-- Mar 27, 1836
[Brigham Young Sermon] President Brigham Young gave a short address in tongues, and David W. Patten interpreted. -- Kirtland, Ohio [History of the Church. 7 Vols. B. H. Roberts, ed. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, Co., 1902. 2:428] (1)
[Joseph Smith] The Kirtland Temple is dedicated. The doors to the temple are open at seven A.M. Joseph seats the people. Almost 1,000 enter, many others are turned away. Contributions in excess of $950 are given. At nine A.M. Sidney Rigdon opens the service and speaks for two and a half hours on the need for belief in "present revelation," at one point drawing tears from many. He says that in spite of the many houses of worship built on the earth, this is the only one built by divine revelation. Songs of hosanna are sung. The audience rises to sustain the First Presidency. The Twelve are sustained "as Prophets, Seers, Revelators, and special witnesses to all nations of the earth." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 2:417.) The Presidents of the Seventy are sustained as "Apostles and special witnesses to the nations, to assist the Twelve in opening the Gospel kingdom among all people." Other officers are also sustained. "The vote was unanimous in every instance." (HC 2:418.) Another hymn is sung. Joseph offers the dedicatoryprayer, which was given by revelation. It is recorded as D&C 109.The dedication is then unanimously accepted and the Lord's Supper is administered. Others rise to speak. President Frederick G. Williams testifies that an angel entered the window. David Whitmer also testifies that he saw an angel. President Brigham Young gives a short speech in tongues, which David W. Patten interprets; Elder Patten then speaks in tongues himself. The meeting is adjourned at about four o'clock.In the evening 416 brothers meet for the ordinance of the washing of feet. George A. Smith begins to prophesy, and a noise "like the sound of a rushing mighty wind" fills the temple; all arise and feel the invisible power, and experience visions, angels, the gift of tongues. People in the neighborhood hearing unusual noises and seeing the bright light above the temple run toward it to see what is happening. (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 2:410-28.) (2)
[Joseph Smith Diary] 27th Sunday morning the 27th The congregation began to assemble /at the Chapel [Kirtland Temple]/ at about 7 o'clock, one hour earlier than the doors were to be opened. Many brethren had come in from the regions round about to witness the dedication of the Lord's House and Share in His blessings. Such was the anxiety on this occasion that Some hundreds (probably five or six) assembled collected before the doors were opened.
The Presidency entered with the door ke[e]pers and ar[r]anged them at the inner and outer doors, also placed our stewards to receiv[e] donations from those who should feel disposed to contribute something to defray the expenses of building the House of the Lord. /We also dedicated the pulpits and concecrated them to the Lord/ The doors were then opened.
President Rigdon, President Cowdery, and myself Seated the congregation as they came in. According to the best calculations we could make we received between 9 /hundred/ and 1,000 which is as many as can be comfortably situated. We then informed the door keepers that we could receive no more and a multitude were deprived of the benefits of the meeting on account of the House not being sufficiently capacious [spacious] to receive them.
I felt to regret that any of my brethren and sisters should be deprived of the meeting. I recommended them to repair to the School house and hold a meeting which they did and filled that house /also/ and yet many were left out.
The assembly were then organized in the following manner, viz:
President F. G. Williams, Presdt Joseph Smith, Sen father and Presdt W. W. Phelps occupied the first pulpit /in the west end of the house/ for the Melchisedec priesthood. Presdt S. Rigdon. myself, and Prest Hyrum Smith the 2nd. Presdt D. Whitmer, Presdt O. Cowdery, and Presdt John Whitmer the 3rd. The 4th was occupied by the preisdent of the high priests and his counselors and 2 choristers, 12 apostles on the right, the high council of Kirtland on the left. The pulpits /in the east end of the house/ for the Aaronic priesthood were occupied in the following manner: The Bishop of Kirtland and his counsellors in the 2nd, the presdt of the priest and his counsellors in the 3rd, the presdt of the Teachers and his counsellors in the 4th, the 7 presdt of the seventies. The high council of Zion on the right, the 7 presdt of the Seventies on the left.
