THE
DESERET WEEKLY.
PIONEER PUBLICATION OF THE [FIGURE] ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION.
TRUTH AND LIBERTY.
ESTABLISHED JUNE, [FIGURE] 1850.
NO. 17. SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, SATURDAY, . VOL. XLVI
ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
The services of the Conference were
continued this morning in the upper
room of the Temple.
The Tabernacle choir sang the an-
them:
Let all Israel join and sing.
(Music by Joseph J. Daynes; choir-
isters led by Evan Stephens.)
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
Made brief appropriate remarks and
then offered the
DEDICATORY PRAYER,
as follows:
Our Father in heaven, thou who hast
created the heavens and the earth, and
all things that are therein; [3 Nephi 9:15; Mormon 9:11] thou most
glorious One, perfect in mercy, love and
truth, we, thy children, come this day
before thee, and in this house which we
have built to thy most holy name, hum-
bly plead the atoning blood of thine
Only Begotten Son, that our sins may
be remembered no more against us for-
ever, but that our prayers may ascend
unto thee and have free access to thy
throne, that we may be heard in thy
holy habitation. And may it graciously
please thee to hearken unto our peti-
tions, answer them according to thine
infinite wisdom and love, and grant that
the blessings which we seek may be
bestowed upon us, even a hundred fold,
inasmuch as we seek with purity of
heart and fulness of purpose to do thy
will and glorify thy name.
We thank thee, O thou Great Elo-
heim, that thou didst raise up thy ser-
vant, Joseph Smith, through the loins of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and made
him a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and
through the assistance and administra-
tions of angels from heaven, thou didst
enable him to bring forth the Book of
Mormon—the stick of Joseph, in the
hand of Ephraim,—in fulfillment of the
prophecies of Isaiah and other Prophets,
which record has been translated and
published in many languages. [Ezekiel 37:19-22] We also
thank thee, our Father in heaven, that
thou didst inspire thy servant and give
him power on the earth to organize thy
Church in this goodly land, in all its
fulness, power, and glory, with Apostles,
Prophets, Pastors, and Teachers, with
all the gifts and graces belonging there-
to, and all this by the power of the
Aaronic and Melchisedec Priesthood,
which thou didst bestow upon him by
the administration of holy angels, who
held that Priesthood in the days of the
Savior. We thank thee, our God, that
thou didst enable thy servant Joseph to
build two temples, in which ordinances
were administered for the living and the
dead; that he also lived to send the
Gospel to the nations of the earth and
to the islands of the sea, and labored
exceedingly until he was martyred for
the word of God and the testimony of
Jesus Christ.
We also thank thee, O our Father in
heaven, that thou didst raise up thy
servant Brigham Young, who held the
keys of thy Priesthood on the earth for
many years, and who led thy people to
these valleys of the mountains, and laid
the corner stone of this great Temple
and dedicated it unto thee, and who did
direct the building of three other tem-
ples in these Rocky Mountains which
have been dedicated unto thy holy
name, in which temples many thousands
of the living have been blessed and the
dead redeemed.
Our Father in heaven, we are also
thankful to thee for thy servant John
Taylor, who followed in the footsteps of
thy servant Brigham, until he laid down
his life in exile.
Thou hast called thy servants Wilford
Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, and
Joseph F. Smith, to hold the keys of the
Presidency and Priesthood this day, and
for these shepherds of thy flock we feel
to give thee thanksgiving and praise.
Thy servant Wilford is bound to
acknowledge thy hand, O Father, in
the preservation of his life from the hour
of his birth to the present day. Nothing
but thy power could have preserved him
through that which he has passed during
the eighty-six years that thou hast grant-
ed him life on the earth.
For the raising up of the Twelve
Apostles, we also thank Thee, our God,
and for the perfect union which exists
among us.
We thank thee, O Lord, for the perfect
organizations of thy Church as they
exist at the present time.
