“The House of the Lord,” For the Strength of Youth, Oct. 2021.
Come, Follow Me
The House of the Lord
In December 1832, the Lord commanded the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, to build a temple.
“Establish a house, even … a house of God.”
The temple took three years to complete. The Saints sacrificed time and money to build it.
In March 1836 it was finished. Joseph Smith told the Saints to gather for the dedication.
On the morning of March 27, 1836, around 1,000 people attended the dedication in the temple.
Sidney Rigdon spoke for over two hours.
Joseph Smith then read the dedicatory prayer (see Doctrine and Covenants 109).
“We ask thee, O Lord, to accept this house.”
A choir sang “The Spirit of God,” which was written specifically for the occasion.
Many testified of great spiritual experiences they had at the dedication, including an outpouring of the Holy Ghost and the appearance of angels.
On April 3, Jesus Christ appeared to the Prophet Joseph and Oliver Cowdery in the temple. He told them that He accepted it as His house and that the Saints should rejoice because of the blessings they would receive.