West end of the House
Pres[i]d[en]t F[rederick] Williams, Pres[i]d[en]t Joseph Smith, Sen[ior], and President W[illiam] W. Phelps occupied the 1st pulpit for the Melchisedic Priesthood. Pres[i]d[en]t S[idney] Rigdon, myself, and Pres[i]d[en]t Hyrum Smith in the 2nd [pulpit]. Pres[i]d[ent] D[avid] Whitmer, Pres[i]d[en]t O[liver] Cowdery, and Pres[i]d[en]t J[ohn] Whitmer in the 3d [pulpit]. The 4th [pulpit] was occipied by the President of the High Priests and his counsellors, and 2 choiresters. The 12 Apostles on the right in the 3 highest seats, the Pres[i]d[en]t of the Eld[e]rs, his clerk, and counsellors in the seat immediately below the 12 [Apostles]. The High Council of Kirtland consisting of 12 [counsellors] on the left in the 3 first seats. The 4th seat below them was occupied by Eld[e]rs W[arren] A. Cowdery and W[arren] Parrish who served as scribes.
The pulpits in the east end of the House for the Aaronic Priesthood were occupied as follows: The Bishop of Kirtland and his counsellors in the 1st pulpit. The Bishop of Zion and his counsillors in the 2nd. The Pres[i]d[en]t of the Priests and his counsellors in the 3d. The Pres[i]d[en]t of the Teachers and his counsellors /and one choirester/ in the 4th. The High Council of Zion consisting of 12 counsellors on the right. The Pres[i]d[en]t of the Deacons and his counsillors in the seat below them. The 7 Pres[i]d[en]ts of the Seventies on the left. The choir of singers were seated in the 4 corners of the room in seats prepared for that purpose.
/Rec[eive]d by contribution $960.00
/9 o'clock A.M. the servises of the day were opened by Pres[i]d[en]t S[idney] Rigdon by reading 1st the 96th Psalm [and] secondly the 24th Psalm. The choir then Sung hymn on the 29th page of Latter day Saints' collection of hymns ["Ere long the veil will rend in twain," by Parley P. Pratt]. Prayer by Pres[i]d[en]t Rigdon. Choir then sung hymn on 14th page ["O happy souls, who pray," William W. Phelps]. Pres[i]d[en]t Rigdon then /read/ the 18[th], 19[th] and 20[th] verses of the 8th Chapter of Mat[t]hew and preached more particularly from the 20th verse. His prayer and address were very forcible and sublime, and well adapted to the occasion.
After he close his sermon, he called upon the several quorums commenceing with the Presidency to manifest by rising up their willingness to acknowledge me as a prophet and seer and uphold me as such by their p[r]ayers of faith. All the quorums in their turn cheerfully complyed with this request. He then called upon all the congregation of Saints also to give their assent by rising on their feet which they did unanimously.
After [an] intermission of 20 minutes the servises of the day were resumed by singing Adam-ondi-Ahman. I then made a short address and called upon the several quorums and all the congregation of Saints to acknowledge the Presidency as Prophets and Seers and uphold them by their prayers. They all covenanted to do so by rising.
I then called upon the quorums and congregation of Saints to acknowledge the 12 Apostles who were present as Prophets and Seers and special witnesses to all the nations of the earth, holding the keys of the kingdom to unlock it or cause it to be done among all nations them and [to] uphold them by their prayers, which they assented to by rising.* [see note bottom of manuscript page 176]
I then called upon the quorums and congregation of Saints to acknowledge the High Council of Kirtland in all the authorities of the Melchisedec Priesthood and uphold them by their prayers which they assented to by rising.
I then called upon the quorums and congregation of Saints to acknowledge and uphold by their prayers the Bishops of Kirtland and Zion and their counsellors, the Presidents of the Priests in all the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood which they did by rising.
