Dedicatory Prayer
3 November 2019
Dedicated 19 May 2002
by Gordon B. Hinckley
Almighty God, Father of us all, we come unto Thee in prayer as we dedicate Thy holy house this Sabbath day. Hear our prayer and accept of our thanks for Thy marvelous blessings upon us.
We are grateful that this Thy house has been constructed in this nation of Paraguay. Marvelous has been the growth of Thy work in this part of Thy vineyard. We thank Thee for the labors of missionaries who have taught the everlasting gospel. We thank Thee for all who with open hearts and open minds have accepted these teachings and entered the waters of baptism to become members of Thy Church. We thank Thee for the strength and power of Thy work. We are so grateful for the restoration of Thine everlasting gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We thank Thee that Thou didst reveal Thyself and Thy Son to the boy Joseph in answer to his prayer offered in faith. We thank Thee for the coming of Moroni with the testament of the
Book of Mormon. We thank Thee for the restoration of the priesthood under the hands of John the Baptist, and Peter, James, and John, with special priesthood keys later bestowed by Moses, Elias, and Elijah. We thank Thee that the hearts of the children have turned to their fathers with love and great service in Thy temples throughout the earth.
And now, acting in the authority of Thy divine priesthood and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we dedicate to Thee and to Thy Son this the Asuncin Paraguay Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We pray that Thou wilt accept it and hallow it and consecrate it as Thy holy house, even the House of the Lord.
We thank Thee for the beautiful grounds on which it stands and dedicate these with the vegetation which adorns them. We dedicate the structure from the footings to the figure of Moroni atop the steeple. We dedicate the interior room and features designed to accomplish Thy work—the baptistry, the facilities for the initiatory ordinances, the endowment rooms, the beautiful celestial room, the sealing rooms, and every other facility within this sacred structure. May they never be defiled. May all who look upon this structure regard it as a house of holiness. May all who enter its portals be clean of body and mind and worthy to serve in these sacred precincts. Bless the presidency of the temple and the matron and her assistants, and give them strength and energy to carry forward the work of this Thy house. Bless all who serve with them that a spirit of dedication may pervade all of their activity.
We pray for those who come as patrons that they may be touched by Thy holy Spirit. Let the solemnities of eternity rest upon them as they carry forward Thy work, a part of Thy great plan of happiness designed to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of Thy sons and daughters of all generations.
May this temple stand as a crowning jewel to Thy work in this nation. May Thy Saints throughout the land look to this Thy holy house as a sanctuary to which they may come to make sacred covenants with Thee and partake of the great blessings which Thou hast prepared for Thy faithful children.
We pray for this nation, that its citizens may enjoy the blessings of peace and freedom.
Bless Thy people in all the world. Sustain them, watch over them, increase their faith and their love for Thee.
As we dedicate this temple we also dedicate the adjoining Moroni Chapel and all of its facilities. May all who use it recognize that it is a house of worship, a house of learning, and a house of sociality. May they keep it clean and attractive as a structure dedicated to the accomplishment of Thy work and the fruition of Thy purposes.
Protect both the temple and the chapel from the storms of nature and any defilement from evil and destructive hands.
Both of these sacred structures have been made possible by the tithes of Thy faithful Saints throughout the earth. Bless and prosper them as they walk in obedience to Thy commandments.
Holy Father, how we love Thee! How we love Thy beloved Son! Accept of our love as we consecrate ourselves to the advancement of Thy work, we pray in the sacred name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.
Dedicatory Prayer
19 May 2002
Rededicated 3 November 2019
by D. Todd Christofferson
Almighty God, Thou great Elohim, our eternal Heavenly Father, we present ourselves before Thee in this, Thy Holy House. We pray that Thou wilt look upon us with tenderness and mercy while He who did no sin, He in whom Thou wast well pleased, thy Holy Son, Jesus Christ, advocates our cause before Thee. Hear, O hear us now as we pray in His name.
We gather today as a small group of Thy Saints representing all of Thy covenant people who dwell in this nation and unitedly express our gratitude to Thee for the multitude of blessings we receive at Thy hand. We are grateful for the blessings of peace and the necessities of life. We are grateful for the privilege of worshipping and serving Thee in this temple as well as in our chapels and in our homes. We are grateful to participate in Thy great work of redemption for both the living and the dead.
We are profoundly grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel, priesthood, and Church of Jesus Christ to the earth that Thou has brought to pass through him. We thank Thee that Thou and Thy Beloved Son condescended to appear and speak to the boy Joseph some 200 years ago to commence this, the long-awaited dispensation of the fulness of times. We are grateful for the continued unfolding of the Restoration, and for all who have assisted from the beginning or who now or in the future will sustain the cause of Christ. We pray that Thy kingdom on earth may go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come when Thou shalt bring again Zion, and Thy people will welcome the Savior Jesus Christ to reign upon this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Father, we recall the initial dedication of this temple in the year 2002. Today we invoke once more the thanks and petitions uttered to Thee in the dedicatory prayer offered on that occasion. And now, acting in the authority of the Holy Melchizedek priesthood, under the direction of Thy servant, President Russell M. Nelson, and in the name of Jesus Christ, we rededicate and reconsecrate to Thee and Thy Son, this, the Asunción Paraguay Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We pray that Thou wilt accept it and hallow and consecrate it as the House of the Lord.
We dedicate the grounds upon which the temple stands with its beautiful vegetation as well as the temple structure itself and all its elements. We dedicate the exterior and the interior — the baptistry, the ordinance rooms, the beautiful celestial room, the sealing rooms, and all other facilities of this sacred structure. We pray that all of these may be protected from harm or desecration of any kind and that Thou wilt preserve the sanctity of this holy place.
We remember the faithful tithe payers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose consecration has made possible the construction and renovation of this temple and the many other Houses of the Lord that now begin to dot the earth. Bless and prosper them and their families with the blessings that Thou hast promised will flow from the windows of heaven, including Thy rebuke of the adversary who as a devourer would seek to destroy the fruits of their labor in their homes and in all other worthy endeavors.
We pray for the temple president and his counselors and for the temple matron and her assistants. We pray for all who will serve here as ordinance workers, patrons, or in any other capacity. We pray that all who enter here may be blessed with added, faith, testimony, and understanding. May they be endowed with holiness and with power from on high to go forth bearing Thy name and declaring the glad tidings of truth restored.
Loving Father, we pray that Thou wilt bless this nation, the locus of this now rededicated House of the Lord, with peace and liberty. Please bless the leaders of the nation and the agencies of government at all levels that they may seek the welfare of the people and be guided in the ways best calculated to achieve the common good. May this become an increasingly just and benevolent society, and may the freedoms of its citizens be preserved. May the faithfulness of the Latter-day Saints in Paraguay call forth Thy blessings upon all the people of the nation.
We pray that Thou wilt bless the Church, its leaders, and the Latter-day Saints across the earth. We remember in this moment Thy servant President Russell M. Nelson and pray that Thou wilt continue to magnify and watch over him and all who assist him. May Thy work go forward to gather Thy covenant people into the stakes of Zion on this side of the veil and to redeem their progenitors in the world of spirits who await the ordinances of salvation in which this temple plays such a significant role.
In humility we plead that Thou wilt hear us when we come before Thee in prayer. Watch over us in our activities and service day to day, especially in this sacred place. We consecrate ourselves to Thee and to Thy work and glory. We ascribe to Thee all power, honor and glory. We plead that Thou will receive this our offering and our praise forever, through and in the name of Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, amen.