O Lord, we regard with intense and
indescribable feelings the completion of
this sacred house. Deign to accept this
the fourth temple which thy covenant
children have been assisted by thee in
erecting in these mountains. In past
ages thou didst inspire with thy Holy
Spirit thy servants, the Prophets, to
speak of a time in the latter days when
the mountain of the Lord's house should
be established in the top of the moun-
tains and should be exalted above the
hills. [Isaiah 2:2] We thank thee that we have had
the glorious opportunity of contributing
to the fulfillment of these visions of
thine ancient seers, and that thou hast
condescended to permit us to take part
in the great work. And as this portion
of thy servants' words has thus so mar-
velously been brought to pass, we pray
thee, with increased faith and renewed
hope, that all their words with regard to
thy great work in gathering thine Israel
and building up thy kingdom on earth
in the last days may be as amply fulfilled,
and that, O Lord, speedily.
We come before thee with joy and
thanksgiving, with spirits jubilant and
hearts filled with praise, that thou hast
permitted us to see this day for which,
during these forty years, we have hoped,
and toiled, and prayed, when we can
dedicate unto thee this house which we
have built to thy most glorious name.
One year ago we set the capstone with
shouts of Hosanna to God and the
Lamb. And today we dedicate the
whole unto thee, with all that pertains
unto it, that it may be holy in thy sight;
that it may be a house of prayer, [Doctrine and Covenants 109:16] a house
of praise and of worship; that thy glory
may rest upon it, that thy holy presence
may be continually in it; that it may be
the abode of thy Well-Beloved Son, our
Savior; that the angels who stand before
thy face may be the hallowed messengers
who shall visit it, bearing to us thy
wishes and thy will, that it may be sanc-
tified and consecrated in all its parts
holy unto thee, the God of Israel, the
Almighty Ruler of mankind. And we
pray thee that all people who may enter
upon the threshold of this, thine house,
may feel thy power and be constrained
[t]o acknowledge that thou hast sanctified
it, that it is thy house, a place of thy
holiness. [Doctrine and Covenants 109:13]
We pray thee, Heavenly Father, to
accept this building in all its parts from
foundation to capstone, with the statue
that is on the latter placed, and all the
finials and other ornaments that adorn its
exterior. We pray thee to bless, that
they decay not, all the walls, partitions,
floors, ceilings, roofs and bridging, the
elevators, stairways, railings, and steps,
the frames, doors, windows, and other
openings, all things connected with the
lighting, heating and sanitary apparatus,
the boilers, engines, and dynamos, the
connecting pipes and wires, the lamps
and burners, and all utensils, furniture
and articles used in or connected with
the holy ordinances administered in this
house, the veils and the altars, the
baptismal font and the oxen on which it
rests, and all that pertains thereto, the
baths, washstands and basins. Also the
safes and vaults in which the records
are preserved, with the records them-
selves, and all books, documents, and
papers appertaining to the office of the
recorder, likewise the library with all
the books, maps, instruments, etc., that
may belong thereto. We also present
before thee, for thine acceptance, all the
additions and buildings not forming a
part of the main edifice, but being ap-
pendages thereto; and we pray thee to
bless all the furniture, seats, cushions,
curtains, hangings, locks and fastenings
and multitudinous other appliances and
appurtenances found in and belonging
to this Temple and its annexes, with all
the work of ornamentation thereon, the
painting and plastering, the gilding and
bronzing, the fine work in wood and
metal of every kind, the embroidery
and needlework, the pictures and stat-
uary, the carved work and canopies.
Also the materials of which the build-
ings and their contents are made or
composed—the rock, lime, mortar and
plaster, the timbers and lath, the wood
of various trees, the gold and silver, the
brass and iron, and all other metals, the
silk, wool, and cotton, the skins and
furs, the glass, china and precious stones,
all these and all else herein we humbly
present for thine acceptance and sancti-
fying blessing.
