Our dear Heavenly Father, we a few of thy sons and daughters assemble ourselves here on this beautiful morning in this land of the Dominican Republic at the direction of thy Prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, and we are assembled here, our Heavenly Father, for the sacred purpose of dedicating this land for the preaching of thy gospel truths and saving principles to all of thy sons and daughters that live here in the Dominican Republic.

Our Heavenly Father we are so grateful this morning as we bow our heads before thee and kneel in thy presence that the Gospel has been restored in its fullness. We are so grateful this morning for thy Prophet, Joseph Smith, and for thy mercies and kindnesses unto we, thy children, that through his humble prayer on that beautiful spring morning of 1820 that thou didst appear unto him accompanied by thy Beloved Son whom we honor and whom we adore and he opened up the restoration of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ here upon the earth. Oh, Heavenly Father, how grateful we are as thy sons and daughters this morning to know that through thy mercies and kindnesses to us thy beloved prophets, John the Baptist, and Peter, James and John were sent here to lay their hands upon the head of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to begin this great work in this last dispensation of time. And so we acknowledge unto thee with all humility this morning, Heavenly Father, how grateful we are that thou hast blessed this people and all thy sons and daughters worldwide with the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how grateful we are, our Heavenly Father, that we are now able through recent revelation to kneel before thee and dedicate this land unto the preaching of the Gospel in its fullness to everyone of thy children lining herein.

We ask thee this morning in all humility, Heavenly Father, that thou will pour thy Holy Spirit out upon this people. We ask thee to bless them that they might hear and know the truth and recognize it as it is presented to them by the members of the Church and the missionaries. We acknowledge that we have but a handful of members now, but pray them to bless and prosper, Heavenly Father, this land that from this humble begining many thousands of thy children might find the truth and that stakes of zion might be driven down here in this land and the honest in heart who desire to know the truth. We pray a special blessing this morning upon the missionaries that they might be men and women of integrity and strength and go forward with great power as they dedicate their lives unto thee, and as they serve thee in this sacred and holy calling of missionaries unto the Lord, Jesus Christ. Protect them from illness and evil, Heavenly Father. Bless them that their thoughts might be pure and that their efforts and energies might be ever increasing as they go forth to establish the work here in this land.

In the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, and the power of the holy priesthood, I rebuke and stay the powers of evil and open up the doors, Heavenly Father, for the teaching of thy Gospel to these, thy children. We ask thee in humility this morning that thy Holy Spirit might be poured out upon the leaders of this nation. We pray for all political leaders at all levels of the government that they might have a sympathetic heart, that their hearts might be touched by thy Holy Spirit that we will not in any way be hampered in carrying on thy work that the missionaries may come and go peaceably and that the things that are needed for the building of thy Kingdom here might be made available through the necessary governmental approvals. So we ask a blessing upon the government of this land and those who are called and elected to lead. We ask upon the youth of the Church, those young men and young women who are here with their fathers and mothers this morning that they might have great testimonies of the Gospel in their hearts and be prepared to serve thee all the days of their lives.

We ask thee Heavenly Father to bless this land that through the efforts of our missionary work as we open the doors for this work now that we might find many honest in heart men who might rise up to become great and strong priesthood leaders and that they might raise their sons to desire to serve missions. In this land, Heavenly Father, help us raise up many priesthood leaders of the black race that can be called upon by thee to carry the Gospel to other parts of the world unto their people. We ask thee, Heavenly Father, to grant every blessing that these, thy children, will stand in need of as they go forward in building the kingdom here upon the earth.

Now, Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that it is a great honor and a great privilege to be numbered among the membership of thy Church. We acknowledge this morning that it is a great privilege and honor to be assigned and appointed by President Kimball, thy great prophet, seer and revelator and to be here with the instruction of President Benson, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to dedicate this land. Heavenly Father, by the authority of the holy priesthood that I bear as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I turn the key and unlock the doors and open the way for the Gospel to be established in the land of the Dominican Republic and call down from thee, oh Heavenly Father, every blessing that will be necessary for thy people to prosper here. Bless us that we might have chapels to meet in for our people that we might have all of the facilities of the Church. Bless us with wisdom that we might build the Kingdom strongly from this very small beginning that the Church might grow like unto a mighty oak tree here with branches that will reach out and touch every part of this land. Bless all who administer the affairs of thy Church with thy holy inspiration that we will ever be found doing thy will and never be found doing our own. Bless us that we might always find ourselves humbly coming before thee in prayer, seeking thy direction and thy guidance that thy will might be done, that thy children who are pure and thy children who are chaste and who love one another to build thy Kingdom might be found through the efforts of the members and the missionaries as we now go forward to build thy Kingdom here in this land.

And so, Heavenly Father, we dedicate this land unto thee and now open it for missionary work and equally, Holy Father, we dedicate ourselves unto thee, our very lives unto thee that we might be found worthy, that we might ever be found doing thy will and thy bidding in the building of the Kingdom of God here in this land of the Dominican Republic. And now, Heavenly Father, accept this dedicatory prayer, accept our love for thee for oh how we love thee, Heavenly Father, how we honor thee as thy children, and how we desire above everything else in our hearts to find ourselves safely home in thy bosom; and we love thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and honor Him and recognize Him as the head of the Church and seek that we might ever be found living up to his expectations and his great example. And now, Heavenly Father, we dedicate this land and place it in thy hands and ask thee now to guide us and direct us in the building of thy Church and Kingdom here, all of which we do in the sacred and beloved name of Jesus Christ, Amen.