Tatalo o le Faapaiaga

Malumalu o Sini Ausetalia, September 20, 1984

Our Father in heaven, Thou great Elohim, we Thy thankful children, come unto Thee in prayer on this solemn occasion. We approach Thee in the name of Thy Beloved Son, our Savior and our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our hearts are filled with thanksgiving on this day when we dedicate Thy holy house.

We praise Thy name. We worship Thee in spirit and in truth. We love Thee, Father. We love Thy Son. We thank Thee for His matchless life, the only perfect man who ever walked the earth. We thank Thee for His teachings, which we accept as the law by which to govern our lives. We thank Thee for His redeeming sacrifice. We know that He suffered and died for us. Praise be to His holy name now and forevermore.

We thank Thee that after centuries of darkness, Thou and Thy Beloved Son visited the boy Joseph Smith, appointing him a prophet to open the dispensation of the fulness of times. We thank Thee, Almighty God, for the restoration of Thy work with the holy priesthood and all of the powers appertaining thereto, for the firm unshakable foundation on which Thou hast established it, for the great eternal mission which Thou hast declared for it, for prophets, seers, and revelators through whom Thou dost speak for the guidance of Thy people.

We thank Thee for the strength of Thy work in this great nation of Australia, for the hospitality accorded Thy servants who have come here over a century of time to teach Thine everlasting gospel, for all who have received it, and for the confirming witness of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.

Father, bless the land and the citizens of Australia. May this choice nation remain free from bondage and may its people enjoy liberty and prosperity, now and in the generations to come. May they so live as to merit Thy divine favor. May Thy work grow among them, touching for everlasting good the hearts of an ever-increasing number of truth seekers. May the people of Thy Church be recognized as men and women of integrity, of industry, and of faith. May the example of their lives lead others to seek Thy divine truth, and may Thy work roll on in majesty and power in this land and among all people.

Bless Thy faithful saints. Open the windows of heaven, and pour out Thy blessings upon them. May Thy peace reign in their homes and in their lives. May they walk in faithfulness before Thee, and in honor before all men. Prosper them as they live honestly with Thee in the payment of their tithes and offerings. Bless the youth, the young men and the young women. May they grow in virtue and in knowledge and in love for Thee. May they go forth from this Thy house to declare the glad tidings of the gospel to the people of the earth. Wilt Thou speak through them with power into the hearts of those they teach.

May Thy saints here covenant with Thee to walk in Thy ways and follow after Thy pattern. At the time of marriage may they kneel at the altars of this Thy house, pledging their love and loyalty before Thee, angels and witnesses, and here, under the authority of Thine everlasting priesthood, may they be sealed for time and eternity according to Thy great plan.

"Confound, and astonish, and bring to shame and confusion" the enemies of Thy work. May their efforts come to naught and may regret canker their hearts and lead them to repentance from the folly of their ways and the evil of their designs.

Father, we thank Thee for Thy living prophet, Spencer W. Kimball. Comfort him in his old age. Sustain him by Thy power. May he know of the great love of Thy people for him.

Now, Almighty God, in the authority of the holy priesthood in us vested, even in the authority of that priesthood which is Thine and with which Thou hast endowed Thy servants, and in the name of Thine Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we dedicate to Thee and to Him, this the Sydney Australia Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with the land on which it stands. We dedicate the structure with all of its fittings and facilities and with all of its furnishings and appointments. We dedicate the grounds with the grass, the trees, the shrubs, the flowers, and all else which adds to the beauty of this Thy house.

Father, wilt Thou accept this temple as the gift of Thy thankful sons and daughters. Wilt Thou and Thy Son be pleased to visit it, and may Thy Holy Spirit be found here always. May it be used with reverence and love by Thy covenant children in accomplishing the sacred work for which it has been constructed. May it be as a beacon to Thy saints throughout the land. May it be as an anchor when the storms of life beat about them. May it be a place of holiness to which they may come, a house of sanctification, a house of prayer, a house of covenants.

May this temple with its grounds be a place of beauty to all who look upon it. May they be touched by Thy spirit as they do so, that there may come into their hearts a feeling of respect for Thee and Thy people, and an increase of love for Thee our God.

Father in heaven, bless The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wherever it is established. May it grow in strength and in numbers, and may the doors of the nations and the homes of the people be opened to the messengers of Thine eternal truth.

Almighty God, hear the prayer of Thy covenant children and accept of our offering. Smile with love and favor upon us, we humbly ask as we pledge anew our love for Thee and Thy Son, and rededicate ourselves to Thy holy purposes, all of which we do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.