Our Father in heaven, we present
before thee the altars which we have
prepared for thy servants and hand-
maidens to receive their sealing bless-
ings. We dedicate them in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, unto thy most
holy name, and we ask thee to sanctify
these altars that those who come unto
them may feel the power of the Holy
Ghost resting upon them, and realize
the sacredness of the covenants they
enter into. And we pray that our cove-
nants and contracts which we make with
thee and with each other may be di-
rected by thy Holy Spirit, be sacredly
kept by us, and accepted by thee, and
that all the blessings pronounced may
be realized, by all thy Saints who come
to these altars, in the morning of the
resurrection of the just.
O Lord, we pray thee to bless and
sanctify the whole of this block or piece
of ground on which these buildings
stand, with the surrounding walls and
fences, the walks, paths, and ornamental
beds, also the trees, plants, flowers and
shrubbery that grow in its soil; may
they bloom and blossom and become
exceedingly beautiful and fragrant; and
may thy Spirit dwell in the midst thereof,
that this plot of ground may be a place
of rest and peace, for holy meditation
and inspired thought.
Preserve these buildings, we beseech
thee, from injury or destruction by flood
or fire; from the rage of the elements,
the shafts of the vivid lightning, the
overwhelming blasts of the hurricane,
the flames of consuming fire, and the
upheavals of the earthquake, O Lord,
protect them.
Bless, we pray thee, Heavenly Father,
all who may be workers in this house.
Remember continually thy servant who
shall be appointed to preside within its
wall, endow him richly with the wisdom
of the Holy Ones, with the spirit of his
calling, with the power of his Priest-
hood, and with the gift of discernment.
Bless, according to their calling, his
assistants and all who are associated
with him in the performance of the
ordinances, — baptisms, confirmations,
washings, anointings, sealings, endow-
ments, and ordinations which are per-
formed herein, that all that is done may
be holy and acceptable unto thee, thou
God of our salvation. Bless the record-
ers and copyists, that the records of the
Temple may be kept perfect, and with-
out omissions and errors, and that they
may also be accepted of thee. Bless, in
their several positions, the engineers,
watchmen, guards, and all others who
have duties to perform in connection
with the house, that they may perform
them unto thee with an eye single to thy
glory.
Remember also in thy mercy all those
who have labored in the erection of this
house, or who have, in any way, by their
means or influence aided in its comple-
tion; may they in no wise lose their
reward.
O thou God of our fathers Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, whose God thou de-
lightest to be called, we thank thee with
all the fervor of overflowing gratitude
that thou hast revealed the powers by
which the hearts of the children are
being turned to their fathers and the
hearts of the fathers to the children, [Malachi 4:6]
that the sons of men in all their genera-
tions can be made partakers of the
glories and joys of the kingdom of
heaven. Confirm upon us the spirit of
Elijah, we pray thee, that we may thus
redeem our dead and also connect our-
selves with our fathers who have passed
behind the veil, and furthermore seal up
our dead to come forth in the first resur-
rection that we who dwell on the earth may
be bound to those who dwell in heaven.
We thank thee for their sake who have
finished their work in mortality, as well
as for our own, that the prison doors have
been opened, that deliverance has been
proclaimed to the captive, and the bonds
have been loosened from those who were
bound. We praise thee that our fathers,
from last to first, from now back to the
beginning, can be united with us in
indissoluble links, welded by the holy
Priesthood, and that as one great family
united in thee and cemented by thy
power we shall together stand before
thee, and by the power of the atoning
blood of thy Son be delivered from all
evil, be saved and sanctified, exalted
and glorified. Wilt thou also permit
holy messengers to visit us within these
sacred walls and make known unto us
with regard to the work we should per-
form in behalf of our dead. And, as
thou has inclined the hearts of many
who have not yet entered into covenant
with thee to search out their progenitors
and in so doing they have traced the
ancestry of many of thy Saints, we pray
thee, that thou wilt increase this desire
in their bosoms, that they may in
this way aid in the accomplishment of
thy work. Bless them, we pray thee, in
their labors, that they may not fall into
errors in preparing their genealogies;
and furthermore, we ask thee to open
before them new avenues of information,
and place in their hands the records of
the past, that their work may not only
be correct but complete also.
