BANCROFT 
 LIBRARY 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2007 with funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/descriptionofhawOOmcalrich 
 
THE HOUSE 
 
 OFTHELORD 
 
 IN HAWAII 
 
 In 
 
A DESCRIPTION 
 
 — ' "" OF THE 
 
 Hawaiian Temple 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Church of Jesus Christ of 
 Latter-day Saints 
 
 ERECTED AT 
 
 Laie, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii 
 
 And a statement concerning the pur- 
 poses for which it has been built 
 
 By D. M^McALLISTER 
 
 Temple Recorder 
 
 PUBLISHED BY TTTE CHURCH 
 
 SALT LAKE CITY 
 
 1921 
 
Copyrighted by 
 
 HEBER J. GRANT 
 
 for 
 
 For the Church of Jesus Christ 
 
 of Latterly Saints 
 
 January, 1921 
 
"'''' 1& 
 
 The House of the Lord in Hawaii 
 
 THE TEMPLE in Hawaii, erected by the Church of Jesus 
 Christ of Latter-day Saints, near the picturesque little 
 village of Laie, Oahu, T. H., is so uniquely beautiful 
 that it excites the wonderment of all who see it; and the 
 questions are usually asked, "What has it cost?" and "What 
 is the purpose for which it has been built?" This pamphlet 
 is intended to provide all enquirers with the authentic infor- 
 mation they desire, but it is necessarily given in a somewhat 
 brief form. 
 
 The architects, Messrs. Pope & Burton, of Salt Lake City, 
 Utah, published a statement from which we extract the follow- 
 ing: 
 
 "The temple in Hawaii is situated on an emi- 
 nence which commands an unobstructed view of the 
 Pacific Ocean, whose vast expanse, coupled with the 
 luxuriant semi-tropical vegetption of the fertile and 
 highly cultivated land adjoining the beach, forms a fore- 
 ground which, in its grandeur, could scarcely be sur- 
 passed, and which, through the less exuberant growth on 
 the foot hills, gradually leads up to the background 
 which is formed by the rugged mountain range that sep- 
 arates the leeward or western portion of the island from 
 the windward or eastern side upon which the temple 
 stands. 
 
 "When considering the construction of a temple in 
 Hawaii, it was quite a problem to determine the material 
 of which it should be built, for, although highly favored 
 in other respects, the islands are almost devoid of build- 
 ing materials. However, it was known that the volcanic 
 
rock, which is readily obtainable near the site, could be 
 crushed into an aggregate which would make very goo'l 
 concrete, and it was, therefore, finally decided to build 
 the entire edifice, floors and roofs, as well as the walls, 
 of cement concrete, reinforced with steel in all direc- 
 tions. The building is therefore a monolith of artificial 
 stone, which, after thoroughly hardening, has been 
 dressed on all of its exterior surfaces by means of pneu- 
 matic stone cutting tools, thus producing a cream white 
 structure, which may be said to be one single stone. 
 
 "For the finishing of the interior hardwoods have 
 been extensively used, the principal rooms being finished 
 with Hawaiian koa, a native wood of the islands which 
 rivals the choicest mahogany in its beauty of grain and 
 color. Most of the floors are covered with carpets, but 
 in the Baptistry, and in a number of other apartments, 
 Mosaic tile and marble have been used. 
 
 "As can readily be seen from the exterior design, 
 the general ground plan of the temple is in the form 
 of a Greek cross, the annex being at the east end. The 
 extreme dimensions of the building from east to west 
 are 102 feet, and from north to south 78 feet. The cen- 
 tral portion of the edifice rises to a height of 50 feet, 
 above the upper terrace. In this connection it may be in- 
 teresting to state that if the dimensions of Solomon's 
 Temple, mentioned in sacred writ, are properly under- 
 stood by us, and if the now generally accepted equivalent 
 for the cubit, the ancient unit of measure, is correct, then 
 the principal portion of the famous edifice of antiquity 
 had about the same cubical contents as the temple in 
 Hawaii. 
 
 "It is impossible in this brief description to discuss 
 in detail the architectural design of the temple in Ha- 
 waii, but briefly it may be said that it is, both in ex- 
 terior treatment and interior arrangement, a highly sym- 
 bolical expression of the sacred purpose of the edifice. 
 Truth and simplicity have been the guiding stars in 
 every detail of the design to such an extent that, with 
 the exception of one or two features, there is almost a 
 total absence of architectural detail and ornamentation. 
 The dignified character of the architectural design is an 
 outgrowth of the well studied ground plan and of the 
 carefully proportioned plain wall surface of the exterior. 
 
