CHAPTER VI
THE GREAT TEMPLE AT SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH HISTORICAL
Where in 1847 nought but a wilderness of sagebrush and sunflowers stretched from the Wasatch barrier westward toward the shores of the great salt sea, now appears a stately city, even as was then foreseen in prophetic vision. On the site selected but four days after the advent of the pioneer band of "Mormon" colonizers, stands a massive structure, dedicated to the name of the Most High. It is at once an object of wonder and admiration to the visitor, and a subject of sanctifying joy and righteous pride to the people whose sacrifice and effort have given it being.
On the east center tower appears an inscription, the letters deep-cut in stone and lined with gold:
Holiness to the Lord
The House of the Lord
Built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Commenced April 6, 1853
Completed April 6, 1893
Corner stone laid April 6, 1853, by
President Brigham Young
Assisted by his Counselors
Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards
Dedicated April 6, 1893, by
President Wilford Woodruff
Assisted by his Counselors
George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith
These memorial tablets in stone and jeweled glass give the essentials as to dates in the history of the great Temple; some further data, however, may be of interest to the reader.
The Temple Block, a square of ten acres, was laid off in 1847, and is today one of the choicest sites within the city. At the General Conference of the Church held in April, 1851, an official vote was taken whereby the erection of the Temple was authorized. Be it remembered that this action was that of a people despoiled and in poverty, struggling with the unsubdued desert, the while menaced by hostile savages; and that at the time the entire population of Utah did not exceed thirty thousand souls, of whom fewer than five thousand were living within the area of the prospective city. A general epistle issued by the First Presidency of the Church, April 7, 1851, is instructive in this connection:
"A railroad has been chartered to extend from the Temple Block in this city to the stone quarry and mountain on the east, for the conveyance of building materials; the construction to commence immediately. * * * We contemplate laying a wall around the Temple Block this season, preparatory to laying the foundation of a Temple the year following; and this we will be sure to do, if all the Saints shall prove themselves as ready to pay their tithing, and sacrifice and consecrate of their substance, as freely as we will; and if the Saints do not pay their tithing, we can neither build nor prepare for building; and if there shall be no Temple built, the Saints can have no endowments, and if they do not receive their endowments, they can never attain unto that salvation they are anxiously looking for."[1]
The construction of the wall, in itself a great and costly undertaking for people situated as were its builders, was but an incident to the greater labor of erecting the Temple. Interest in the work was never allowed to flag; it was the theme of both poet and preacher, and the ever-pressing duty was kept in public view. The people were given to understand that the commission to build the Lord's House was theirs, and not that of their leaders alone.
The site was dedicated and ground first broken for the foundation February 14, 1853. The occasion was a notable one, and was observed by the Saints as a day of general rejoicing. Between the date of breaking ground and the time of the next succeeding conference of the Church, preparations for the laying of the corner-stones were carried on with determination and vigor. The glad event occurred on the 6th of April, 1853,—the twenty-third anniversary of the organization of the Church,—and was celebrated by the people with such evidences of thanksgiving and genuine joy as assured their devotion to the work so auspiciously begun. Civic and military bodies took part; there were processions with bands of music, and solemn services with prayer. The mayor of the city was marshal of the day; the city police served as a guard of honor, and the territorial militia marched with the congregation of the Saints. The placing of the corner-stones was celebrated as an accomplished triumph, though but a beginning.
Let it not be imagined that the work was carried through without hindrance or set-back. The foundation was commenced at the south-east corner June 16, 1853, and was completed July 23, 1855. A course of rubble was laid on the actual foundation and this was succeeded by courses of flagstone. The work had gone forward but slowly, when, in 1857, a serious interruption occurred. At that time the people prepared to abandon their homes, temporarily at least, and seek an abiding place elsewhere in the desert. The cause of the portending exodus was the approach of an armed force sent by the United States government to subdue an alleged rebellion in Utah. This military movement had been ordered through an utter misunderstanding of facts, based on vicious misrepresentation. The coming of the soldiery had been heralded with dire threats of violence; and while the people knew themselves innocent of any act of disloyalty toward the government or its officers, they had not forgotten the harrowing scenes of organized persecution in Missouri and Illinois, due to misapprehension, and they preferred the uncertainties of the desert to the dread alternative of a possible repetition of the past. In the saddening preparations for departure, the people carefully covered the foundation work on the site of the Temple; excavations were re-filled, and every vestige of masonry was obscured. At that time no part of the foundation had been carried above ground-level. When the covering-up process was complete, the site showed nothing more attractive than a remote resemblance to the barren stretch of a roughly plowed field.
It is pleasing to note that a peaceable adjustment between the army and the people was effected. The Saints returned to their homes; and the soldiers established a camp, — afterward to become a post, — at a distance of forty miles from the city.[3]
The interruption in building operations thus occasioned was followed by a short period of comparative inactivity, after the return of the people. The foundations were uncovered; but, before the resumption of stone-laying, it was found that the rubble overlying the foundation proper and immediately under the flagstone layers seemed to have less stability than was required; and straightway both flagging and rubble were removed. Stone of best quality was substituted, and the work of actual construction was continued with renewed energy. The reconstruction was a work of years.
The temple enclosure was for a brief period the communal center of mechanical industry,—the one great work-shop of the intermountain commonwealth. The Church had established there its public works, comprising a power plant in which the energy of City Creek was harnessed to the wheel, air-blast equipment, iron foundry, and machine shops for the working of both wood and metal.[4] Much of the work here done had no connection with the extensive building operations on Temple Block.
Beside the interruptions and delays already noted, other hindrances were inevitable, and, under the best of conditions progress could be but slow. Not until years after the "move" incident to the entrance of the federal soldiery, had the material of the main structure been decided upon. As far back as the October conference of 1852 the question of material had been considered. Oolite from the quarries in Sanpete County, red standstone from the hills near-by, adobes with intermixed pebbles,—each had been suggested; and the matter was brought to vote, though it must be admitted, the question presented was somewhat indefinite in form. At the forenoon session of the conference on October 9, 1852, President Heber C. Kimball submitted the question: "Shall we have the Temple built of stone from Red Butte, adobes, rock, or the best stone the mountains afford?" In reply a resolution was adopted by unanimous vote to the effect "that we build a Temple of the best materials that can be obtained in the mountains of North America, and that the Presidency dictate where the stone and other materials shall be obtained." The action is significant as showing the faith, reliance, and determination of the people. The Temple they were about to rear should be in every particular the best the people could produce. This modern House of the Lord was to be no temporary structure, nor of small proportions, nor of poor material, nor of mean or inadequate design. It was known at the outset that the building could not be finished for many a long year, for decades, perhaps, and by that time this colony would have become a commonwealth, the few would have grown to a multitude of souls. The Temple was to be worthy of the great future. Sandstone, oolite, adobe blocks, each and all were considered, and in turn rejected. The decision was to this effect,—the walls should be of solid granite. An enormous deposit of this durable stone had been discovered in the Cottonwood canyons, twenty miles to the south-east, and to those faith-impelled people it was enough to know that suitable material was available. At whatever cost of toil and sacrifice, at whatever toll of self-denial and suffering, it should be procured.
