Following is the translation of the prayer offered in Portuguese by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to dedicate the Fortaleza Brazil Temple on Sunday, June 2, 2019.
Our dear, beloved, and omnipotent Heavenly Father, with hearts full of gratitude and love for Thee, we, Thy children, on this solemn, sacred, and long-awaited occasion by all the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this beautiful part of this country, do bow our heads reverently before Thee in prayer to dedicate this holy house erected unto Thee in this city of Fortaleza.
Father, we are grateful for Thy gospel restored in this dispensation through our beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith. We are grateful for the restoration of all of the priesthood keys that permit temples to be erected to Thee and provide means so that Thy children may be blessed with eternal promises of living in Thy presence and in the presence of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, for all eternity, according to their faithfulness to the holy ordinances and covenants made with Thee in this holy house.
Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for Thy goodness and love for us and for having inspired Thy Prophet to construct a holy temple in this city of our beloved homeland, Brazil — a land that has palm trees where the thrush sings, a land that has more beauties, a land whose valleys have more flowers, whose forests have more life. This is a land where so many faithful Saints have dedicated their lives for the establishment of Thy kingdom.
We also express our gratitude for all the pioneer Saints who helped establish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here in the region of Fortaleza, from its beginnings. We are grateful for their sacrifices and for all those members and leaders who followed in their footsteps to strengthen Thy kingdom, culminating in the establishment of Thy work here with such a solid foundation. Oh Lord, how grateful we are for the many blessings poured out upon our people, our country, and especially upon this city of Fortaleza.
We are also grateful, Father, for the efforts made by all those who, through these last ten years since the announcement of the construction of this temple, have contributed and worked so hard in so many ways, in order for this building to be constructed and now dedicated to Thee.
We especially wish to express our profound gratitude and love for Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and for His atoning sacrifice that is extended to all of us, Thy children. For we know that through Him and His sacrifice, all of us may be forgiven of our sins and become clean, without spot before Thee. Oh, how we love and adore Thee.
Here's a look back at the first converts in Fortaleza and what it's taken to build a temple there.
Now, beloved Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, duly authorized and under the keys of our dear Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, Russell Marion Nelson, and by virtue of the authority of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood which I bear, we dedicate and consecrate to Thee and to Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Fortaleza Brazil Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate the temple ground, its foundations, its floors, its walls, its beautiful gardens, its interior and exterior finishing and features, the furniture therein, the tower that bears up the Angel Moroni, the baptistry, the ordinance areas, the endowment rooms, the sealing rooms, the sacred altars, and all the areas and spaces contained in this temple, destined for the performance of all the sacred ordinances pertaining to this temple. We also dedicate all of the auxiliary structures that have been built to attend the needs and purposes of this temple.
We dedicate this Holiness to the Lord as a house of prayer, of fasting, of faith, of instruction, and of learning; a house of revelation, of consolation, of peace, and of righteousness. May Thine abundant blessings found in this house be showered upon all those who herein enter to perform sacred ordinances and covenants, whether for themselves or for their ancestors, so that they may feel the influence of Thy sweet Spirit and of Thy tender, loving mercies.
We supplicate Thy protection on this building and its grounds against any impure hand or evil influence that might detract attention from the importance and magnitude of all that is undertaken in this holy house. We ask Thee to bless all those who serve here: the temple presidency, the matron and her assistants, the temple workers, the volunteers, the employees, and all those who serve in this holy temple in any way, so that they may have Thy Spirit to be with them and so that they may be positive and loving influences and examples, in the manner of the model established by Thy Son, Jesus Christ.
We implore Thee, Lord, to bless all the Saints of this great country, so that they may walk in obedience to the commandments of the Lord and may enjoy the great blessings reserved in Thy hands for all those who faithfully follow Thy teachings. We ask Thee to bless them to be a standard for this country, that they may influence the people around them with their righteousness and their love of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Beloved Father, we further implore Thee to bless all those who visit the location of this temple, who may not be of our faith. May they feel Thy influence and Thy glory emanating from this holy house, and may a desire awaken in their hearts to know more about Thy marvelous gospel and about Thy tender mercies toward all of Thy children. Bless the members of the Church and the missionaries, so that they may work together to edify Thy kingdom here in this area, thus blessing thousands upon thousands of people who hear and accept the invitation of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, to come, to see, and to remain with Him.
We further implore that Thou wilt bless this great nation of Brazil, its governors, and its people. May faith, love, and peace be more abundant in their hearts, and may they be influenced for good through Thy Holy Spirit and through the Light of Christ.
We express our profound gratitude for all the marvelous blessings that Thou hast bestowed upon us, and we pray that Thou wilt accept our humble prayer, full of faith at this historic and sacred time for all of us and for our beloved country.
As we conclude this dedicatory prayer, we raise our hearts to Thee in the hope that the Lord may accept our supplication and that this holy house may become a lighthouse, not only for the city of Fortaleza, but for our beloved, admired and adored homeland of Brazil. For all these things we implore Thee and express our gratitude unto Thee, in the sacred name of our Redeemer, Savior, the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, amen.