In the dedication, President Brigham Young urged the attendance to be
“devotional” and not be gazing around the house during the
dedicatory prayer. The monument erected in 1959 that vaguely marks the
northwest corner of the old edifice states that John Taylor offered the
dedicatory prayer, however at least Christensen reports that it was
Brigham Young. Indeed, Brigham names himself in the prayer.
(While recording Brigham Young’s dedicatory prayer for this edifice,
author Christensen (see Bibliography)
nevertheless attributes the dedication of Meeting House in 1867
to John Taylor. Also, the stone monument erected in 1959
by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers names President Taylor as the dedicating
authority.)
“O God the Eternal Father, in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ,
we approach Thee, to offer up our prayers, and our praises and our
thanksgivings unto Thee.
“Thy servants, who reside in this place, have after many years, built
this House unto Thee, as a place of worship, a house of prayer, a place for
Thy people to assemble in, to speak, and to hear Thy word, and to worship Thee.
And as all of our works ought to be performed with an eye single to the Thy
glory, and the building up of Thy Kingdom on the earth; as as we are dependent
upon Thee, O Lord, for thy care, over-sight, protection and blessings, whether
they pertain to this life, or the life that is to come; Thy servant Brigham
and his brethren have come here for the purpose of dedicating and consecrating
this house unto Thee, and its surroundings, and of asking Thee to bless the
authorities that preside over Thy saints in this place, and all of Thy people
who dwell here, and all that shall worship in this house.
“Bless, therefore, we pray Thee, Thy servant Brigham, that he may be
filled with the Holy Ghost and the power of God, as Thy representative; that
the spirit of his calling and priesthood may rest upon him; that the light
and intelligence of heaven may beam upon his mind; and that he, being filled
with the light of life, may be enabled to administer in this, and all the
functions of the Holy Priesthood, as Thy representative upon the earth, as
the Apostle and President of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Bless Thy servant Heber, and Thy servant Daniel with the same blessings:
may they, bound together by the bonds of eternal love, by the power of the
everlasting priesthood, and the love of God, form a phalanx of wisdom, union,
power, love, integrity, virtue and brotherhood, and the refulgent rays of
light, life and intelligence flowing from Thee to them may serve as a beacon
to Thy saints to lead them in the pathway of life and to the city of our God.
“Bless Thy servants, the Twelve Apostles; fill them with the spirit and office
of their holy callings and apostleship; preserve them from error and evil; fill
them with the Holy Ghost and the spirit of wisdom and testimony, that in union
with themselves, they may also be co-workers and fellow-laborers with Thy
servants of the First Presidency, in building up Thy Church and kingdom on the
earth.
“Bless the High Councils of Zion, and of her stakes, and let the spirit of
wisdom, judgment, mercy, integrity, and righteousness dwell with them. Bless
the High Priests, the Seventies, the Elders, the Priests, Teachers and Deacons;
may they all be under Thy guidance and dictation and magnify their priesthood
and calling.
“We pray Thee especially to bless the Bishops, with their President.
Give unto them wisdom and discernment, patience, integrity, and the love of
the truth. Help them to act with an eye single to Thy glory and the promotion
of good, holy and virtuous principles, that they may be patterns to their
flocks and lead them in the paths of righteousness.
“Bless the Bishops of this place, and all who have assisted them in
building this house, even Thy saints, and inasmuch as they have contributed
of their substance, with a free will, to erect this building, let them be
blessed in their habitations, in their fields, flocks and herds. Bless them
with the spirit of the gospel, and the light of life. Bless Thy
people&mbdash;even this this large assembly—who have met here from their
various neighborhoods to be present at, and assist in, dedicating this house
unto Thee. Let Thy spirit or power, O God, rest down upon us, and let our
hearts be made joyful with Thy presence. Inspire us in our prayers, and
teachings, and hearing, in our music and singing. Forgive our sins we pray
Thee, O Lord, and let our supplication ascend as holy incense before Thee.