The so-called "temple granite" is in reality a syenite, and occurs as an immense laccolith in the Cottonwood section of the Wasatch. The erosion of long ages had cut deep canyons through the eruptive mass; and glaciers, descending with irresistible force, had dislodged and transported countless boulders, many of them of colossal size. These isolated blocks, known as erratics, furnished the supply of building stone; it was not found necessary to quarry into the granite mountain-mass in place. In the canyon the boulders were divided mostly by the use of hand-drills and wedges, though low power explosives were used to a small extent. The rough blocks were conveyed at first by ox-teams; four yoke were required for each block, and every trip was a labored journey of three or four days. A canal for the conveyance of the rock by water was projected, and, indeed, work thereon was begun, but the plan was abandoned as the prospect of railroad transportation became more certain.
The plan of the building was given by Brigham Young, President of the Church, and the structural details were worked out under his direction by the Church architect—Truman O. Angell. A description by the latter was published as early as 1854, both in Utah[5] and abroad.[6] Page:The House of the Lord.djvu/160 Page:The House of the Lord.djvu/161 step ranging to the outer line of towers. From these courts doors admit to any part of the building.
"The size of the first large room is one hundred and twenty feet long by eighty feet wide; the height reaches nearly to the second string course. The room is arched over in the center with an elliptical arch which drops at its flank ten feet, and has thirty-eight feet span. The side ceilings have one-fourth elliptical arches which start from the side walls of the main building, sixteen feet high, and terminate at the capitals of the columns or foot of center arch, at the height of twenty-four feet. The columns obtain their bearings direct from the footings of said house; these columns extend up to support the floor above.
"The outside walls of this story are seven feet thick. The space from the termination of the foot of the center arch to the outer wall, is divided into sixteen compartments, eight on each side, making rooms fourteen feet by fourteen, clear of partitions, and ten feet high, leaving a passage six feet wide next to each flank of center arch, which is approached from the ends, These rooms are each lighted by an elliptical or oval window, whose major axis is vertical.
"The second large room is one foot wider than the room below; this is in consequence of the wall being but six feet thick, falling off six inches on the inner, and six on the outer side. The second string course provides for this on the outside. The rooms of this story are similar to those below. The side walls have nine buttresses on a side, and have eight tiers of windows, five on each tier.
"The foot of the basement windows are eight inches above the promenade, rise three feet perpendicular, and terminate with a semi-circular head. The first story windows have twelve feet length of sash, to top of semi-circular head. The oval windows have six and one-half feet length of sash. The windows of the second story are the same as those below. All these frames have four and one-half feet width of sash.
"The pedestals under all the buttresses project at their base two feet; above their base, which is fifteen inches by four and a half feet wide, on each front, is a figure of a globe three feet eleven inches across, whose axis corresponds with the axis of the earth.
"The base string course forms a cope for those pedestals. Above this cope the buttresses are three and a half feet, and continue to the height of one hundred feet. Above the promenade, close under the second string course, on each of the buttresses, is the moon, represented in its diflferent phases. Close under the third string course, or cornice, is the face of the sun. Immediately above is Saturn with her rings. The buttresses terminate with a projected cope.
"The only difference between the tower buttresses, and the one just described is, instead of Saturn being on them, we have clouds and rays of light descending downwards.
"All of these symbols are to be chiseled in bas-relief on solid stone. The side walls continue above the string course, or cornice, eight and a half feet, making the walls ninety-six feet high, and are formed in battlements, interspersed with stars.
"The roof is quite flat, rising only eight feet, and is to be covered with galvanized iron, or some other metal. The building is to be otherwise ornamented in ihany places. The whole structure is designed to symbolize some of the great architectural work above.
"The basement windows recede in, from the face of outer wall to sash frame, eighteen inches, and are relieved by a large caveto. Those windows above the base recede from face of wall to sash frame, three feet, and are surrounded by stone jambs formed in mouldings, and surmounted by labels over each, which terminate at their horizon, excepting the oval windows, whose labels terminate on columns which extend from an enriched string course, at the foot of each window, to the center of major axis.
"My chief object in the last paragraph is to show to the judgment of any who may be baffled, how those windows can be come at, etc. All the windows in the towers are moulded, and have stone jambs; each being crowned with label mouldings.
"For further particulars, wait till the House is done, then come and see it.
"The whole House covers an area of twenty-one thousand eight hundred and fifty feet."
The entrance of the Union Pacific Railway into Utah, in 1868, served temporarily to retard work on the Temple, as the call for laborers on the great trans-continental line was deemed imperative. Eventually, however, the activity in railroad construction operated as a great assistance in the undertaking; for, to the main line, branches succeeded; and, by 1873, a side line had reached the granite quarries. From the city station a track was constructed up South Temple Street, and into Temple Block.
The work of construction proceeded so slowly as to arouse a feeling akin to impatience in the hearts of overanxious Saints, and mild restraint was called for. At other times gentle urging was necessary. The work was apportioned to the people of the Territory, which, for convenience, was divided into temple districts. Stakes and wards and quorums of the Priesthood were assigned their parts, and an effective system of divided labor and responsibility was developed.[7]
President Brigham Young died in 1877, at which time the granite walls of the Temple had reached a height of about twenty feet above ground. During the administration of his successor, President John Taylor, the work was continued without important interruption for another decade, and thereafter was urged with even greater vigor under the direction of Wilford Woodruff, the next President of the Church. As the concluding laps of a race are generally marked by increased energy incident to the final spurt—the supreme effort to reach the end in glory and triumph, as in a powerful drama, interest becomes more intense, and action more concentrated with the approach of the finale, so, in this great undertaking, the fact that the end was looming above the horizon of sight called forth redoubled energies on the part of the people. When the granite had risen to the square, and when the spires began to appear in place, a feeling of almost feverish anxiety was manifest throughout the Church. Page:The House of the Lord.djvu/165 offered by President Joseph F. Smith, of the First Presidency, and the great "Amen" was echoed by two score thousand throats. A hymn followed; and then the venerable President of the Church, Wilford Woodruff, stepped to the front and announced that the auspicious moment, so long awaited, had arrived. These were his ringing words:
"Attention all ye house of Israel, and all ye nations of the earth! We will now lay the top-stone of the Temple of our God, the foundation of which was laid and dedicated by the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, Brigham Young."
