floor coverings.

We ask Thee to protect and bless the foundation on which this great structure rests, the pillars and the timbers and the floors, the columns supporting the upper floors, the pulpits, the seats and doors and platforms and seats, the doors and railings, the arches with the decorations, the windows, the frames, the glass, the fastenings and decorations and locks, the dressing rooms and the partitions, the curtains and the veils. Bless the wood and the iron and the brass, the bolts and paint.

On January 1, 1877, this area was a happy place with a happy people. President Brigham Young, the prophet, and others of the brethren were gathered here with approximately 2,000 Saints. Elder Wilford Woodruff stood on the upper step of the baptismal font. With bowed heads and contrite hearts, they all joined Elder Wilford Woodruff in dedicating portions of this temple for the work of the living and the head. He asked that the people repeat in seret all the prayers offered, that such might ascend to our Heavenly Father and be answered on the heads of Thy people.

Because the people could hardly wait for the blessings of the temple and because it was far enough finished that New Year''s Day, those portions of the temple which were completed were dedicated.

Accordingly, at 30 minutes past 12 0''clock noon, Elder Woodruff proceeded with the dedication, and we here now include in this dedication what he included in his dedication prayers; the block, the land, the water tank, the foundation, that it might remain as firm as the foundation of the everlasting hills; that there be no movement nor injury to the outer walls of the temple. He blessed the rock, the sand, the lime, the mortar and the plaster.

We remember the windows and frames, the fastenings, the steps and the stairways.

Please, Holy Father, bless the flagging, the foundations and the font nd the 12 oxen which bear up the font, and all pertaining thereunto. Please bless the castings, the iron, the stone and wood, the boiler, pipes, and the engine and the washing baths along with the font.

Our Beloved Father, please bless the carpeting, the altars, their coverings and trimmings, the chairs, benches and all the furnishings. He dedicated the stoves and the woodboxes a century ago. We now dedicate the heating equipment of today. He dedicated to Thee the pillars and beams, the whitewashing and painting and all material unmentioned above. Elder Woodruff was dedicating that part of the building which they would begin to use without waiting for the total and final dedication. We now dedicate it all with all that pertains to it.

We pray for all the leaders of the Church, from the First Presidency to and including all the local leaders in all the area.

We again ask Thy blessing on the women in all the land, that they may accomplish the measure of their creation as daughters of God, Thy offspring. Let the blessings of Sarah, Huldah, Hannah, Anna and Mary, the mother of the Son of God, bless these women to fulfill their duties as did Mary, our beloved mother of Thy Son, and let the power and satisfactions of the prophetesses and all holy women rest upon these mothers as they move forward to fulfill their destinies.

Remember the sons of Judah, upon whose heads for 1,900 years has rested the blood of Thy Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Inspire their hearts that they may return to their wonderful heritage and that they may join the innumerable throng that now seeks to sing praises to their Lord and their Redeemer.

Our Holy Father, we remember that Thy prophet, Brigham Young, too ill and feeble to perform this ordinance himself, and how he did, on the sixth day of April, on the birthday of Thy Son, assign President Daniel H. Wells to dedicate the whole of this holy temple in all its parts and portions and with all its appurtenances and contents, each for its specific service.

And now, kind Father, whereas Thy great leaders of an earlier day did, on January 1, 1877, through the voice of the Apostle Wilford Woodruff, dedicate certain portions of this building to Thy use and purpose, and whereas others of Thy servants did bless this building from its top to bottom and all that pertained to it, and now, whereas much new material and equipment has been added to this holy temple, we do unite here today to rededicate to Thee this wonderful building and all that pertains to it and all that was original and formerly dedicated to Thee, and now we do humbly dedicate and rededicate it unto Thee.

We pray that always peace, joy, happiness may be here and that no unclean person or thing may ever defile this holy structure, and in dedicating and rededicating this glorious temple to Thee, we do each and every one of us dedicate ourselves and all that we have and are to Thy service, and we do hereby also rededicate unto Thee and Thy holy purposes ourselves, and we repledge to Thee that we shall strive harder to obey Thee and live scrupulously the ways Thou has prescribed.

We do all this and give this dedication prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Rededicated 10 December 2023
by Jeffrey R. Holland

Our Beloved and Holy Father in Heaven, Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and divine Father of Thine Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in His sacred name and with unfailing gratitude for His redeeming Atonement, we present ourselves before Thee in this holy house of righteousness, this sanctuary of spirituality.

Father, we acknowledge that the hallowed masterpiece in which we gather was originally built by weary but believing pioneer hands. As our beloved Spencer W. Kimball once said here, those valiant souls were “hardly settled from their long painful and distressing exodus across the plains, [when they] were again uprooted and sent to this desert place to colonize the valleys of the mountains and to build the first temple [in the] West.”

This morning we remember their disappointments and their tears as they labored in the heat, with alkali soil, malaria, and flooding streams to taunt them. We are grateful that they successfully met all of the difficulties presented to them by a rebellious virgin land and an uncontrollable Virgin River. Father, we desire to be more like those Saints of the historic Cotton Mission, who moistened these stones with their tears and lifted these beams with their strength. We know they did that in part for us and also for the legions of kindred dead who yet wait for us, the living, to see that their eternal possibilities are realized.

Father, it is with all of this and more in our hearts that we rededicate, reconsecrate, and make holy once again this sacred house of exalting covenants. As voice for this ordinance, I am acting at the direction of our President and Prophet Russell M. Nelson, and with the apostolic authority restored to earth in these latter days. All of this we do in the name of Jesus Christ, He whose priesthood carries His name, even the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God.

We rededicate the foundation stones, the beams and girders that bear up this magnificent monument. We bless the functioning of the mechanical, electrical and audiovisual systems, and all other support services of the temple. We dedicate the carpets and drapes, the ornaments, murals and altars, pulpits, partitions and every accessory adorning this newly refurbished project. We rededicate the offices, the dressing rooms, the initiatory rooms and baptistry, the endowment rooms, the sealing rooms and the beautiful celestial room symbolic of our ultimate quest for exaltation and our rest in the presence of the Lord. We dedicate unto Thee the beautiful exterior improvements of the temple with stunningly designed grounds that will welcome little children, curious visitors, and devoted patrons who faithfully come here. May all who enter these precincts treat them reverently, keeping them free from desecration of any kind. May this acreage be free from earthquakes, lightning, fire, floods or any such damage by nature or the wanton hand of man.

Our beloved Father, in closing, we leave a blessing on the temple presidency, the matron and her assistants, and all the faithful workers who will serve in this house in any way. In that spirit, we rededicate the lives of all in this temple district and in the communities that host them, that we will try to be clean and kind, that we will think celestially, and we will let Thee rule and reign in our lives. We pray that we will fulfill the measure of our creation and live outside the temple the way we act, speak, and promise to live inside it. Today we ask a special blessing on those in this audience who have personal concerns, who came here this morning with trouble or burden or anxiety or fear. We pray for them, for their families, for their friends and those for whom they weep. We bless them by the power of this priesthood by which we are invited here to serve and assure them that their prayers are indeed heard, and their pleadings will be honored according to Thy will and their faith.

For all of this and all else thou seest fit to grant us, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Great I Am, the Bright and Morning Star, the Author and the Finisher of our faith, amen.