“Now, O Lord, our Heavenly Father, as we receive all from Thee, so would
we give all to Thee. In Thee we live, we move, and from Thee we derive our
being, and to Thee we consecrate ourselves and all that we have for Thou art
our Father. We therefore dedicate and consecrate this house unto thee, from the
foundation to the topstone, that it may be a place in which Thy Spirit shall
dwell, that no unholiness nor impurity may be associated therewith, but, that
it may be holy and sanctified unto Thee.
“Bless the ground, we pray Thee, upon which it is built or that is
connected therewith, may be sanctified unto the Lord our God as holy ground,
consecrated and set apart to His service, and for building a house upon for
His worship.
Bless the land composing this square, and the land of this city included in the
city plots; and the whole of this valley we consecrate and dedicate it to Thee.
Bless, we pray Thee, the house, in all its parts, that is built or rests upon
this ground. Bless the foundation stones thereof, and all of the stone wall
that composes the foundation, together with the lime, the sand, the lime and
clay of which the mortar is composed that bind it together. Bless also the
columns, and their bases and caps that are placed in the foundation, or
basement, to support the building.
“We ask Thee also to bless the adobes of which the upper part of the
building is built, and the sand, clay and lime composing the mortar which bind
them together, as well as the body of the house, as the porch or place whereon
the tower rests, the vestry and all parts of the building.
“Bless also the beams, the joists, the columns, the flooring, the
lintels, and all the woodwork pertaining thereto, including the beams and
binders that compose or sustain the tower. Bless also the plates, the rafters
and beams that sustain the roof, and all the ties and fastening thereof,
together with the sheeting and the shingles; the tin, zinc or other materials
used upon the roof or tower; the ball and vane that rest upon the top of the
tower; the bell and its fastenings, and everything pertaining thereto.
“Bless also the floors of this building, and the boards of which they are
composed, and the nails with which they are fastened, and all the nails used
for other purposes. Bless the joists that sustain the ceiling, and the lath and
nails that fasten them to the joists; and the mortar of which the plastering is
composed; and bless the studding, the plastering or cement, whether inside or
outside of the building; the facade, with the steps, cornice, and all
ornaments of stone, wood, plaster, cement or metal; whether inside or outside
of the house, or on the tower. Bless the gallery, with the seats thereof, and
the stairs that lead to it; and the porch or vestibule; the columns that sustain
the gallery and all the beams and fastenings connected therewith.
“Bless the stand which is erected for Thy Priesthood, the timber of
which it is composed, the seats and everything pertaining to it. Bless also
the seats throughout the house, whether above or below, that are placed there
for the comfort of Thy people; and bless the paint, the varnish, the carpets,
curtains, chandeliers, lamps and everything that is placed for the convenience
and comfort of Thy saints, or the beauty of this building. We Thy servants,
O Lord, dedicated and consecrate all unto Thee, and we dedicate ourselves
and this people and this land unto Thee.
“And now, O Lord, we pray Thee to let Thy blessing rest upon this house;
upon Thy people who are assembled here; and upon all who shall assemble in this
house to worship Thee. Let the peace and blessing of God abide in this place;
and when Thy servants, the Holy Priesthood, shall arise, in this stand, to
declare Thy word, let them be full of the Holy Ghost and the power of God, and
administer the words of life. And when the people shall assemble in this house
to hear Thy word, to pray, or call upon Thy name, let Thy blessing, our Father,
rest upon them, and Thy spirit enlighten their minds; and show unto them the
beauties of Thy law, and the blessings of the everlasting gospel. And when
Thine elders shall gather together to call upon thy name, in the order that
Thous has appointed, then hear Thou, O Lord, their prayers, according to Thy
mercy and loving kindness, and answer their petitions.
“We ask these blessings, with the forgiveness of all our sins,
in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Brigham then spoke on the Word of Wisdom and the 12-sided temple to be built in
Jackson County, Missouri.
Wilford Woodruff spoke of the ressemblance of the house to Presbyterian meeting
houses saying it was useful that the youth get to know the environment of
worship their elders grew up in.