At this juncture the president closed an electric circuit on the stand, and the granite hemisphere, forming the highest block of the great Temple, slowly descended into position. Then followed a scene the like of which is never enacted by this people except on occasions of extraordinary solemnity, namely, the rendering of the sacred Hosanna shout. Led by Lorenzo Snow, President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, the forty thousand Saints shouted as with the voice of one:
"Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! to God and the Lamb! Amen! Amen! Amen!"
This was repeated thrice, each shout accompanied by the waving of white kerchiefs.
From the roof of the building came the voice of the architect-in-charge, J. Don Carlos Young, declaring that the capstone was duly laid, and choir and congregation broke forth in triumphant song:
"The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!
The latter-day glory begins to come forth;
The visions and blessings of old are returning,
And angels are coming to visit the earth.
We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven,
Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!
Let glory to them in the highest be given,
Henceforth and forever; Amen and Amen!"
Elder Francis M. Lyman of the Council of the Twelve then proposed the adoption of the resolution presented below:
"Believing that the instruction of President Woodruff, respecting the early completion of the Salt Lake Temple, is the word of the Lord unto us, I propose that this assemblage pledge themselves, collectively and individually, to furnish, as fast as it may be needed, all the money that may be required to complete the Temple at the earliest time possible, so that the dedication may take place on April 6th, 1893."
The adoption was manifested by a deafening shout from the assembled multitude, accompanied by the raising of hands. The final anthem was the glorious "Song of the Redeemed"—particularly appropriate to the hour; and the benediction was pronounced by President George Q. Cannon.
The topstone and the granite block upon which it immediately rests form a sphere. Within the lower half a cavity had been prepared; and in this were placed certain books and other articles, so that, as the capstone was laid, it formed a secure and massive lid to this stone receptacle. The stone contains a copy of the Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Voice of Warning, Spencer's Letters, Key to Theology, Hymn Book, Compendium, Pearl of Great Price, and some other books; also photographs of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith, a photograph of the Temple as it appeared at the time; and, in addition, an engraved tablet of copper setting forth the principal dates in the history of the building and bearing the names of the general authorities of the Church as they stood April 6, 1853, and as constituted at the time of the capstone ceremony, April 6, 1892.
Later in the day, the top-stone was surmounted by the great statue—a figure intended to represent Moroni, the heavenly messenger who ministered to the youthful prophet, Joseph Smith, in 1823. The figure, over twelve feet in height, is of copper heavily gilded. It is in the form of a herald with a trumpet at his lips.[8]
COMPLETION OF THE BUILDING AND ITS DEDICATION edit
The adoption of a plan or the formal passing of a resolution by vote is an easy matter, compared with which the working out of that plan, the achieving of what was provided for by the vote, may be a gigantic task. Such was the contrast between the action of the assembled multitude on the 6th of April, 1892, and the work accomplished in the year that followed.
When the capstone of the Temple was laid, the scene inside the walls was that of chaos and confusion. To finish the interior within a year appeared a practical impossibility. The task the people had taken upon themselves was almost superhuman. Nevertheless, they considered the instruction to complete the building within the specified time to be verily the word of the Lord unto them, and they remembered the utterance of the ancient prophet, "I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."[9] The Saints regarded their act of voting to be equivalent to the affixing of their individual signatures to a note of promise. As to how well they met their obligation and kept their promise, let the achievement of the year speak.
The people had pledged themselves "collectively and individually to furnish as fast as it may be needed, all the money that may be required to complete the Temple at as early a time as possible, so that the dedication may take place on April 6, 1893." The pledge was met in full. Under date of April 21, 1892, the First Presidency issued a general epistle addressed to the Latter-day Saints in Zion and throughout the world, directing that the people gather in their places of worship on Sunday, the first day of May, and devote the day to solemn fasting and prayer. To this call the people responded faithfully. Mingled with their thanksgiving for the manifold blessings of the past, were fervent supplications for success in the work of completing the Lord's House within the time prescribed.[10]
In the work of finishing the Temple, it was all-important that there be a competent, responsible man in charge, who should be invested with executive authority in every department of the labor. While the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve retained in their hands the directing power, they needed an agent who could be trusted to act with promptness, decision, and authority on every question that should arise. The choice of the presiding authorities for a man to fill this responsible position fell upon John R. Winder, who was at that time Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, and who afterward became First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church. At the time of his appointment to the responsible position of General Superintendent of Temple Work, April 16, 1892, President Winder was in his seventy-second year, yet he possessed the energy and activity of youth, combined with the wisdom and discretion that age alone can give. Under his efficient supervision, work on the interior of the Temple progressed at a rate that surprised even the workers. Laborers of all classes, mechanics, masons, plasterers, carpenters, glaziers, plumbers, painters, decorators, artisans and artificers of every kind, were put to work. The people verily believed that a power above that of man was operating to assist them in their great undertaking. Material, much of which was of special manufacture, came in from the east and the west, with few of the usual delays of transit.
Heating and lighting systems were installed; and this installation necessitated the erection of a boiler house, with all accessories of equipment. Moreover, the Annex had to be built. At this point it may be well to explain that each of the Temples in Utah is connected with a separate structure, known as the Annex,—in the nature of an ante-building,—in which preliminary services are held, and wherein record is made of the ordinance work to be done by the parties present, before they are permitted to enter the Temple on the day of service. The Annex to the Temple in Salt Lake City stands about one hundred feet north from the main structure.
Even as late as one month prior to the date set for the dedication, there was so much yet to be done, as to make many feel that for once at least, the people had been mistaken in their belief that the Lord had spoken, and that the completion of the work by the time set, was a physical impossibility. On the 18th of March, 1893, the First Presidency issued the following epistle:
"To the Officers and Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
"The near approach of the date for the dedication of the temple of our God moves us to express with some degree of fulness our feelings to our brethren, the officers of the Church, who with us bear the Priesthood of the Son of God, and to the Latter-day Saints generally; to the end that in entering that holy building we may all be found acceptable ourselves, with our households, and that the building which we shall dedicate may also be acceptable unto the Lord.
"The Latter-day Saints have used their means freely to erect other Temples in these valleys, and our Father has blessed us in our efforts. Today we enjoy the great happiness of having three of these sacred structures completed, dedicated to and accepted of the Lord, wherein the Saints can enter and attend to those ordinances which He, in His infinite goodness and kindness, has revealed. But for forty years the hopes, desires, and anticipations of the entire Church have been centered upon the completion of this edifice in the principal city of Zion. Its foundation was laid in the early days of our settlement in these mountains; and from that day until the present, the eyes of the members of the Church in every land have been lovingly directed toward it. Looking upon it as the Temple of temples, the people during all these years have labored with unceasing toil, undiminished patience, and ungrudging expenditure of means to bring it to its present condition of completion; and now that the toils and the sacrifices of forty years are crowned so successfully and happily, now that the great building is at last finished and ready to be used for divine purposes, need we say that we draw near an event whose consummation is to us as a people momentous in the highest degree? Far-reaching in its consequences, as that occasion is certain to be, what remains for us to say in order to impress the entire Church with a sense of its tremendous importance?
