We gather today as a small group of Thy Saints representing all of Thy covenant people who dwell in this nation and unitedly express our gratitude to Thee for the multitude of blessings we receive at Thy hand. We are grateful for the blessings of peace and the necessities of life. We are grateful for the privilege of worshipping and serving Thee in this temple as well as in our chapels and in our homes. We are grateful to participate in Thy great work of redemption for both the living and the dead.
We are profoundly grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the gospel, priesthood, and Church of Jesus Christ to the earth that Thou has brought to pass through him. We thank Thee that Thou and Thy Beloved Son condescended to appear and speak to the boy Joseph some 200 years ago to commence this, the long-awaited dispensation of the fullness of times. We are grateful for the continued unfolding of the Restoration and for all who have assisted from the beginning or who now or in the future will sustain the cause of Christ. We pray that Thy kingdom on earth may go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come when Thou shalt bring again Zion and Thy people will welcome the Savior Jesus Christ to reign upon this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Father, we recall the initial dedication of this temple in the year 2002. Today we invoke once more the thanks and petitions uttered to Thee in the dedicatory prayer offered on that occasion. And now, acting in the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, under the direction of Thy servant President Russell M. Nelson, and in the name of Jesus Christ, we rededicate and reconsecrate to Thee and Thy Son this, the Asunción Paraguay Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We pray that Thou wilt accept it and hallow and consecrate it as the house of the Lord.
We dedicate the grounds upon which the temple stands, with its beautiful vegetation, as well as the temple structure itself and all its elements. We dedicate the exterior and the interior—the baptistry, the ordinance rooms, the beautiful celestial room, the sealing rooms, and all other facilities of this sacred structure. We pray that all of these may be protected from harm or desecration of any kind and that Thou wilt preserve the sanctity of this holy place.
We remember the faithful tithe payers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose consecration has made possible the construction and renovation of this temple and the many other houses of the Lord that now begin to dot the earth. Bless and prosper them and their families with the blessings that Thou hast promised will flow from the windows of heaven, including Thy rebuke of the adversary, who as a devourer would seek to destroy the fruits of their labor in their homes and in all other worthy endeavors.
We pray for the temple president and his counselors and for the temple matron and her assistants. We pray for all who will serve here as ordinance workers, patrons, or in any other capacity. We pray that all who enter here may be blessed with added faith, testimony, and understanding. May they be endowed with holiness and with power from on high to go forth bearing Thy name and declaring the glad tidings of truth restored.
Loving Father, we pray that Thou wilt bless this nation, the locus of this now-rededicated house of the Lord, with peace and liberty. Please bless the leaders of the nation and the agencies of government at all levels that they may seek the welfare of the people and be guided in the ways best calculated to achieve the common good. May this become an increasingly just and benevolent society, and may the freedoms of its citizens be preserved. May the faithfulness of the Latter-day Saints in Paraguay call forth Thy blessings upon all the people of the nation.
We pray that Thou wilt bless the Church, its leaders, and the Latter-day Saints across the earth. We remember in this moment Thy servant President Russell M. Nelson and pray that Thou wilt continue to magnify and watch over him and all who assist him. May Thy work go forward to gather Thy covenant people into the stakes of Zion on this side of the veil and to redeem their progenitors in the world of spirits who await the ordinances of salvation in which this temple plays such a significant role.
In humility we plead that Thou wilt hear us when we come before Thee in prayer. Watch over us in our activities and service day to day, especially in this sacred place. We consecrate ourselves to Thee and to Thy work and glory. We ascribe to Thee all power, honor, and glory. We plead that Thou will receive this our offering and our praise forever, through and in the name of Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, amen.