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Kona Hawaii Temple dedicatory prayer: ‘Here to taste the sweet refreshment of the Holy Spirit’

Kona Hawaii Temple Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Kona Hawaii Temple Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Following is the complete text of the dedicatory prayer of the Kona Hawaii Temple, given Jan. 23, 2000, by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Great God, our Eternal Father, we bow before Thee in reverence at this time of dedication. We are gathered to consecrate unto Thee and unto Thy Beloved Son this sacred temple. Acting in the authority of the divine priesthood, that priesthood which comes from Thee, and in the name of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, we dedicate unto Thee and unto Him this the Kona Hawaii Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We dedicate these beautiful grounds with the vegetation growing thereon. We dedicate the entire structure from the footings to the figure of Moroni atop the spire. We dedicate all of the facilities and the rooms and all appurtenances thereto, including the baptistry, the facilities for the initiatory ordinances, the endowment rooms, the celestial room, and the beautiful sealing rooms. We dedicate the offices, and every fixture and furnishing which is a part of this Thy house.

We ask that Thou wilt accept it as our offering unto Thee, given with gladness and with love for Thee and Thy Son.

We pray that it may truly be the house of the Lord, respected and reverenced by those not only of our faith, but by all who shall look upon it. May it be sanctified by the presence of Thy Holy Spirit. May all who enter its portals be worthy in every respect. May they be clean of body and mind, with hearts open to the inspiration of Thy Spirit.

May the Holy Ghost rest upon this sacred structure and endow it with Thy power that it may be felt by all who serve here.

May Thy blessings rest upon the temple presidency and the matron and her assistants. May Thy blessings attend all who labor within these walls, both those who will administer the ordinances and those who will receive them. May they long to feel the benign influence that will find expression here. May the loftiest ideals of their faith be realized. May a spirit of love and peace, a spirit in harmony with Thee, be felt by all who serve here in whatever capacity.

We pray that Thou wilt withhold by Thy power the destructive hand of any who might be inclined to deface or injure this house in any way. May there radiate from this sacred structure a feeling of respect and appreciation for its presence.

We pray for the well being of the faithful Saints in these beautiful isles of the Pacific. For many years now a sacred house of the Lord has stood in Laie on the island of Oahu. Saints from all over Hawaii have traveled to that house to receive those blessings which are granted only in temples of the Lord. Now we have this second temple, here on the big island. May the work increase. May there come into the hearts of the people a growing desire to come to the house of the Lord, here to taste the sweet refreshment of the Holy Spirit. May the influence of this Thy house be felt among Thy people, and may it find expression in their lives and in their homes.

We pray that the youth of the Church may have a desire to serve the needs of those beyond the veil of death through vicarious baptisms in their behalf. As they do so, may there grow in their hearts a compelling desire to walk as Thou wouldst have them walk, and not after the ways of the world.

We ask that Thou wilt open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings upon the faithful tithe payers of the Church wherever they may be found. It is they who have made possible this sacred structure. Prosper them in their affairs. Give them peace and joy in their hearts as they walk in faithfulness before Thee. Smile down upon them and favor them with Thine encompassing love.

We pray that Thy work may strengthen throughout these islands. Bless those who serve here as missionaries and those who go from here throughout the earth as representatives of Thee and of Thy work. Endow them with a special power, that they may stand before the world and bear testimony of the divinity of Thy Beloved Son and of Thy great plan of happiness for Thy children of all generations.

Hear our prayer, O Lord, and grant our petitions. With love we look to Thee as our Father and our God and to Thy Beloved Son as our Lord and Redeemer, and invoke Thy blessings upon us in His holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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