I then called upon the quorums and congregation of Saints to acknowledge the High Council of Zion and uphold them by their prayers in all authority of the High Priesthood which they did by rising.
I next called upon the quorums and congregation of Saints to acknowledge the Presidents of the Seventys who act as their represent[at]ives as /Apostles and/ special witnesses to the nations to assist the 12 [Apostles] in opening the gospel kingdom among all people and to uphold them by their prayers which they did by rising.
I then called upon the quorums and all the Saints to acknowledge [the] President of Elders and his counsellors and uphold them by their prayers which they did by rising.
The quorums and congregation of Saints were then called upon to acknowledge and uphold by their prayers the Presidents of the Priests, Teachers, and Deacons and their counsellors which they did by rising.
* N.B. The Presidents of the Seventys were acknowledged first after the 12 Apostles.
The hymn on the hundred and 14 page ["How pleased and blessed was I," by Isaac Watts] was then sung, after which I offered to God the following dedication prayer:
[Dedicatory] Prayer
At the dedication of the Lord's House in Kirtland, Ohio, March 27th 1836 by Joseph Smith, Jr., President of the Church of the Latter Day Saints.
Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and shewest mercy unto thy servants, who walk uprightly before thee with all their hearts. Thou who hast commanded thy servants to build an house to thy name in this place (Kirtland). And now thou beholdest, O Lord, that so thy servants have done according to thy commandment. And now we ask the[e], Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of thy bosom, in whose name alone salvation can be administered to the children of men, we ask the[e], O Lord, to accept of this house, the workmanship of the hands of us, thy servants, which thou didst command us to build; for thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people.
And as thou hast said, in a revelation given unto us, calling us thy friends, saying, "Call your Solemn Assembly, as I have commanded you; and as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; Seek learning; even by study, and also by faith. Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house [of] fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God; that your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord: that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands to the Most High."
And now, Holy Father, we ask thee to assist us, thy people with thy grace in calling our Solemn Assembly, that it may be done to thy honor, and to thy divine acceptance, and in a manner that we may be found worthy in thy sight to secure a fulfil[l]ment of the promises which thou hast made unto us thy people, in the revelatio[n]s given unto us; that thy glory may rest down upon thy people, and upon this thy house, which we now dedicate to thee; that it may be sanctified and consecrated to be holy, and that thy holy presence may be continually in this house; and that all people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord's House may feel thy power and be constrained to acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it, and that it is thy house, a place of thy holiness.
And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house, may be taught words of wisdom out of the best books, and that they may seek learning, even by study, and also by faith, as thou hast said; and that they may grow up in thee and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing and that this house may be a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of glory and of God, even thy house; that all the incomings of thy people, into this house, may be in the name of the Lord; that all their outgoings, from this house, may be in the name of the Lord; that all their salutations may be in the name of [the] Lord, with holy hands uplifted to the Most High; and that no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into thy house to pollute it.
And when thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent and return to thee, and find favour in thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which thou hast ordained, to be poured out upon those who shall reverance thee in this thy house.
And we ask, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house, armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them, and from this place they may bear exceeding great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of thy prophets concerning the last days.
We ask the[e], Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations, and for eterni/ty/ that no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself; that no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people, upon whom thy name shall be put in this house: and if any people shall rise against this people, that thine anger be kindled against them: and if they shall smite this people, thou wilt smite them, thou wilt fight for thy people as thou didst in the day of battle, that they may be delivered from the hands of all their enemies.
We ask thee, Holy Father, to confound and astonish, and bring to shame and confusion, all those who have spread lying reports abroad over the world against thy servant or servants, if they will not repent when the everlasting gospel shall be proclaimed in their ears, and that all their works may be brought to nought, and be swept away by the hail, and by the judgements, which thou wilt send upon them in thine anger, that their may be an end to lyings and slanders against thy people: for thou knowest, O Lord, that thy servants have been innocent before thee in bearing record of thy name for which they have suffered these things, therefore we plead before thee a full and complete deliverance from under this yoke. Break it off O Lord; break it off from the necks of thy servants, by thy power, that we may rise up in the midst of this generation and do thy work!