"On this point, surely nothing; yet may we offer a few words upon a phase that directly touches it. No member of the Church who would be deemed worthy to enter that sacred house can be considered ignorant of the principles of the Gospel. It is not too much to presume that every one knows what his duty is to God and to his fellowman. None is so forgetful as to have lost sight of the admonition that we must be filled with love for and charity toward our brethren. And hence none can for a moment doubt the supreme importance of every member of the congregation being at peace with all his or her brethren and sisters, and at peace with God. How else can we hope to gain the blessings He has promised save by complying with the requirements for which those blessings are the reward?
"Can men and women who are violating a law of God, or those who are derelict in yielding obedience to His commands, expect that the mere going into His holy house and taking part in its dedication will render them worthy to receive, and cause them to receive His blessing?
"Do they think that repentance and turning away from sin may be so lightly dispensed with?
"Do they dare, even in thought, thus to accuse our Father of injustice and partiality, and attribute to Him carelessness in the fulfilment of His own words?
"Assuredly no one claiming to belong to His people would be guilty of such a thing.
"Then must those who are unworthy cease to expect a blessing from their attendance at the Temple while sin unrepented of still casts its odor about them, and while bitterness or even an unforgiving coolness exists in their hearts against their brethren and sisters.
"On this latter subject we feel that much might be said. In the striving after compliance with the apparently weightier matters of the law, there is a possibility that the importance of this spirit of love and kindness and charity may be underestimated. For ourselves, we cannot think of any precept that at present requires more earnest inculcation.
"During the past eighteen months there has been a division of the Latter-day Saints upon national party lines. Political campaigns have been conducted, elections have been held, and feelings, more or less intense, have been engendered in the minds of brethren and sisters upon one side and the other. "We have been cognizant of conduct and have heard of many expressions that have been very painful to us and have grieved our spirits.
"We know they have been an offense unto the God of peace and love, and a stumbling block unto many of the Saints.
"We feel now that a time for reconciliation has come; that before entering into the Temple to present ourselves before the Lord in solemn assembly, we shall divest ourselves of every harsh and unkind feeling against each other; that not only our bickerings shall cease, but that the cause of them shall be removed, and every sentiment that prompted and has maintained them shall be dispelled; that we shall confess our sins one to another, and ask forgiveness one of another; that we shall plead with the Lord for the spirit of repentance, and, having obtained it, follow its promptings; so that in humbling ourselves before Him and seeking forgiveness from each other, we shall yield that charity and generosity to those who crave our forgiveness that we ask for and expect from heaven.
"Thus may we come up into the holy place with our hearts free from guile and our souls prepared for the edification that is promised! Thus shall our supplications, undisturbed by a thought of discord, unitedly mount into the ears of Jehovah and draw down the choice blessings of the God of Heaven!
"As your brethren, sustained by your vote and in your faith as the First Presidency of the Church, we have this to say to the Latter-day Saints, in our individual as well as our official capacity: If there is a single member of the Church who has feelings against us, we do not wish to cross the threshold of the Temple until we have satisfied him and have removed from him all cause of feeling, either by explanation or by making proper amends and atonement; neither would we wish to enter the sacred portals of that edifice until we have sought an explanation, or amends, or atonement, from any against whom we may have either a real or fancied grievance.
"In now announcing this course for ourselves, we say to all the other officers of the Church that we desire them to follow our example. We wish them from the highest to the lowest and throughout all the stakes and wards of Zion to take heed of this counsel. Let them invite all who may have feelings against them to come forward and make them known; let them then endeavor to correct any misapprehensions or misunderstandings which may exist, or give redress for any wrong or injury that may have been done.
"We say the same—and when the officers have taken the course indicated we wish them to say the same—to the individual members of the Church. We call upon them to seek to have the fellowship of their brethren and their sisters, and their entire confidence and love; above all to seek to have the fellowship and union of the Holy Ghost. Let this spirit be sought and cherished as diligently within the smallest and humblest family circle, as within the membership of the highest organization and quorum. Let it permeate the hearts of the brothers and sisters, the parents and children of the household, as well as the hearts of the First Presidency and Twelve. Let it mellow and soften all differences between members of the Stake Presidencies and the High Councils, as well as between neighbors living in the same ward. Let it unite young and old, male and female, flock and shepherd, people and Priesthood, in the bonds of gratitude and forgiveness and love, so that Israel may feel approved of the Lord, and that we may all come before Him with a conscience void of offense before all men. Then there will be no disappointment as to the blessings promised those who sincerely worship Him. The sweet whisperings of the Holy Spirit will be given to them and the treasures of heaven, the communion of angels, will be added from time to time, for His promise has gone forth and it cannot fail!
"Asking God's blessing upon you all in your endeavor to carry out this counsel, and desirous of seeing it take the form of a united effort on the part of the whole people, we suggest that Saturday, March 25th, 1893, be set apart as a day of fasting and prayer. On that occasion we advise that the Presidencies of Stakes, the High Councils, the Bishops and their Counselors, meet together with the Saints in their several meeting houses, confess their sins one to another, and draw out from the people all feelings of anger, of distrust, or of unfriendliness that may have found a lodgment; so that entire confidence may then and there be restored and love from this time prevail through all the congregations of the Saints."
It was evident that the authorities of the Church realized the importance of preparing- for the great event of the dedication in other ways than by material construction and costly furnishings. The hearts of the people had to be made ready; it was necessary that Israel be sanctified. Throughout the length and breadth of Zion there was a general cleansing of mind and soul; enmity was buried; bickering ceased; differences between brethren were adjusted; offenses were atoned and forgiven; a veritable jubilee was celebrated.
The finishing touches to the interior of the building were made late in the afternoon of April 5th, and in the evening of that day, the Temple was thrown open to general inspection. Not only were members of the Church admitted; many honorable men and women who had never affiliated with the Church were invited to the number of over one thousand, and they passed through the Temple from basement to top. In view of the current belief that the Temples of the Latter-day Saints are never open to the gaze of non-members, this fact is of significant importance.
On the morning of the 6th of April, 1893, Wilford Woodruff, President of the Church, led the way through the south-west door into the sacred precincts. The event has been not inaptly likened to that of Joshua leading Israel into the promised land. The venerable President was followed by the rest of the general authorities of the Church, and these in turn by other Church officials and such members as had been specially designated to take part in the first dedication service. Of the tens of thousands of Saints who desired to be present, whose rightful privilege it was to attend, and who had contributed of their substance to the building of the greatest Temple of modern times, but few could be accommodated on the day of dedication. The assembly room, which with its vestries occupies the entire upper floor, had been furnished with seating accommodations for two thousand two hundred and fifty-two persons. It was arranged, therefore, that services be repeated twice daily, to continue from April 6th until all who were entitled to admission had had opportunity to be present.