O thou Great Father of the spirits of
all flesh, graciously bless and fully
qualify those upon whom thou hast
placed a portion of thine authority and
who bear the responsibilities and powers
of the Priesthood which is after the
order of thy Son. Bless them all from
first to last, from thy servant who repre-
sents thee in all the world to the latest
who has been ordained to the Deacon's
office. Upon each and all confer the
spirit of their calling, with a compre-
hension of its duties and a loving zeal to
fulfill them. Endow them with faith,
patience and understanding. May their
lives be strong in virtue and adorned
with humility; may their ministrations
be effectual, their prayers be availing
and their teachings the path of salvation.
May they be united by the Spirit and
power of God in all their labors, and in
every thought, word and act may they
glorify thy name and vindicate the wis-
dom that has made them kings and
priests unto thee.
For thy servants of the First Presi-
dency of the Church we first of all pray.
Reveal in great clearness, thy mind and
will unto them in all things essential for
the welfare of thy people; give them
heavenly wisdom, abounding faith and
the power and gifts necessary to enable
them to preside acceptably unto thee
over the officers and members of thy
Church. Remember in love thy servant
whom thou hast called to be a Prophet,
Seer and Revelator to all mankind, whose
days have been many upon the earth;
yet lengthen out his span of mortal life,
we pray thee, and grant unto him all the
powers and gifts, in their completeness,
of the office thou hast conferred upon
him; and in like manner bless his asso-
ciates in the Presidency of thy Church.
Confer upon thy servants the Twelve
Apostles, a rich endowment of thy
Spirit. Under their guidance may
the Gospel of the kingdom go forth into
all the world, to be preached to all
nations, kindreds, tongues, and people,
that the honest in heart in every land
may hear the glad tidings of joy and
salvation. Overrule, we pray thee, in
the midst of the governments of the
earth, that the barriers that now stand
in the way of the spread of thy truths
may be removed, and liberty of con-
science be accorded to all peoples.
Remember in loving kindness thy
servants, the Patriarchs. May they be
full of blessings for thy people Israel.
May they bear with them the seeds of
comfort and consolation, of encourage-
ment and blessing. Fill them with the
Holy Spirit of promise, and be gracious-
ly pleased to fulfill their words of
prophecy, that thy name may be extolled
by the people of thy Church and their
faith in thee and in the promises of thy
ministering servants be increasingly
strengthened.
With thy servants of the Twelve,
bless their associates the Seventies;
may they be powerful in the preaching of
thy word and in bearing it to the four
quarters of the earth. May an ever-
widening way be opened before them
until they shall have raised the Gospel
standard in every land and proclaimed
its saving truths in every tongue, that all
[t]he islands and the continents may re-
joice in the testimony of the great work
thou art in these latter days performing
on the earth.
Bless abundantly, O Lord, the High
Priests in all the varied duties and posi-
tions to which thou hast called them. As
standing ministers of thy word in the
multiplying Stakes of Zion, wilt thou
endow them richly with the spirit of
their exalted callings. As Presidents,
Counselors, Bishops, members of High
Councils, and in every other office
which their Priesthood gives them the
right to fill, may they be righteous
ministers of thy holy law, loving fathers
of the people, and as judges in the midst
of the Saints may they deal out just and
impartial judgment tempered with mercy
and love.
So also, in their various callings, con-
fer precious gifts of wisdom, faith and
knowledge upon thy servants the Elders,
Priests, Teachers, and Deacons, that all
may diligently perform their part in the
glorious labors thou hast called thy
Priesthood to bear.
