Promises Found in Dedicatory Prayers

By Hollie Wells

I wish I had more time to study many things in the vast library of gospel treasures. One, in particular, is temple dedicatory prayers. I didn’t even know until recently that these prayers are written down and available through the church’s temple website. (You can find temple dedicatory prayers here by clicking on the temple you’re interested in and scrolling all the way to the bottom, under “Milestones”) 

These prayers are filled with precious promises and the stirring words of prophets and apostles. It’s not every day you get to hear a prophet praying to God and there is so much power in that. Reading them emboldens my prayers and gives me more confidence before God and more faith in getting answers. 

The most well-known and read dedicatory prayer is the one for the Kirkland temple, the first in our dispensation. This text is part of our canonized scripture as Doctrine & Covenants section 109. I love reading this section because it has been adopted as promises for temples and temple-goers throughout the world and throughout time. These miraculous words bear truth to me every time I go to worship in the House of the Lord. 

Two promises 

As I was studying this section most recently, there were a couple of amazing promises that stood out to me. These promises are directly tied to worshipping in the temple both individually and collectively as a church. 

Armed with Power 

Verse 22 bears the well-known precept that when we go to the temple, we leave armed with God’s power and with angels to surround us. But the statement that goes missing is “that thy name may be upon them.” Christ’s name is the one we covenant to take upon us at baptism. What better way to have His name upon you than by worshipping in His house? Christ’s name brings protection, strength, and confidence to share the gospel. Having His name upon you changes you and how you behave and how others perceive you. What a tremendous blessing that is. 

Hearts Softened 

Have you ever wondered how you can support missionary efforts globally and locally besides actually going out with the missionaries? 

Another verse in this dedicatory prayer may have an answer for that! Verses 55 and 56 plead, “Remember the kings, the princes, the nobles, and the great ones of the earth, and all people, and the churches, all the poor, the needy, and afflicted ones of the earth; That their hearts may be softened when thy servants shall go out from thy house, O Jehovah, to bear testimony of thy name; that their prejudices may give way before the truth” 

I had never made that heavenly correlation before. I truly do believe that when the church members in an area are temple-going people, or saints who have their minds totally and constantly fixed on the temple and their covenants, the hearts of people in that community are more open to the gospel message. This blessing hit me profoundly and now I can look forward with that hope each time I attend– that the Lord will strengthen me to share the word and He will soften the hearts around me to receive it. 

What promises can you find in the dedicatory prayer of your local temple?