On the first day, the following were admitted to take part in what will always be remembered as the official dedicatory session: The First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve Apostles, the Presiding Patriarch, the First Council of the Seventy, the Presiding Bishopric, and all other general authorities of the Church, and in addition, Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors, members of Stake High Councils, Patriarchs, Presidents of High Priests' Quorums and their Counselors, Presidents of Quorums of Seventies, Bishops of Wards and their Counselors. Admission was extended to the wives and immediate families of all the Church officials named. To the later sessions, admission was regulated so that particular wards and stakes had each a special assignment as to time.
No one was admitted without a formal certificate, conventionally known as a "recommend," signed by the Bishop of his ward and the President of his stake. In a circular of instruction relating to the dedication the following appears: "It will be necessary for each applicant to show his or her recommend to the gate-keeper, in order to pass. The recommend will then be taken up by a ticket-man inside the gate. No person will be admitted without a recommend, on any occasion." Services were held daily from April 6th, to April 18th, inclusive, and again on the 23rd and 24th. Usually two sessions were held each day, but on the 7th of April, an evening session was added. While children under eight years of age, and therefore unbaptized, were not admitted to the general sessions, special days were set apart for their accommodation; thus April 21st and 22nd,—Friday and Saturday,—were reserved for Sunday School children, under the prescribed age for baptism.
At the first service,—the official dedication,—the prayer was offered by President Wilford Woodruff, and at each succeeding session the prayer was read. The prayer itself is at once a sermon and a supplication; it is expressive of the inmost thoughts of the people; it is an epitome of the history of the Saints and the condition of the Church at that time.
The prayer follows in full:
"Our Father in heaven, thou who hast created the heavens and the earth, and all things that are therein; thou most glorious One, perfect in mercy, love, and truth, we, thy children, come this day before thee, and in this house which we have built to thy most holy name, humbly plead the atoning blood of thine Only Begotten Son, that our sins may be remembered no more against us forever, but that our prayers may ascend unto thee and have free access to thy throne, that we may be heard in thy holy habitation. And may it graciously please thee to hearken unto our petitions, answer them according to thine infinite wisdom and love, and grant that the blessings which we seek may be bestowed upon us, even a hundred fold, inasmuch as we seek with purity of heart and fulness of purpose to do thy will and glorify thy name.
"We thank thee, O thou Great Elohim, that thou didst raise up thy servant, Joseph Smith, through the loins of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and made him a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and through the assistance and administrations of angels from heaven, thou didst enable him to bring forth the Book of Mormon,—the stick of Joseph, in the hand of Ephraim,—in fulfilment of the prophecies of Isaiah and other prophets, which record has been translated and published in many languages. We also thank thee, our Father in heaven, that thou didst inspire thy servant and give him power on the earth to organize thy Church in this goodly land, in all its fulness, power and glory, with Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, and Teachers, with all the gifts and graces belonging thereto, and all this by the power of the Aaronic and Melchisedek Priesthood, which thou didst bestow upon him by the administration of holy angels, who held that Priesthood in the days of the Savior. We thank thee, our God, that thou didst enable thy servant Joseph to build two temples, in which ordinances were administered for the living and the dead; that he also lived to send the Gospel to the nations of the earth and to the islands of the sea, and labored exceedingly until he was martyred for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
"We also thank thee, O our Father in heaven, that thou didst raise up thy servant Brigham Young, who held the keys of thy Priesthood on the earth for many years, and who led thy people to these valleys of the mountains, and laid the corner-stone of this great Temple and dedicated it unto thee, and who did direct the building of three other temples in these Rocky Mountains which have been dedicated unto thy holy name, in which temples many thousands of the living have been blessed and the dead redeemed.
"Our Father in heaven, we are also thankful to thee for thy servant John Taylor, who followed in the footsteps of thy servant Brigham, until he laid down his life in exile.
"Thou hast called thy servants Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith, to hold the keys of the Presidency and Priesthood this day, and for these shepherds of thy flock we feel to give thee thanksgiving and praise. Thy servant Wilford is bound to acknowledge thy hand, O Father, in the preservation of his life from the hour of his birth to the present day. Nothing but thy power could have preserved him through that which he has passed during the eighty-six years that thou hast granted him life on the earth.
"For the raising up of the Twelve Apostles, we also thank thee, our God, and for the perfect union which exists among us.
"We thank thee, O Lord, for the perfect organizations of thy Church as they exist at the present time.
"O Lord, we regard with intense and indescribable feelings the completion of this sacred house. Deign to accept this the fourth temple which thy covenant children have been assisted by thee in erecting in these mountains. In past ages thou didst inspire with thy Holy Spirit thy servants, the prophets, to speak of a time in the latter days when the mountain of the Lord's house should be established in the top of the mountains, and should be exalted above the hills. We thank thee that we have had the glorious opportunity of contributing to the fulfilment of these visions of thine ancient seers, and that thou hast condescended to permit us to take part in the great work. And as this portion of thy servants' words has thus so marvelously been brought to pass, we pray thee, with increased faith and renewed hope, that all their words with regard to thy great work in gathering thine Israel and building up thy kingdom on earth in the last days may be as amply fulfilled, and that, O Lord, speedily.
"We come before thee with joy and thanksgiving, with spirits jubilant and hearts filled with praise, that thou hast permitted us to see this day for which, during these forty years, we have hoped, and toiled, and prayed, when we can dedicate unto thee this house which we have built to thy most glorious name. One year ago we set the capstone with shouts of Hosanna to God and the Lamb. And today we dedicate the whole unto thee, with all that pertains unto it, that it may be holy in thy sight; that it may be a house of prayer, a house of praise and of worship; that thy glory may rest upon it; that thy holy presence may be continually in it; that it may be the abode of thy Well-Beloved Son, our Savior; that the angels who stand before thy face may be the hallowed messengers who shall visit it, bearing to us thy wishes and thy will, that it may be sanctified and consecrated in all its parts holy unto thee, the God of Israel, the Almighty Ruler of mankind. And we pray thee that all people who may enter upon the threshold of this, thine house, may feel thy power and be constrained to acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it, that it is thy house, a place of thy holiness.