O Jehovah, have mercy upon this people, and as all men sin, forgive the transgressions of thy people, and let them be blotted out forever. Let the anointing of thy ministers be sealed upon them with power from on high. Let it be fulfilled upon them as upon those on the day of Pentacost. Let the gift of tongues be poured out upon thy people, even cloven tongues as of fire, and the interpretation thereof. And let thy house be filled, as with a rushing mighty wind, with thy glory.
Put upon thy servants the testimony of the covenant that where they go out and proclaim thy word, they may seal up the law, and prepare the hearts of thy Saints for all those judg/e/ments thou art about to send, in thy wrath, upon the inhabitants of the earth because of their transgressions, that thy people may not faint in the day of trouble.
And whatever city thy servants shall enter, and the people of that city receive not their testimony let thy peace and thy salvation be upon that city, that they may gather out from that city the righteous, that they may come forth to Zion or to her stakes, the places of thine appointment, with songs of everlasting joy, and until this be ac[c]omplished let not thy judgements fall upon that city.
And whatever city thy servants shall enter, and the people of that city receive not their testimony of thy servants, and thy servants warn them to save themselves from this untoward generation let it be upon that city according to that which thou hast spoken, by the mouths of thy prophets; but deliver thou, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, thy servants from their hands, and cleanse them from their blood. O Lord, we delight not in the destruction of our fellow men; their souls are precious before thee, but thy word must be fulfilled. Help thy servants to say, with thy grace assisting them, thy will be done, O Lord, and not ours.
We know that thou hast spoken by the mouth of thy prophets, terrible things concerning the wicked in the last days, that thou wilt pour out thy judgements, without measure. Therefore, O Lord, deliver thy people from the calamity of the wicked. Enable thy servants to seal up the law and bind up the testimony, that they may be prepared against the day of burning.
We ask thee, Holy Father, to remember those who have been driven by the inhabitants of Jackson County, Missouri, from the lands of their inheritance, and break off, O Lord, this yoke of affliction that has been put upon them. Thou knowest, O Lord, that they have been greatly oppressed and afflicted, by wicked men, and our hearts flow out in sorrow because of their grevious [grievous] burdens. O Lord, how long wilt thou suffer this people to bear this affliction and the cries of the innocent ones to ascend up in thine ears, and their blood to come up in testimony before thee and not make a display of thy power in their behalf?
Have mercy, O Lord, upon that wicked mob, who have driven thy people, that they may cease to spoil, that they may repent of their sins, if repentance is to be found; but if they will not, make bare thine arm, O Lord, and redeem that which thou didst appoint a Zion unto thy people. And if it cannot be otherwise, [grant] that the cause of thy people may not fail before thee. May thine anger be kindled and thine indignation fall upon them that they may be wasted away, both root and branch from under heaven; but inasmuch as they will repent, thou art gracious and merciful, and will turn away thy wrath, when thou lookest upon the face of thine anointed.
Have mercy, O Lord, upon all the nations of the earth. Have mercy upon the rulers of our land. May those principles which were so honorably and nobly defended: viz, the Constitution of our land, by our fathers, be established forever. 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 the 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, and thy people may obtain favour in the sight of all, that all the ends of the earth may know that we thy servants have heard thy voice, and that thou hast sent us, that from among all these thy servants, the sons of Jacob, may gather out the righteous to build a holy city to thy name, as thou hast commanded them.
We ask thee to appoint unto Zion other stakes besides this one, which thou hast appointed, that the gathering of thy people may roll on in great power and majesty, that thy work may be cut short in righteousness.
