Following is the complete text of the Santiago Chile Temple dedicatory prayer offered by President Gordon B. Hinckley. The temple was dedicated Sept. 15-17, 1983.
O God, our Eternal Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thou art the great Elohim whom we honor and love. We solemnly bow our heads before Thee and come unto Thee in the name of Thy beloved Son, our glorious Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are gathered to dedicate this sacred house, and to praise Thee and Thine Only Begotten Son.
We thank Thee for this day when Thy house has been completed. We thank thee for all who have contributed to its erection—to Thy prophet who, under inspiration, determined that a temple should stand in this land, to the saints who have sacrificed much and contributed generously of their substance, and to faithful tithe payers throughout the world, from all of whom have come the means to erect this structure. To those who designed it and built it, and to all who have in any way assisted in this sacred undertaking, we express our gratitude.
We thank Thee for Thy chosen prophet, Joseph Smith, and for the restoration through him of Thy work in this the dispensation of the fulness of times, with all of the gifts and authority related thereto.
We are grateful for those who laid the foundation of Thy Church in this nation and for all who with devotion have followed them. We thank Thee for the magnificent flowering of Thy work in this part of the earth and for the stature to which it has grown. We thank Thee for the faith and loyalty of Thy saints here and throughout the world. Bless them, Father. Shield them from the darts of the adversary and fortify them against the storms that may threaten.
As we contemplate the marvelous blessings which will come through the exercise of the holy priesthood in this Thy house, our hearts are filled with gratitude unto Thee. The ordinances to be performed herein will bless Thy sons and daughters forever.
And now, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the authority of the holy priesthood in us vested, and under assignment from Thy prophet in this day, we dedicate unto Thee, our Father and our
God, and unto Thy beloved Son, our Savior and Redeemer, this the Santiago Chile Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate the ground on which it stands, the vegetation that beautifies it, the building in every part and all of its facilities and equipment, as a temple of God, a house of holiness to which Thee and Thy Son may come as to Thine own abode. May Thy spirit abide here always, and may all who enter feel of that spirit.
We dedicate it also for the performance of sacred ordinances which have come through revelation from Thee for the blessing of both the living and those of the great multitudes of the dead.
Wilt Thou accept this Thy holy sanctuary. We pray that Thou wilt honor it with Thy presence. Wilt Thou watch over it and by the power of Thy might preserve it from any who would defile it or seek to damage or destroy it. Rebuke the elements that it may be protected against any catastrophe of nature, and frustrate the evil designs of the wicked and ungodly who would mock the sacred purposes for which it has been constructed. May it be a haven for Thy people, a house of peace, a house of prayer, a house of love. May all who enter its portals do so with reverence and respect unto Thee. May they here be refreshed in their spirits and strengthened in their faith.
Father, we unite our hearts and voices in behalf of Thy chosen servant who is absent from us this day, even Thy prophet Spencer W. Kimball. Thy faithful saints throughout the earth love him. We pray that Thou wilt bless him and extend his life according to Thy divine will.
Bless Thy work upon this great continent of South America which is part of the land of Zion. Bless Thy work in this nation of Chile. May all that has been done in the past be but a prologue to a far greater work in the future. May there be an ever-growing number of wards and stakes. May Thy people be recognized for the virtue of their lives. Bless the land with peace and righteousness, and bless all who govern that Thy sons and daughters may rejoice in the nation of which they are a part.
Now, Almighty God, we pray that Thy saints may find favor in Thy sight, that faith shall grow in the hearts of Thy people, that love shall abound in their homes, that the spirit of Zion may be found among them and that they shall be a blessed and happy
people. Prosper them in their labors. Open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon the faithful that there shall not be room enough to receive them.
May the hearts of the fathers be turned to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers in a great labor of salvation reaching from mortal life and beyond the veil through the eternities to come.
We express unto Thee our love for Thee and for Thy Son Jesus Christ. We honor him and thank him as the Redeemer of mankind. We know that His is the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Accept of our thanks and hear our prayer, and be pleased to look with favor upon us, we humbly ask in the name of Thine Only Begotten, the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.