“The House of the Lord,” Friend, December 2017
The House of the Lord
What happens after a temple is built?
1. Open House
During the open house, anyone is welcome to go inside the temple on a free tour. Visitors get to see all of the beautiful rooms in the temple and feel the special feeling inside the sacred building.
The St. George Utah Temple was the first to have an open house. It lasted just one day! Now open houses last several weeks.
2. Cultural Celebration
The evening before the dedication, the youth in the area share music, dance, and stories about their culture. Families, friends, and Church leaders come to the performance.
The first cultural celebration was held before the dedication of the Accra Ghana Temple in January 2004.
3. Cornerstone
On the day of the dedication, General Authorities put mortar around the temple cornerstone in a special ceremony. Then children and other adults are often invited to help.
4. Dedication
When the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated, people crowded outside the building just to be nearby. Why were people so excited for this event? Maybe because it took 40 years to build this temple!
At the end of a dedication, everyone sings “The Spirit of God.” This song was written for the Kirtland Temple dedication and has been sung at every temple dedication since.
Now it’s time for the temple to be dedicated to the Lord. Only Church members ages eight and older with a recommend attend the dedication. Church leaders give talks about temples, and then the prophet or an apostle gives the prayer to dedicate the temple.