Following is the complete text of the Cardston Alberta Temple dedicatory prayer offered by President Gordon B. Hinckley. The temple was rededicated June 22-24, 1991, in 12 sessions.
O God, our Eternal Father, we bow before thee with grateful hearts as we rededicate this thy holy house. We come unto thee in the name of thy beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind.
We thank thee for the great and universal atonement wrought by the Lamb of God who came into the world to redeem the world that all might be saved from the bonds of death and through obedience obtain eternal life.We thank thee, our God, for the Prophet Joseph Smith, and for all of the gifts, powers, and keys restored through him in the opening of this great and final dispensation of the fullness of times.
Sixty-eight years ago, in 1923, thy servant President Heber J. Grant first dedicated this sacred structure, offering thanks unto thee for the strength of thy work in this nation and for the presence of thy house in this community where thy faithful people came as pioneers to a new land.
Hugh B. Brown, counselor in the First Presidency, in July of 1962, dedicated additions to the temple.
Now the entire structure has been renovated and renewed in an undertaking that makes it more efficient, more attractive and convenient than ever before.
We are pleased that in this renovation those who have worked within these walls have been men and women worthy to enter thy holy temples. They have labored in a spirit of consecration, and the fruits of their labors are beautiful to behold.
The doors of thy house have again been opened to the public, and thousands of visitors have reverently walked through these sacred halls and rooms and expressed their appreciation.
Now these doors have closed anew to all but thy faithful saints so that in these precincts, again hallowed and sanctified, thy holy work may go forward.
Acting in the authority of the everlasting priesthood and in the name of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, we now rededicate this, the Alberta Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to thee, our Eternal Father, and to thy divine Son Jesus Christ. We rededicate it as the House of the Lord, as thy dwelling place, and for the consummation of thy holy purposes.
We dedicate the grounds with their trees, shrubs, flowers and grass that provide a beautiful setting for this thy sacred house.
We dedicate the structure from the footings and foundation to the highest elevation of the roof that it may stand firm and immovable against any trembling of the earth and against the storms of nature that may beat upon these walls. We pray that thou wilt preserve it from desecration at the hands of any with evil intent.
We dedicate the new heating and cooling systems, the new electrical system and every other vital part that all may function properly for the comfort, the convenience, and well-being of those who attend here.
We dedicate the rooms and their furnishings, and pray for thy particular blessings upon those facilities and areas where are administered the sacred and eternal ordinances of thy house. May thy Holy Spirit dwell here and bring peace and love everlasting into the hearts of all who serve within this temple. May thy faithful saints come with gladness to participate in the holy ordinances of this house, and receive with worthiness their washings and anointings, their endowments and sealings. May the covenants they make at the holy altars never be forgotten. And may they, with dedication, make all of these ordinances available to those beyond the veil of death through a great and unselfish work of vicarious service.
Father, as we invoke thy blessings upon thy work to be done in this temple, we also invoke thy blessings upon the work that is done in all other temples throughout the world. Touch the hearts of thy people with the Spirit of Elijah the prophet, who restored the keys of the divine work of redemption of the dead. May the hearts of the children be turned to their fathers. May they seek the records of their forebears and labor to link them together for eternity through ordinances that are binding in the heavens as they are binding upon the earth. May thy Spirit move upon those of the nations who control family history resources that these may be opened to thy people, that they may accomplish the work thou hast required of them.
Bless this great nation of Canada where is found freedom of worship, freedom to assemble, and freedom of expression. May these long-established and cherished liberties be preserved for the blessing of all who live here, and as an example to the entire world.
Bless the Latter-day Saints of Canada that they may be good citizens of the nation, men and women of integrity worthy of the respect of the people of this nation, and contributing of their talents and strength to its well-being.
Bless thy work that it may prosper in this land, that the homes of the people may be opened to thy faithful servants who are called and sent forth to teach the gospel of salvation. May the missionaries wherever they labor be endowed with power from on high that they may speak with persuasion to the blessing of all who hear their testimonies.
Father, today we miss the presence of thy prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson. The infirmities of age limit his activities. May he know of the love and sustaining prayers of thy people. May thy blessings rest upon his counselors, the twelve apostles, the Seventy, the bishopric, and the leaders of the auxiliary organizations. Bless those who serve in stake and ward and mission capacities, and all who carry responsibility for thy work in all the world.
We invoke thy blessings upon the temple presidency, the matron and her assistants, and all who serve in this thy house.
Please, Father, smile upon thy faithful people everywhere. Open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings upon them that there shall not be room enough to receive them.
We love thee, Father. We love thy Son. We pray that we may express that love always through service to thy sons and daughters, both the living and the dead. May we ever be found true and faithful to the sacred covenants made in the House of the Lord.
May we leave thy house this day with a renewal of faith and with an added spirit of dedication unto thy work and that of thy Son.
Thou great Elohim, hear our prayers and look with favor upon us, we ask in the name of our divine Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