"We pray thee, Heavenly Father, to accept this building in all its parts from foundation to capstone, with the statue that is on the latter placed, and all the finials and other ornaments that adorn its exterior. We pray thee to bless, that they decay not, all the walls, partitions, floors, ceilings, roofs and bridging, the elevators, stairways, railings and steps, the frames, doors, windows, and other openings, all things connected with the lighting, heating, and sanitary apparatus, the boilers, engines, and dynamos, the connecting pipes and wires, the lamps and burners, and all utensils, furniture and articles used in or connected with the holy ordinances administered in this house, the veils and the altars, the baptismal font and the oxen on which it rests, and all that pertains thereto, the baths, washstands and basins. Also the safes and vaults in which the records are preserved, with the records themselves, and all books, documents, and papers appertaining to the office of the recorder, likewise the library with all the books, maps, instruments, etc., that may belong thereto. We also present before thee, for thine acceptance, all the additions and buildings not forming a part of the main edifice, but being appendages thereto; and we pray thee to bless all the furniture, seats, cushions, curtains, hangings, locks and fastenings, and multitudinous other appliances and appurtenances found in and belonging to this Temple and its annexes, with all the work of ornamentation thereon, the painting and plastering, the gilding and bronzing, the fine work in wood and metal of every kind, the embroidery and needlework, the pictures and statuary, the carved work and canopies. Also the materials of which the buildings and their contents are made or composed—the rock, lime, mortar and plaster, the timbers and lath, the wood of various trees, the gold and silver, the brass and iron, and all other metals, the silk, wool, and cotton, the skins and furs, the glass, china, and precious stones, all these and all else herein we humbly present for thine acceptance and sanctifying blessing.
"Our Father in heaven, we present before thee the altars which we have prepared for thy servants and handmaidens to receive their sealing blessings. We dedicate them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, unto thy most holy name, and we ask thee to sanctify these altars, that those who come unto them may feel the power of the Holy Ghost resting upon them, and realize the sacredness of the covenants they enter into. And we pray that our covenants and contracts which we make with thee and with each other may be directed by thy Holy Spirit, be sacredly kept by us, and accepted by thee, and that all the blessings pronounced may be realized by all thy Saints who come to these altars, in the morning of the resurrection of the just.
"O Lord, we pray thee to bless and sanctify the whole of this block or piece of ground on which these buildings stand, with the surrounding walls and fences, the walks, paths, and ornamental beds, also the trees, plants, flowers and shrubbery that grow in its soil; may they bloom and blossom and become exceedingly beautiful and fragrant; and may thy Spirit dwell in the midst thereof, that this plot of ground may be a place of rest and peace, for holy meditation and inspired thought.
"Preserve these buildings, we beseech thee, from injury or destruction by flood or fire; from the rage of the elements, the shafts of the vivid lightning, the overwhelming blasts of the hurricane, the flames of consuming fire, and the upheavals of the earthquake, O Lord, protect them.
"Bless, we pray thee, heavenly Father, all who may be workers in this house. Remember continually thy servant who shall be appointed to preside within its walls; endow him richly with the wisdom of the Holy One, with the spirit of his calling, with the power of his Priesthood, and with the gift of discernment. Bless, according to their calling, his assistants and all who are associated with him in the performance of the ordinances,—baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, sealings, endowments, and ordinations which are performed herein, that all that is done may be holy and acceptable unto thee, thou God of our salvation. Bless the recorders and copyists, that the records of the Temple may be kept perfect, and without omissions and errors, and that they may also be accepted of thee. Bless, in their several positions, the engineers, watchmen, guards, and all others who have duties to perform in connection with the house, that they may perform them unto thee with an eye single to thy glory.
"Remember also in thy mercy all those who have labored in the erection of this house, or who have, in any way, by their means or influence aided in its completion; may they in no wise lose their reward.
"O thou God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose God thou delightest to be called, we thank thee with all the fervor of overflowing gratitude that thou hast revealed the powers by which the hearts of the children are being turned to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children, that the sons of men, in all their generations can be made partakers of the glories and joys of the kingdom of heaven. Confirm upon us the spirit of Elijah, we pray thee, that we may thus redeem our dead and also connect ourselves with our fathers who have passed behind the veil, and furthermore seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection, that we who dwell on earth may be bound to those who dwell in heaven. We thank thee for their sake who have finished their work in mortality, as well as for our own, that the prison doors have been opened, that deliverance has been proclaimed to the captive, and the bonds have been loosened from those who were bound. We praise thee that our fathers, from last to first, from now, back to the beginning, can be united with us in indissoluble links, welded by the holy Priesthood, and that as one great family united in thee and cemented by thy power we shall together stand before thee, and by the power of the atoning blood of thy Son be delivered from all evil, be saved and sanctified, exalted and glorified. Wilt thou also permit holy messengers to visit us within these sacred walls and make known unto us with regard to the work we should perform in behalf of our dead. And, as thou hast inclined the hearts of many who have not yet entered into covenant with thee to search out their progenitors, and in so doing they have traced the ancestry of many of thy Saints, we pray thee that thou wilt increase this desire in their bosoms, that they may in this way aid in the accomplishment of thy work. Bless them, we pray thee, in their labors, that they may not fall into errors in preparing their genealogies; and furthermore, we ask thee to open before them new avenues of information, and place in their hands the records of the past, that their work may not only be correct but complete also.
"O thou Great Father of the spirits of all flesh, graciously bless and fully qualify those upon whom thou hast placed a portion of thine authority, and who bear the responsibilities and powers of the Priesthood which is after the order of thy Son. Bless them all from first to last, from thy servant who represents thee in all the world to the latest who has been ordained to the Deacon's office. Upon each and all confer the spirit of their calling, with a comprehension of its duties and a loving zeal to fulfil them. Endow them with faith, patience and understanding. May their lives be strong in virtue and adorned with humility; may their ministrations be effectual, their prayers be availing, and their teachings the path of salvation. May they be united by the Spirit and power of God in all their labors, and ill every thought, word and act may they glorify thy name and vindicate the wisdom that has made them kings and priests unto thee.
"For thy servants of the First Presidency of the Church we first of all pray. Reveal, in great clearness, thy mind and will unto them in all things essential for the welfare of thy people; give them heavenly wisdom, abounding faith, and the power and gifts necessary to enable them to preside acceptably unto thee over the officers and members of thy Church. Remember in love thy servant whom thou hast called to be a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to all mankind, whose days have been many upon the earth; yet lengthen out his span of mortal life, we pray thee, and grant unto him all the powers and gifts, in their completeness, of the office thou hast conferred upon him; and in like manner bless his associates in the Presidency of thy Church.
"Confer upon thy servants, the Twelve Apostles, a rich endowment of thy Spirit. Under their guidance may the Gospel of the kingdom go forth into all the world, to be preached to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that the honest in heart in every land may hear the glad tidings of joy and salvation. Overrule, we pray thee, in the midst of the governments of the earth, that the barriers that now stand in the way of the spread of thy truths may be removed, and liberty of conscience be accorded to all peoples.