 "The upper part of the temple was originally de- 
 signed to have a number of isolated sculptured panels, 
 but with the co-operation of Messrs. Leo and Avard Fair- 
 
banks, these panels were ultimately developed into four 
 sculptured friezes — one on each side of the building — de- 
 picting in bold relief the outstanding events of the four 
 principal dispensations. The subject illustrated by the 
 sculptors, and the highly artistic interpretation of same, 
 would really justify a much more comprehensive descrip- 
 tion, but the brevity of this article prevents any attempt 
 of this. 
 
 "The beautiful baptismal font, including the oxen 
 Ruppcrting same, form in this temple an integral part 
 of the structure, and were designed by Pope & Burton, 
 the architects of the building, but were modeled in a 
 highly artistic manner by Mr. Avard Fairbanks, who also 
 supervised their execution in artificial stone. 
 
 "The large mural paintings in the ordinance rooms 
 are the work of Utah artists, Mr. A. B. Wright, and Mr. 
 LeConte Stewart. The latter also supervised the general 
 decorative work throughout the building. 
 
 "In the construction of this edifice the ideal which 
 was ever held in mind was to erect a structure that 
 would be as lasting as human skill could make it, and of 
 a simple, chaste beauty, which is the result of good pro- 
 portions and appropriateness, rather than ornament and 
 embellishment. As it stands today complete in every 
 particular, this temple is a lasting monument to the 
 faith and devotion of the Hawaiian Saints.'^ 
 
 Elder Rudger Clawson wrote as follows, after a thorough 
 examination of the Temple and surroundings: 
 
 **The temple proper is located on an elevated spot 
 of ground and may be seen for miles around — north, 
 south and west. The Pacific Ocean lies to the east, 
 and great mountains of rugged grandeur form a back- 
 ground to the temple looking west. To the south, green 
 fields of growing sugar cane are everywhere in sighl, 
 except high up on the mountain sides, where great 
 pineapple fields spread out before the eye. Just below, 
 and situated between the ocean and the temple, is the 
 Church colony of Laie, until recently the headquar- 
 ters of the mission, with its beautiful cottage homes, 
 trees and flowers. And within almost a stone's throw 
 are located the chapel, school buildings and mission 
 home. 
 
 "The approach to the temple is worthy of special 
 mention. Spacious grounds have been provided, which 
 
are laid out in a series of rising terraces. In the cen- 
 ter are four cement-lined pools of fresh water, one 
 above the other, with two circular columns to each pool. 
 On both sides of the pools and running parallel with 
 them are cement walks and steps leading up to the up- 
 per terrace, which is semi-circular in form and faced 
 with a substantial concrete wall ten feet high. In the 
 center of the upper terrace is another pool with a 
 fountain in the middle. 
 
 "The grounds are all covered with lawn and sur- 
 rounded by a four-foot wall of lava rock, buttressed at 
 intervals by solid concrete blocks. At night bright lights 
 blaze forth from the columns referred to, lighting up 
 the foreground of the temple. From the top of these 
 columns also issue fountains of living water, feeding the 
 pools. 
 
 "The climax to this wondrous scene is a piece of 
 statuary by Avard Fairbanks, representing Maternity, 
 in the persons of a Hawaiian mother and her three 
 children. The work is beautifully executed and re- 
 flects great credit upon the artist. 
 
 "The interior workmanship and finish are first class 
 in all respects, and the furnishings are beautiful. Ap- 
 propriate paintings adorn the walls of the various rooms. 
 The walls and ceiling of the upper room are paneled, 
 the panels being bordered with genuine oak and striped 
 with gold leaf, producing a most harmonious and de- 
 lightful effect. A Wilton carpet covers the floor and 
 gold colored silk plush portieres hang in the recesses 
 of the room on all sides. A soft, mellow light is furnished 
 by windows high up just under the ceiling, and a hand- 
 some chandelier sheds forth a subdued electric light 
 when darkness comes on. This, of course, is the largest 
 and most beautiful of all the Temple rooms, and one's 
 entrance there seems to bring him into an atmosphere 
 of absolute peace. It is indeed a heavenly place. 
 
 "The temple was constructed under the general su- 
 pervision of President Samuel E. Woolley, ably assisted 
 by Ralph Woolley, his son, who superintended and car- 
 ried out the plans of the architects. Great credit is due 
 the architects and artists who worked on the build- 
 ing." 
 
