Dedicatory Prayer for Columbia Basin Ward Building

May 19, 1966

During the past week the members of the ward gathered at the chapel to clean bricks, landscape and do the final cleaning of the building.

May 19. A dedicatory service was held for the new chapel which has just been completed at a cost of $297,640.09. Elder A. Theodore Tuttle, a member of First Council of Seventy, was present and offered the dedicatory address and prayer. He commended the people for the large families and challenged the parents to continually work with and to keep a close association with their children. 253 were in attendance. Following is the dedicatory prayer:

Our Heavenly Father, humbly we present ourselves in this beautiful house this evening, in worship of Thee and we are here in gratitude for the many blessings that we enjoy and we come to express our thanks unto thee, our Father, for the many goodnesses we enjoy. Our Father, we are grateful for the gospel which Thou hast ordained before this life to be sent to this earth to bless thy children. We are grateful for the various dispensations of the gospel and for those who have carried Thy gospel message in the different times in the history of the church.

We are most grateful for the mission of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, that Thou didst love us enough to atone for the sins of Adam and for our sins, that upon the conditions of our faith and repentance that we might come again unto Thee. We are grateful, our Father, for the life of Thy Son, that he did ___ perfect sacrifice and live a perfect life and redeemed us and paid the debts of the sufferings of our sins. Help us, our Father, to keep the covenants which we have made with Thee in Thy behalf.

Our Father, we are grateful for the life and mission of Joseph Smith who restored the gospel in this last dispensation. We are grateful for his life, for the sacrifices he made of his own life to the defense of the truth, and as we have sung here this evening “Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings,” we are grateful for the sacrifices he made and for the blessings it has brought.

Now, we are grateful for our great own prophet, President McKay, for his great leadership, for his great vision of temple building, missionary work, correlations and all of the great things he has done; wilt thou bless him in our respect for him.

Now, we are grateful for one another, Father, for those who belong to the Columbia Basin Ward we offer in their behalf for the progress which they have made and contributions which they have made to this completed chapel, and we offer it unto thee, Our Father, and Our God.

Now, Father, by the power of the Holy Priesthood which I hold I declare this the Columbia Basin Ward Chapel unto Thee and pray that Thou wilt accept it and Thou wilt bless it, that Thou wilt protect it until its mission is completed that no harm or damage will come to it. Wilt Thou cause that it will be a house of reverence, a house of order, that those who enter will receive hope and strength. Wilt Thou cause that the truth will be taught from this pulpit and also from the classrooms and the teachers might be endowed from Thee that the Holy Spirit will take the lead of those minds who are present here. Our Father, provide this holy building that those who enter here might feel the Holy Spirit which hovers in this place. Bless all of the land around it, bless this project, bless this Ward, bless the leaders thereof, our Father, prospereth them in their life’s work in Thy service. Bless the membership of this Ward, our Father, give them blessing beyond their natural capacity to subdue this earth to rear their families as they ought to do that they might enjoy love and harmony in their homes, that peace and plenty will abide, that they will receive truth and act upon it.

Now we are grateful for the great building program of the church, for those who have labored here, for the supervisors, for the work missionaries, for all those who have contributed in any way. Wilt Thou bless them.

Now, we give unto Thee thanks from our hearts and acknowledge Thee as our Father and our God. We pray that Thou wilt continue to help us to so live to merit Thy blessings.

Now, Father, as we come to Thy home, to Thy house as guests, bless us with Thy Spirit and Thy influence and let reverence pervade this place. We now dedicate this building and present it unto Thee and do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.