Forget not, we beseech thee, thy ser-
vants the missionaries, who are pro-
claiming the saving truths that thou hast
revealed for man's redemption to the
millions who are now overshadowed by
deep spiritual darkness. Preserve them
from all evil, deliver them from mob
violence, may they want no good thing,
but be greatly blessed with the gifts and
powers of their ministry. Remember
also their families that they may be
sustained and comforted by thee and be
cherished and cared for by thy Saints.
We pray thee for the members of thy
holy Church throughout all the world,
that thy people may be so guided and
governed of thee, that all who profess
to be and call themselves Saints may be
preserved in the unity of the faith, in
the way of truth, in the bonds of peace
and in holiness of life. Strengthen the
weak, we pray thee, and impart thy
Spirit unto all.
Our Father, may peace abide in all
the homes of thy Saints; may holy
angels guard them; may they be encom-
passed by thine arms of love; may
prosperity shine upon them, and may
the tempter and the destroyer be re-
moved far from them. May the days of
thy covenant people be lengthened out
in righteousness, and sickness and dis-
ease be rebuked from their midst. May
the land they inhabit be made fruitful by
thy grace; may its waters be increased
and the climate be tempered to the com-
fort and need of thy people; may
drought, devastating storms, cyclones,
and hurricanes be kept afar off, and
earthquakes never disturb the land
which thou hast given us. May locusts,
caterpillars and other insects not de-
stroy our gardens and desolate our
fields; but may we be a people blessed
of thee in our bodies and spirits, in our
homes and habitations, in our flocks
and herds, in ourselves and our posterity,
and in all that thou hast made us stew-
ards over.
Now pray we for the youth of Zion—
the children of thy people; endow them
richly with the spirit of faith and
righteousness and with increasing love
for thee and for thy law. Prosper all the
institutions that thou hast established in
our midst for their well-being. Give to
our Church schools an ever-increasing
power for good. May thy Holy Spirit
dominate the teachings given therein
and also control the hearts and illumine
the minds of the students. Bless mar-
velously thy servants, the General
Superintendent, and all the principals,
teachers and other officers, and also those
who form the General Board of Education
of thy Church. Remember likewise in
thy loving kindness the Sunday schools,
with all who, either as teachers or schol-
ars, belong thereto; may the influence of
the instruction given therein broaden
and deepen, to thy glory and the salva-
tion of thy children, until the perfect
day. Bless the members of the General
Board of the Deseret Sunday School
Union with the wisdom necessary for
the proper fulfillment of their duties and
for the accomplishment of the purposes
for which this board was created.
We also uphold before thee the Young
Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual Im-
provement associations, with all their
officers, general and local, and the
members. May they be prospered of
thee, their membership be enlarged and
the good that they accomplish increase
with every succeeding year. For the
Primaries and Religion classes we also
seek thy constant blessing and guiding
care; may the spirit of instruction be
poured out upon the presidents and
associate officers and teachers. May
they keep pace with the rest of the edu-
cational establishments in thy Church,
so that from their earliest years our
children may be diligently brought up in
the ways of the Lord, and thy name be
magnified in their growth in virtue and
intelligence.
Nor would we forget, O Lord, the
normal training classes among the peo-
ple, whether these classes be connected
with the Church schools, the Improve-
ment associations, or the Sunday
schools. Grant that these classes may
be the means of spreading true educa-
tion throughout all the borders of the
Saints by the creation of a body of
teachers who will not only be possessed
of rare intelligence but be filled also
with the spirit of the Gospel, and be
powerful in the testimony of thy truth
and in implanting a love for thee and for
thy works in the hearts of all whom
they instruct.
We would hold up before thee, O
Lord, the Relief Societies with all their
members; and all those who preside in
their midst according to their callings
and appointments, general or local.