Now these words, O Lord, we have spoken before thee, concerning the revelations and commandments which thou hast given unto us, who are i[de]ntified with the Gentiles. But thou knowest that we have a great love for the children of Jacob who have been scattered upon the mountains, for a long time in a cloudy and dark day.
We therefore ask thee to have mercy upon the children of Jacob, that Jerusalem, from this hour, may begin to be redeemed, and the yoke of bondage may begin to be broken off from the house of David, and the children of Judah may begin to return to the lands which thou didst give to Abraham, their father, and cause that the remnants of Jacob, who have been cursed and smitten, because of their transgression, to be converted from their wild and savage condition, to the fulness of the everlasting gospel, that they may lay down their weapons of bloodshed and cease their rebellions. And may all the scattered remnants of Israel, who have been driven to the ends of the earth, come to a knowledge of the truth, believe in the Messiah, and be redeemed from oppression, and rejoice before thee.
O Lord, remember thy servant Joseph Smith, Jun[ior], and all his afflictions and persecutions, how he has covenanted with Jehovah and vowed to thee O mighty God of Jacob, and the commandments which thou hast given unto him, and that he hath sincerely strove to do thy will. Have mercy, O Lord, upon his wife and children, that they may be exalted in thy presence, and preserved by thy fostering hand. Have mercy upon all their immediate connexions, that their prejudices may be broken up, and swept away as with a flood, that they may be converted and redeemed with Israel and know that thou art God.
Remember, O Lord, the Presidents, even all the Presidents of thy Church, that thy right hand may exalt them with all their families, and their immediate connexions, that their names may be perpetuated and had in everlasting rememberance from generation to generation.
Remember all thy Church, O Lord, with all their families, and all their immediate connexions, with all their sick and afflicted ones, with all the poor and meek of the earth, that the kingdom which thou hast set up without hands, may become a great mountain and fill the whole earth, that thy Church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners, and be adorned as a bride for that day when thou shalt unveil the heavens, and cause the mountains to flow down at thy presence, and the valleys to be exalted, the rough places made smooth, that thy glory may fill the earth. That when the trump shall sound for the dead, we shall be caught up in the cloud to meet thee, that we may ever be with the Lord, that our garments may be pure, that we may [be] clothed upon with robes of righteousness, with palms in our hands, and crowns of glory upon our heads, and reap eternal joy for all our sufferings.
O Lord, God Almighty, hear us in these our petitions, and answer us from heaven, thy holy habitation, where thou sittest enthroned with glory, honour, power, majesty, might, dominion, truth, justice, judgement, mercy, and an infinity of fulness, from everlasting to everlasting.
O hear, O hear, O hear us, O Lord, and answer these petitions, and accept the dedication of this house unto thee, the work of our hands, which we have built unto thy name; and also this Church to put upon it thy name. And help us by the power of thy spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright shining seruphs, around thy throne with acclamation of praise, singing hosanna to God and the Lamb! And let these thine anointed ones be clothed with salvation, and thy Saints shout aloud for joy. Amen and Amen.
Sung "Hosanah to God and the Lamb," after which the Lord's Supper was administered.
I then bore testimony of the administering of angels. Pres[i]d[en]t Williams also arose and testified that while Pres[i]d[en]t Rigdon was making his first prayer an angel entered the window and /took his/ [position] seated between Father Smith and himself, and remained their during his prayer. Pres[i]d[en]t David Whitmer also saw angels in the House.
We then sealed the proceedings of the day by shouting hosanah to God and the Lamb 3 times, sealing it each time with Amen, Amen, and Amen and after requesting all the official members to meet again in the evening we retired. Met in the evening and instructed the quorums respecting the ordinance of washing of feet which we were to attend to on Wednesday following. (3)
Endnotes:
1 - The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009)
2 - Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
3 - Faulring, Scott (ed.), An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith Diary, 1835-36, http://amzn.to/jsdiaries
LDS History Chronology: Speaking in Tongues
Mormon History Timeline: the gift of Tongues
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
