Following is the translation of the prayer offered in Portuguese by Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to dedicate the Belém Brazil Temple on Sunday, Nov. 20.
Our dear and beloved Heavenly Father, we gather today to dedicate the Belém Brazil Temple so that Thy power may be felt in greater abundance in northern Brazil. We unitedly pray that Thou would forgive us our sins so that we may stand clean before Thee. We pray that this dedicatory prayer will receive Thine approval. We are grateful for members throughout the world whose faithful payment of tithes and offerings have made this temple possible. We ask that they may be blessed for their diligence and faith.
Two millennia ago, wise men came to the village of Belém (Bethlehem) in Judea to worship Thy Beloved Son. Today, many of Thy sons and daughters, who also seek to be wise, will now come to this beautiful city of Belém (Bethlehem), not because it is a gateway to the riches and wonders of the most powerful river in the world, but to worship Jesus Christ in this temple and thus obtain the riches of eternity. We pray that all who enter may feel Thy power and sense that Thou hast sanctified it as a place of Thy holiness.
The ancestry of Thy children in this temple district is diverse, manifesting a worldwide heritage. Many may struggle to find ancestral records. We ask for Thy help to find and preserve these records so that Thy blessings may be made available to all.
We recognize that Jesus Christ has abolished any enmity and differences among people through His atoning sacrifice so that we can all be fellow citizens in Thy household. We pray that patrons and ordinance workers of this temple will be agents of unity as they come to worship here.
We recognize that there is rejoicing on both sides of the veil for those who have been waiting for the construction of this temple. We feel highly favored to see the heavenly priesthood unite with the earthly priesthood and to sense Thy Spirit shower down from above and dwell with us. We are grateful to be part of Thy work that is destined to destroy the powers of darkness, renovate the earth, and bring salvation to the human family. We sense that the veil is particularly thin today.
We are grateful for our Savior and His Atonement, for the blessings of immortality and the opportunity for eternal life. We are grateful for the gift of repentance, that allows us to learn from our mistakes and not be condemned by them, that through sincere and intentional repentance, no spiritual scar will remain, that we may come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him, and find that His grace is sufficient for us to be sanctified.
We are grateful for the Restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets. We thank Thee for heavenly messengers who restored priesthood keys, enabling saving and exalting ordinances to be performed in this temple. We are grateful for President Russell M. Nelson who continues this prophetic heritage in our day.
We thank Thee for pioneers who initiated Thy work in northern Brazil. Some sacrificed greatly to do so. We ask that Thy blessings will be on them and their posterity. Some of these individuals have lost their way, but we pray that they may speedily repent and return unto Thee, find favor in Thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which Thou hast provided for those who shall reverence Thee here. We thank Thee for all who are pioneers in their own families, establishing a chain of faithfulness among their posterity.
By the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood and the authorization of President Russell M. Nelson, and exercising the keys of the holy Apostleship, we dedicate unto Thee and Thy Son, Jesus Christ, the Belém Brazil Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the sacred purposes for which it has been built.
We consecrate every part of the temple, footings and foundation, baptismal font, ordinance and sealing rooms, celestial room, offices, other spaces, mechanical systems, the statue of the Angel Moroni that adorns the top, as well as the surrounding facilities and grounds. We invoke a blessing that these structures will withstand the forces of nature and of time, that the temple will be protected from every destructive influence, and that those who approach these premises with evil intent will be thwarted.
We bless current and future temple presidencies, matrons, assistant matrons, ordinance workers, sealers, and patrons that they will be protected, that no weapon of wickedness will have power to prevail over them.
Many will still have to travel long distances to reach this temple. Many may have to travel in unsafe conditions. We bless them, that their exercise of faith will be rewarded with safety for them and their families and that they will be protected in their travels to and from the Belém Brazil Temple.
We pledge to do our best to ensure that no unclean thing will enter the temple and that we will strive to keep the covenants we have made with Thee. We promise to do our part to prepare ourselves and the earth for the return of Thy Son.
We ask Thee to bless the wonderful nation of Brazil with peace and protection. Please inspire and strengthen its leaders to facilitate freedoms that allow for the safety and well-being of all Thy children and for the progress of Thy work.
We pray for the rising generation, that every obstacle in the way of their realizing their eternal destiny may be dissipated because of their faith in Thy Son. We pray that many will be inspired to prepare to serve as missionaries and facilitate the gathering of Israel.
We pray for all who are displaced from their homes. Please relieve their suffering and give them hope. We pray for all who have been marginalized, oppressed, or subjugated in any way, that they may be buoyed up by learning that they are Thy beloved children with a divine nature and eternal destiny.
We ask Thee to bless individuals in the communities of the temple district who do not share our faith, that they may revere and respect this holy temple and thereby be edified by its presence.
In humility, we ask Thee to accept the Belém Brazil Temple as a dedicated and consecrated house of the Lord and seal Thine approval upon it as a holy place, worthy of Thy and Thy Son’s habitation, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