Bless the teachers in their labors of
mercy and charity, who, as ministering
angels, visit the homes of the sick and
the needy, bearing succor, consolation
and comfort to the unfortunate and sor-
rowful. And bless, we beseech thee,
most merciful Father, the poor of thy
people, that the cry of want and suffer-
ing may not ascend unto thee from the
midst of thy Saints whom thou hast
blessed so abundantly with the comforts
of this world. Open up new avenues
by which the needy can obtain a liveli-
hood by honest industry, and also in-
cline the hearts of those blessed more
abundantly, to give generously of their
substance to their, in this respect, less
favored brethren and sisters, that thou
mayest not have reason to chide us
for the neglect of even the least among
thy covenant children.
O God of Israel, turn thy face, we
pray thee, in loving kindness toward
thy stricken people of the House of
Judah. Oh, deliver them from those
that oppress them. Heal up their
wounds, comfort their hearts, strengthen
their feet, and give them ministers after
thine own heart who shall lead them as
of old, in thy way. May the days of
their tribulation soon cease, and they be
planted by thee in the valleys and plains
of their ancient home; and may Jerusa-
lem rejoice and Judea be glad for the
multitude of her sons and daughters, for
the sweet voices of children in her
streets, and the rich outpouring of thy
saving mercies upon them. May Israel
no more bow the head, or bend the neck
to the oppressor, but may his feet be
made strong on the everlasting hills,
never more, by violence, to be banished
therefrom, and the praise and the glory
shall be thine.
Remember in like pity the dwindling
remnants of the House of Israel, de-
scendants of thy servant Lehi. Restore
them, we pray thee, to thine ancient
favor, fulfill in their completeness the
promises given to their fathers, and
make of them a white and delightsome
race, a loved and holy people as in
former days. May the time also be nigh
at hand when thou wilt gather the dis-
persed of Israel from the islands of the
sea and from every land in which thou
hast scattered them, and the ten tribes
of Jacob from their hiding place in the
north, and restore them to communion
and fellowship with their kinsmen of
the seed of Abraham.
We thank thee, O God of Israel, that
thou didst raise up patriotic men to lay
the foundation of this great American
government. Thou didst inspire them
to frame a good Constitution and laws
which guarantee to all of the inhabitants
of the land equal rights and privileges to
worship thee according to the dictates of
their own consciences. Bless the offi-
cers, both judicial and executive. Con-
fer abundant favors upon the President,
his Cabinet, and Congress. Enlightened
and guided by thy Spirit, may they main-
tain and uphold the glorious principles
of human liberty. Our hearts are filled
with gratitude to thee, our Father in
heaven, for thy kindness unto us in
softening the hearts of our fellow citi-
zens, the people of this nation, towards
us. That which thou hast done has
been marvelous in our eyes. We thank
thee that thou didst move upon the
heart of our President to issue a general
amnesty; that thou hast removed
prejudice and misunderstanding from
the minds of many of the people con-
cerning us and our purposes, and they
are disposed to treat us as fellow
citizens, and not as enemies. In this
holy house we feel to give thee glory
therefor, and we humbly ask thee to
increase this feeling in their hearts.
Enable them to see us in our true light.
Show unto them that we are their friends,
that we love liberty, that we will join
with them in upholding the rights of the
people, the Constitution and laws of our
country; and give unto us and our
children an increased disposition to al-
ways be loyal, and to do everything in
our power to maintain constitutional
rights and the freedom of all within the
confines of this great Republic.
Remember in mercy, O Lord, the
kings, the princes, the nobles, the rulers
and governors, and the great ones of the
earth, and likewise all the poor, the
afflicted and the oppressed, and indeed,
all people, that their hearts may be
softened when thy servants go forth to
bear testimony of thy name, that their
prejudices may give way before the
truth, and thy people find favor in their
eyes. [Doctrine and Covenants 109:56] So control the affairs of the na-
tions of the earth, that the way may be
prepared for the ushering in of a reign
of righteousness and truth. We desire
to see liberty spread throughout the
earth, to see oppression cease, the yoke
of the tyrant broken, and every des-
potic form of government overthrown
by which thy children are degraded and
crushed, and prevented from enjoying
their share of the blessings of the earth,
which thou hast created for their habi-
tation.