"Remember in loving kindness thy servants, the Patriarchs. May they be full of blessings for thy people Israel. May they bear with them the seeds of comfort and consolation, of encouragement and blessing. Fill them with the Holy Spirit of promise, and be graciously pleased to fulfil their words of prophecy, that thy name may be extolled by the people of thy Church and their faith in thee and in the promises of thy ministering servants be increasingly strengthened.
"With thy servants of the Twelve bless their associates, the Seventies; may they be powerful in the preaching of thy word and in bearing it to the four quarters of the earth. May an ever-widening way be opened before them until they shall have raised the Gospel standard in every land and proclaimed its saving truths in every tongue, that all the islands and the continents may rejoice in the testimony of the great work thou art in these latter days performing on the earth.
"Bless abundantly, O Lord, the High Priests in all the varied duties and positions to which thou hast called them. As standing ministers of thy word in the multiplying Stakes of Zion wilt thou endow them richly with the spirit of their exalted callings. As Presidents, Counselors, Bishops, members of High Councils, and in every other office which their Priesthood gives them the right to fill, may they be righteous ministers of thy holy law, loving fathers of the people, and as judges in the midst of the Saints may they deal out just and impartial judgment tempered with mercy and love.
"So also, in their various callings, confer precious gifts of wisdom, faith and knowledge upon thy servants, the Elders, Priests, Teachers, and Deacons, that all may diligently perform their part in the glorious labors thou hast called thy Priesthood to bear.
"Forget not, we beseech thee, thy servants the missionaries, who are proclaiming the saving truths that thou hast revealed for man's redemption to the millions who are now overshadowed by deep spiritual darkness. Preserve them from all evil, deliver them from mob violence, may they want no good thing, but be greatly blessed with the gifts and powers of their ministry. Remember also their families, that they may be sustained and comforted by thee and be cherished and cared for by thy Saints.
"We pray thee for the members of thy Holy Church throughout all the world, that thy people may be so guided and governed of thee, that all who profess to be and call themselves Saints may be preserved in the unity of the faith, in the way of truth, in the bonds of peace, and in holiness of life. Strengthen the weak, we pray thee, and impart thy Spirit unto all.
"Our Father, mav peace abide in all the homes of thy Saints; may holy angels guard them; may they be encompassed by thine arms of love; may prosperity shine upon them, and may the tempter and the destroyer be removed far from them. May the days of thy covenant people be lengthened out in righteousness, and sickness and disease be rebuked from their midst. May the land they inhabit be made fruitful by thy grace, may its waters be increased and the climate be tempered to the comfort and need of thy people; may drought, devastating storms, cyclones, and hurricanes be kept afar off, and earthquakes never disturb the land which thou hast given us. May locusts, caterpillars and other insects not destroy our gardens and desolate our fields; but may we be a people blessed of thee in our bodies and spirits, in our homes and habitations, in our flocks and herds, in ourselves and our posterity, and in all that thou hast made us stewards over.
"Now pray we for the youth of Zion—the children of thy people; endow them richly with the spirit of faith and righteousness and with increasing love for thee and for thy law. Prosper all the institutions that thou hast established in our midst for their well-being. Give to our Church Schools an ever-increasing power for good. May thy Holy Spirit dominate the teachings given therein and also control the hearts and illumine the minds of the students. Bless marvelously thy servants, the General Superintendent, and all the principals, teachers and other officers, and also those who form the General Board of Education of thy Church. Remember likewise in thy loving kindness the Sunday Schools, with all who either as teachers or scholars, belong thereto; may the influence of the instruction given therein broaden and deepen, to thy glory and the salvation of thy children, until the perfect day. Bless the members of the General Board of the Deseret Sunday School Union with the wisdom necessary for the proper fulfilment of their duties, and for the accomplishment of the purposes for which this Board was created.
"We also uphold before thee the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations, with all their officers, general and local, and the members. May they be prospered of thee, their membership be enlarged, and the good that they accomplish increase with every succeeding year. For the Primaries and Religion Classes we also seek thy constant blessing and guiding care; may the spirit of instruction be poured out upon the presidents and associate officers and teachers. May they keep pace with the rest of the educational establishments in thy Church; so that from their earliest years our children may be diligently brought up in the ways of the Lord, and thy name be magnified in their growth in virtue and intelligence.
"Nor would we forget, O Lord, the normal training classes among the people, whether these classes be connected with the Church Schools, the Improvement Associations, or the Sunday Schools. Grant that these classes may be the means of spreading true education throughout all the borders of the Saints by the creation of a body of teachers who will not only be possessed of rare intelligence but be filled also with the spirit of the Gospel, and be powerful in the testimony of thy truth and in implanting a love for thee and for thy works in the hearts of all whom they instruct.
"We would hold up before thee, O Lord, the Relief Societies, with all their members; and all those who preside in their midst according to their callings and appointments, general or local. Bless the Teachers in their labors of mercy and charity, who, as ministering angels, visit the homes of the sick and the needy, bearing succor, consolation and comfort to the unfortunate and sorrowful. And bless, we beseech thee, most merciful Father, the poor of thy people, that the cry of want and suffering may not ascend unto thee from the midst of thy Saints whom thou hast blessed so abundantly with the comforts of this world. Open up new avenues by which the needy can obtain a livelihood by honest industry, and also incline the hearts of those blessed more abundantly, to give generously of their substance to their, in this respect, less favored brethren and sisters, that thou mayest not have reason to chide us for the neglect of even the least among thy covenant children.
"O God of Israel, turn thy face, we pray thee, in loving kindness toward thy stricken people of the house of Judah. Oh, deliver them from those that oppress them. Heal up their wounds, comfort their hearts, strengthen their feet, and give them ministers after thine own heart who shall lead them as of old, in thy way. May the days of their tribulation soon cease, and they be planted by thee in the valleys and plains of their ancient home; and may Jerusalem rejoice and Judea be glad for the multitude of her sons and daughters, for the sweet voices of children in her streets, and the rich outpouring of thy saving mercies upon them. May Israel no more bow the head, nor bend the neck to the oppressor, but may his feet be made strong on the everlasting hills, never more, by violence, to be banished therefrom, and the praise and the glory shall be thine.
"Remember in like pity the dwindling remnants of the house of Israel, descendants of thy servant Lehi. Restore them, we pray thee, to thine ancient favor, fulfil in their completeness the promises given to their fathers, and make of them a white and delightsome race, a loved and holy people as in former days. May the time also be nigh at hand when thou wilt gather the dispersed of Israel from the islands of the sea and from every land in which thou hast scattered them, and the ten tribes of Jacob from their hiding place in the north, and restore them to communion and fellowship with their kinsmen of the seed of Abraham.
