Dedicatory Prayer

Indianapolis Indiana Temple, 23 August 2015

Almighty Father, Thou great Elohim, we come before Thee in love and humility, in the name of Thy Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are assembled to dedicate this, Thy holy house. Our hearts reach to Thee in gratitude this day for Thy wonderful blessings poured out upon us. We are grateful for the restoration of the holy priesthood through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the priesthood that will be exercised in this, Thy house. We thank Thee that the prophet Elijah was sent to restore the keys of salvation and exaltation for both the living and the dead. We are grateful that the Holy Ghost will bear testimony to all who come here that this is Thy house and that the covenants made here - and the promises received - are gifts from Thee. We are grateful for the restoration of the sealing power to Joseph Smith, a power that has been passed through succeeding prophets to our day. Because of that kindness and blessing, Thy faithful Saints may be endowed with power from on high and live forever in glorified families with Thee. This day, we are grateful above all for the gift of Thy Beloved Son, whose Atonement gives light and purpose to our lives.

Now, in the name of our Redeemer, even the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the authority of Thy holy Melchizedek Priesthood, we dedicate and consecrate to Thee and to Him this, the Indianapolis Indiana Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wilt thou accept it as the offering of Thy sons and daughters who love Thee and seek to accomplish Thy purposes. We dedicate unto Thee and Thy Son this beautiful temple with all its facilities, furnishings, and ancillary structures. We dedicate the ground on which it stands, with the vegetation growing thereon to add such beauty to this structure. We dedicate the temple from its foundation to the figure of Moroni, which crowns its steeple. We dedicate the baptistery, the initiatory ordinance facilities, the endowment rooms, the celestial room, the sealing rooms with their altars, and every part of this sacred house.

As we dedicate the temple, we also dedicate the adjacent Indianapolis Indiana North Stake Center, its grounds and all of its facilities. May it serve as a gathering place for Thy Saints where they may worship Thee. May it be safeguarded from vandalism, fire, storm or any untoward event. Wilt Thou watch over this sacred House with Thy divine power, preserving it from the elements of nature and any evil hand that might be inclined to deface or defile it in any way. We ask that no unclean thing shall enter the portals of this Thy holy house. May it be sanctified to all who come here. We ask a blessing on all who will come into it to worship, to make covenants, and to serve.

Father, we ask Thee to endow with power those who go forth from this house as Thine authorized servants to carry the message of the eternal gospel to the people of the world. Let Thine inspiration rest upon them. May the Holy Ghost be their companion. May they be protected from harm and evil. We pray for those who are sealed as man and wife in this temple for eternity. Bless them with charity, the pure love of Christ. Bless them with the power to be faithful to the covenants they make with Thee and with each other. Protect them from evil. Protect them from selfishness and pride. Bless them that their hearts will be turned to each other. to their children, to their descendants, and to their ancestors. Bless those who are sealed here with patience and with a hope of eternal life. Bless those who serve here in administering the eternal ordinances. Bless them with power to increase the faith of those who receive the ordinances. Bless those who serve here with great love for the Lord. Bless the temple workers with a deep love for those they serve and a sensitivity to their needs. Bless them with inspiration. Bless those who make covenants in this temple with the faith to keep their promises throughout their lives.

We pray for those who will direct the work in this temple. We ask that the temple presidency and the matron and her assistants be granted great strength and vitality. Bless all with a feeling of Thy love, a spirit of consecration, and a desire to assist Thee in Thy great work of bringing immortality and eternal life unto Thy children of all generations. May the sanctifying influence of this house be extended into the families, the neighborhoods, and the communities of those who will come to this temple. May Thy Saints have such an influence that Thy work may grow and flourish in this favored part of Thy vineyard.

Father, forgive our shortcomings of the past and help us to rise above them as men and women of the covenant. May this temple ever be a place of peace, of order, and of love, where hearts are turned heavenward, whatever tumult may be in the world around it. As we dedicate this temple, we dedicate ourselves to Thee and to Thy service. We acknowledge Thee as the giver of every good gift. We thank Thee. Father, we pledge to Thee our love. We love Thy divine Son, who gave His life for each of us. We will go forward as Thy children, having taken upon ourselves His holy name, with a pledge to keep His commandments. We offer our prayer in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.