O God, the Eternal Father, thou
knowest all things. Thou seest the
course thy people have been led to take
in political matters. They have, in many
instances, joined the two great national
parties. Campaigns have been entered
upon, elections have been held, and
much party feeling has been engendered.
Many things have been said and done
which have wounded the feelings of the
humble and the meek, and which have
been a cause of offense. We beseech
thee, in thine infinite mercy and good-
ness, to forgive thy people wherein they,
have sinned in this direction. Show
them, O Father, their faults and their
errors, that they may see the same in the
light of thy Holy Spirit, and repent
truly and sincerely, and cultivate that
spirit of affection and love which thou
art desirous that all the children of men
should entertain one for another, and
which thy Saints, above all others,
should cherish. Enable thy people
hereafter to avoid bitterness and strife,
and to refrain from words and acts in
political discussions that shall create
feeling and grieve thy Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, when thy people
shall not have the opportunity of enter-
ing this holy house to offer their suppli-
cations unto thee, and they are op-
pressed and in trouble, surrounded by
difficulties or assailed by temptation,
and shall turn their faces towards this
thy holy house and ask thee for deliver-
ance, for help, for thy power to be ex-
tended in their behalf, we beseech thee
to look down from thy holy habitation
in mercy and tender compassion upon
them, and listen to their cries. Or
when the children of thy people, in
years to come, shall be separated,
through any cause, from this place, and
their hearts shall turn in remembrance
of thy promises to this holy Temple,
and they shall cry unto thee from the
depths of their affliction and sorrow to
extend relief and deliverance to them,
we humbly entreat thee to turn thine ear
in mercy to them; hearken to their cries,
and grant unto them the blessings for
which they ask.
Almighty Father, increase within us
the powers of that faith delivered to
and possessed by thy Saints. Strengthen
us by the memories of the glorious de-
liverances of the past, by the remem-
brance of the sacred covenants that thou
hast made with us, so that, when evil
overshadows us, when trouble encom-
passes us, when we pass through the
valley of humiliation, we may not falter,
may not doubt, but in the strength of
thy holy name may accomplish all thy
righteous purposes with regard to us,
fi[l]l the measure of our creation, and
triumph gloriously, by thy grace, over
every besetting sin, be redeemed from
every evil, and be numbered in the
kingdom of heaven amongst those who
shall dwell in thy presence forever.
And now, our Father, we bless thee,
we praise thee, we glorify thee, we
worship thee, day by day we magnify
thee, and give thee thanks for thy great
goodness towards us thy children, and
we pray thee, in the name of thy Son
Jesus Christ, our Savior, to hear these
our humble petitions, and answer us
from heaven, thy holy dwelling place,
where thou sittest enthroned in glory,
might, majesty, and dominion, and with
an infinitude of power which we, thy
mortal creatures, cannot imagine, much
less comprehend. Amen and Amen.
After the prayer the whole assem-
b[l]a[g]e joined in the holy "Hosanna
shout," as follows:
"Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, to
God and the Lamb. Amen, Amen,
Amen." This sacred exercise was
accompanied by simultaneous waving
of handkerchiefs by all the people as-
sembled.
The Hosanna anthem, (composed
for the dedication by Evan Stephens)
was sung by the choir, and, following
directly after it, the assemblage joined
in singing "The Spirit of God like a
Fire is Burning."
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
Addressed the congregation. His re-
marks were in harmony with the great
occasion. They were not only in
structive, but of such a character as to
afford comfort and consolation to the
Saints, pointing their minds to a
brighter day in the future than they
had ever yet beheld.
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
spoke words of comfort for the people
of Zion, and uttered a prophecy con-
cerning the future of the people of
God.