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The Johannesburg South Africa Temple

On April 1, 1981, when the First Presidency announced plans for the church to build a temple in Johannesburg, South Africa, the members of the church that would be served by the new temple were overjoyed.  Previously, the members of the church in southern Africa had to travel great distances, usually to London, England, to attend the temple and partake of the ordinances therein.  Just over four years later, on August 24, 1985, Gordon B. Hinckley, a counselor in the First Presidency, offered the dedicatory prayer on the temple.

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Dedicatory Prayer

Almighty and Eternal Father in Heaven whom we love and worship, on this day of dedication we come unto Thee in the name of Thy Son Jesus Christ.  We are assembled in this holy house which we present unto Thee.  It has been built through the consecrations of Thy faithful sons and daughters.  They have given generously of their means to rear it unto Thee as an expression of their love for Thee and of their faith in the eternal ordinances which Thou hast revealed for the salvation and blessing of Thy children.

We pray that Thou wilt accept our offering and that Thou wilt honor this house with Thy holy presence.  Let Thy Spirit constantly abide here and touch the hearts of all who shall enter.  Beloved Father, our hearts are filled with gratitude on this historic day in the chronicles of Thy work in this nation.

We are mindful of the first missionaries who arrived at Cape Town in 1853, and of all who have labored here in the many years that have followed.  We thank Thee for their faith and devotion, and for their trust in Thee in their labors.  We thank Thee for all who have accepted their testimony of Thee and of Thy Son, and their witness of the restoration of Thy work and Thy priesthood in this the dispensation of the fulness of times.

Thou didst come with Thy Son, the resurrected Lord, to usher in this most glorious season of Thy work.  "Angels from heaven and truth from earth" followed that most awesome manifestation to restore the fullness of the everlasting gospel through Thy servant Joseph Smith.  We thank Thee for the strength and stature of Thy Church across the earth, and that it is growing ever stronger.  We pray that Thou wilt remove every obstacle from before those who have been sent to bear witness and testimony of the restoration of Thy kingdom.

We thank Thee for the dimensions of Thy Church in this nation of South Africa.  We thank Thee for men and women of great strength who constitute its membership, for the goodness of their lives, for the manner in which Thou hast enlightened their minds and quickened their understanding of Thy ways and Thy purposes.  Many of them, dear Father, sacrificed much in years past to travel afar to partake of those blessings which are available only in the Lord's house.  Now there is a temple in our midst.  It is beautiful and much appreciated.  May we visit it frequently, and as we serve in this house may we be reminded of the serious and binding covenants we here make with Thee.

Now, Holy Father, in the authority of the priesthood we Thy servants bear, and in the name of Thy Son Jesus Christ, we dedicate unto Thee and unto Him this the Johannesburg South Africa Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We dedicate the earth on which it stands.  We dedicate the grass and flowers, the trees and shrubs of these grounds that they may enhance the beauty of the structure.  We dedicate the building from the footings and foundation to the figure of Moroni which crowns its tallest steeple.  We dedicate the baptismal font, the holy altars, the sacred ordinance rooms and other facilities, together with all of the elements which have been assembled to make this a house of instruction, a house of covenants, a house to which Thy people may come in prayer to commune with Thee and to receive those ordinances which are an essential part of Thine eternal plan.

Thou great Elohim, it is Thy house and the house of Thy Son, our Divine Redeemer.  Wilt Thou sanctify it and make it holy unto all who shall enter.  Wilt Thou ratify in the heavens those sacred ordinances which will here be performed in behalf of the living and the great hosts of the dead.  Wilt Thou whisper peace to Thy people by the power of Thy Spirit when they come here with burdened hearts to seek direction in their perplexities.  Wilt Thou comfort and sustain them when they come in times of sorrow.  Wilt Thou give them courage, direction, and faith, when they gather, as to a refuge, from the turmoil of the world.  Wilt Thou reassure them of Thy reality and divinity, and of the reality and divinity of Thy resurrected Son.  Wilt Thou endow them with love in their hearts for their ancestors who have gone before and with a great desire to labor in behalf of these their forebears.

Almighty God, wilt Thou overrule for the blessing and safety of Thy faithful saints.  We pray for peace in this troubled land.  Bless this nation which has befriended Thy servants.  May those who rule in the offices of government be inspired to find a basis for reconciliation among those who now are in conflict one with another.  May the presence of Thy house on the soil of this land bring blessings to the entire nation.  May guardian angels stand watch over this holy house we humbly ask Thee.  May it be preserved from destruction or defilement.  May it be a place of holiness, a haven of peace, a sanctuary from the storms of life.

Prosper Thy faithful people as they contribute their tithes and offerings to the storehouse of the Lord.  May they and the generations who follow them be preserved in peace and security by Thine encircling arm, for so long as they worship Thee in spirit and in truth.  Shield them against the forces of evil which otherwise would overtake them.  Father, Thou knowest all things.  Thou knowest the end from the beginning.  Shed knowledge and understanding upon Thy saints that they may be guided to do those things which will preserve them from bondage and ensure freedom for themselves and their posterity.  Bless the youth, the young men and the young women, that they may walk in virtue and yearn for truth.

Father, bless those who are hospitable to Thy servants.  Touch them by Thy Spirit that they may have listening ears and understanding hearts and that they may receive the testimonies of Thy servants who are sent among them to preach the everlasting gospel.  Bless Thy prophet and all associated with him in administering the affairs of Thy kingdom.  Open the windows of heaven and pour out Thy blessings upon Thy people everywhere.  We look to Thee for strength and guidance.  Hear our pleas.  Forgive our sins and smile with favor upon us.  Direct our lives for the accomplishment of great good.  Accept of our thanks and answer the petitions of our hearts we humbly ask, acknowledging that Thou art the giver of every good gift and that every power is Thine.

We so pray in the name of our Redeemer, Thy Beloved Son, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One, even the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

This page provided by the South Africa Johannesburg Mission Alumni web site.