"We thank thee, O God of Israel, that thou didst raise up patriotic men to lay the foundation of this great American government. Thou didst inspire them to frame a good Constitution and laws which guarantee to all of the inhabitants of the land equal rights and privileges to worship thee according to the dictates of their own consciences. Bless the officers, both judicial and executive. Confer abundant favors upon the President, his Cabinet, and Congress. Enlightened and guided by thy Spirit may they maintain and uphold the glorious principles of human liberty. Our hearts are filled with gratitude to thee, our Father in heaven, for thy kindness unto us in softening the hearts of our fellow citizens, the people of this nation, towards us. That which thou hast done has been marvelous in our eyes. We thank thee that thou didst move upon the heart of the President of our nation to issue a general amnesty; that thou hast removed prejudice and misunderstanding from the minds of many of the people concerning us and our purposes, and they are disposed to treat us as fellow citizens, and not as enemies. In this holy house we feel to give thee glory therefor, and we humbly ask thee to increase this feeling in their hearts. Enable them to see us in our true light. Show unto them that we are their friends, that we love liberty, that we will join with them in upholding the rights of the people, the Constitution and laws of our country; and give unto us and our children an increased disposition to always be loyal, and to do everything in our power to maintain constitutional rights and the freedom of all within the confines of this great Republic.
"Remember in mercy, O Lord, the kings, the princes, the nobles, the rulers and governors, and the great ones of the earth, and likewise all the poor, the afflicted and the oppressed, and indeed, all people, that their hearts may be softened when thy servants go forth to bear testimony of thy name, that their prejudices may give way before the truth, and thy people find favor in their eyes. So control the affairs of the nations of the earth, that the way may be prepared for the ushering in of a reign of righteousness and truth. We desire to see liberty spread throughout the earth, to see oppression cease, the yoke of the tyrant broken, and every despotic form of government overthrown by which thy children are degraded and crushed, and prevented from enjoying their share of the blessings of the earth, which thou hast created for their habitation.
"O God, the Eternal Father, thou knowest all things. Thou seest the course thy people have been led to take in political matters. They have, in many instances, joined the two great national parties. Campaigns have been entered upon, elections have been held, and much party feeling has been engendered. Many things have been said and done which have wounded the feelings of the humble and the meek, and which have been a cause of offense. We beseech thee, in thine infinite mercy and goodness, to forgive thy people wherein they have sinned in this direction. Show them, O Father, their faults and their errors, that they may see the same in the light of thy Holy Spirit, and repent truly and sincerely, and cultivate that spirit of affection and love which thou art desirous that all the children of men should entertain one for another, and which thy Saints, above all others, should cherish. Enable thy people hereafter to avoid bitterness and strife, and to refrain from words and acts in political discussions that shall create feeling and grieve thy Holy Spirit.
"Heavenly Father, when thy people shall not have the opportunity of entering this holy house to offer their supplications unto thee, and they are oppressed and in trouble, surrounded by difficulties or assailed by temptation, and shall turn their faces towards this thy holy house and ask thee for deliverance, for help, for thy power to be extended in their behalf, we beseech thee to look down from thy holy habitation in mercy and tender compassion upon them, and listen to their cries. Or when the children of thy people, in years to come, shall be separated, through any cause, from this place, and their hearts shall turn in remembrance of thy promises to this holy Temple, and they shall cry unto thee from the depths of their affliction and sorrow to extend relief and deliverance to them, we humbly entreat thee to turn thine ear in mercy to them; hearken to their cries, and grant unto them the blessings for which they ask.
"Almighty Father, increase within us the powers of that faith delivered to and possessed by thy Saints. Strengthen us by the memories of the glorious deliverances of the past, by the remembrance of the sacred covenants that thou hast made with us, so that, when evil overshadows us, when trouble encompasses us, when we pass through the valley of humiliation, we may not falter, may not doubt, but in the strength of thy holy name may accomplish all thy righteous purposes with regard to us, fill the measure of our creation, and triumph gloriously, by thy grace, over every besetting sin, be redeemed from every evil, and be numbered in the kingdom of heaven amongst those who shall dwell in thy presence forever.
"And now, our Father, we bless thee, we praise thee, we glorify thee, we worship thee, day by day we magnify thee, and give thee thanks for thy great goodness towards us, thy children, and we pray thee, in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, our Savior, to hear these our humble petitions, and answer us from heaven, thy holy dwelling place, where thou sittest enthroned in glory, might, majesty, and dominion, and with an infinitude of power which we, thy mortal creatures, cannot imagine, much less comprehend. Amen and Amen."
All who attended the dedicatory services on the morning of the 6th of April, 1893, remember the impressiveness of the day. The sky was overcast and lowering, and shortly before the hour of beginning, a strong wind set in from the north-west. This wind increased to a veritable hurricane and throughout the morning session it seemed indeed, that the prince of the air was in full control; but the peace and serenity of the assembly was rendered the more impressive by contrast with the turmoil and storm without.
A large pipe-organ had been set up in the assembly room, and served as an accompaniment to the choir of selected voices, by whom the anthems and hymns, specially composed for the occasion, were rendered. The essential and characteristic feature of the service was, of course, the offering of the dedicatory prayer; and to this were added brief addresses by officials of the Church. At the first session, each of the First Presidency delivered an address, replete with promise and prophecy. Throughout the service, ran the solemn refrain, which was voiced in anthem, sermon, and prayer:
"The House of the Lord is completed."
- ↑ See Contributor, Vol. XIV: No. 6; April, 1893; p. 248.
- ↑ See Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XV, 11:3.
- ↑ See the author's "The Story of Mormonism," pp. 63-81.
- ↑ For description of this feature of early enterprise, see an admirable article, "The Salt Lake Temple," by James H. Anderson, in "The Contributor," Vol. XIV, No. 6, April, 1893. The article gives much detailed information concerning the work of erecting the Great Temple.
- ↑ See "Deseret News," Salt Lake City, August 17, 1854.
- ↑ See "Millennial Star," Liverpool, Vol. 16, p. 753. "The Illustrated London News" of June 13, 1857, contains an article, "Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City," in which are given many specifications of construction. In connection with the text appears a large woodcut of the great building in perspective; and this picture is a true representation of the finished structure except as to details of spires and finials.
- ↑ As an instance of these separate assignments, and as an example of direct appeal to the various organizations within the Church, see the circular letter, issued in 1876 by the authority of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles, addressed to Elders, Seventies, and High Priests; this appears in "Contributor," Vol. XIV, pp. 267-8.
- ↑ See Revelation 14:6,7; also Pearl of Great Price, Writings of Joseph Smith II, 30–48.
- ↑ See Book of Mormon, I Nephi 3:7.
- ↑ For the epistle in full, see "Contributor," Vol. XIV, pp. 280-281.