The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries Ancient and ModernTalmage, James E. (James Edward)
Religion
The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries Ancient and Modern
Talmage, James E. (James Edward)
Latter Day Saint temples; Temples
"The Bishop of Kirtland with his counselors, and the Bishop of
Zion with his counselors, were present with us, and received their
anointings under the hands of Father Smith, and this was confirmed
by the Presidency, and the glories of heaven were unfolded to them
also.
"We then invited the High Councilors of Kirtland and Zion into our
room. * * *
"The visions of heaven were opened to them also. Some of them
saw the face of the Savior, and others were ministered unto by
holy angels, and the spirit of prophecy and revelation was poured
out in mighty power; and loud hosannas, and glory to God in the
highest, saluted the heavens, for we all communed with the heavenly
host."[15]
The dedication of the Kirtland Temple occurred on Sunday, March 27,
1836. The early hour of 8 a.m. had been set as the time for opening the
doors; but so intense was the interest and so eager the expectation,
that long before the time hundreds had gathered about the doors. {119}
Between nine hundred and a thousand people attended the services. The
congregation was seated in solemn assembly, each of the organized
bodies of Priesthood with its presiding officers being in its appointed
place. Singing, scripture reading, and supplication for Divine grace,
were followed by brief addresses; after which the authorities of the
Church as then constituted were presented to the people for acceptance
or rejection, and a rising vote pledged unanimous support in every
instance. The authorities of the Priesthood so sustained comprised all
presiding officers from the First Presidency down to the presidency of
the deacons. The dedicatory prayer was then offered by Joseph Smith,
who affirms that the prayer was given to him by revelation.[16]
The question as to whether the House of the Lord was accepted as duly
dedicated was put to the quorums of the Priesthood separately and to
the congregation as a whole; the vote in the affirmative was unanimous.
The Lord's Supper was then administered, and many of the elders bore
solemn testimony to the divinity of the Gospel as restored. The
prophet's journal continues:
"President Frederick G. Williams arose and testified that while
President Rigdon was making his first prayer, an angel entered the
window and took his seat between Father Smith and himself, and
remained there during the prayer. President David Whitmer also saw
angels in the house. President Hyrum Smith made some appropriate
remarks congratulating those who had endured so many toils and
privations to build the house. President Rigdon then made a few
appropriate closing remarks, and a short prayer, at the close
of which we sealed the proceedings of {120} the day by shouting
'Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to God and the Lamb,' three times,
sealing it each time with 'Amen, Amen, and Amen.'"[17]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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