 Before concluding this brief description of the Temple and 
 grounds, it is proper to refer to the small Jbuildings on each 
 side of the entrance gates. They harmonize strictly with the 
 
 7 
 
unique architecture of the Temple, which may in its straight 
 lines, be said to resemble the ancient Egyptian, and is sug- 
 gestive of other remarkable edifices, ruins of which are thickly 
 strewn in some parts of Mexico and Central America. The 
 small buildings referred to are fitted as reception rooms and 
 a bureau of information, where an attendant receives visit- 
 ors, acts as their guide on the grounds, witltout exacting a fes, 
 and distributes literature of the "Mormon" faith concerning 
 Temples, etc. 
 
 On the hillside, at the rear of the Temple, are two fern 
 houses, with a lengthy pergola extending between them; the 
 whole artistically combined in a style conforming to the archi- 
 tecture of the Temple. Just beyond the central part of the 
 pergola is a striking piece of statuary, of large size, modeled 
 by Avard Fairbanks, a Utah sculptor, whose work is attaining 
 national celebrity. The group represents the Prophet Lehi 
 blessing one of his sons; a fitting historical incident, because 
 Lehi was the leader of a colony of Israelites who left Jeru- 
 salem in the year 600 B. C, crossed the Pacific Ocean in a ves- 
 sel they had constructed, and landed on the western coast of 
 South America, where they developed into great nations, the 
 ancestors of the American Indians. Certain statements con- 
 tained in the sacred history of the ancient inhabitants of Amer- 
 ica — The Book of Mormon — give strong evidence of the prob- 
 ability that the natives of Hawaii, New Zealand, and other 
 Polynesian islands, are of the same racial descent as the Amer- 
 ican Indians; hence the appropriate character of the splendid 
 statuary group referred to above. 
 
 The Temple enclosure embraces an area of five acres, and 
 it is intended to make the entire plot harmonize with the im- 
 pressive beauty of the sacred building. Mr. Joseph F. Rock, 
 botanist of the College of Hawaii, a gentleman who has visited 
 many lands, and has seen the renowned temples of India and 
 other celebrated places in various countries, kindly volun- 
 teered his valued services in planning the landscape garden- 
 ing for the Laie Temple grounds; therefore we confidently an- 
 ticipate that, in due course of time, these grounds will be at- 
 tractively beautiful; the extensive, well cultivated lawns are 
 
 8 
 
already assuming that aspect. The Temple and grounds have 
 cost about $215,000; $60,000 of that amount was donated by the 
 ten thousand members of the Church (and a few friends) in 
 Hawaii, nearly all of whom are natives of these islands. 
 
 After the Temple was completed and furnished, and be- 
 fore it was dedicated, many hundreds of ladies and gentlemen 
 visited it, and were permitted to see every portion of the in- 
 terior, and had explanations given to them in regard to the 
 purposes for which the various rooms are used. Those visit- 
 ors, therefore, can substantiate the statements that follow, con- 
 cerning what they saw and heard at the time of their visit. 
 Since the dedication, which took place on Thanksgiving day, 
 November 27, 1919, no changes have been made; now, however, 
 only those entitled to participate in the ordinances performed 
 therein are permitted to enter the consecrated edifice. 
 
 Members of the Church, who have engaged in the sacred 
 ceremonies, are solemn witnesses to the fact that everything said 
 and done in the Temple is sublime in character, pure and 
 sacred, such only as should prevail in a holy sanctuary dedi- 
 cated to the service of God. All that they see and hear therein 
 strengthens their resolves to live in accord with the laws of 
 God, do all the good they can to their fellow men, and sustain 
 the laws of their country; such is the sacred character and 
 effect of the ordinances performed in the Temple. 
 
 In passing, we may observe that the Temples erected by 
 the Latter-tlay Saints, like the Temples that God instructed His 
 people to build to His name in olden times, are not intended 
 to be used as places of public assembly for the people in gen- 
 eral; they are reserved for special, holy purposes, in which 
 only a limited number of the people and officiating Priests 
 can participate. 
 
 The Annex of the Temple extends along the entire eastern 
 front of the main building, and is only one story in height. 
 The entrance door is in the middle of the front, and the of- 
 fices of the doorkeeper and recorders are in the first room. 
 The people who enter for the purpose of participating in the 
 sacred services, are required to present to the doorkeeper a 
 document, signed by the Mission President, certifying that they 
 
 10 
 
are faithful members of the Church, and their names are duly 
 registered in the doorkeeper's record, before they are permit- 
 ted to enter the Temple. The recorders then receive from 
 each person a statement concerning each and all of the ordi- 
 nances they purpose engaging in during that day. Each ordi- 
 nance performed is made a matter of record, and includes the 
 necessary data that identifies the individuals in whose behalf 
 the sacred work is done, also designates those who officiated in 
 the respective ordinances. 
 
 The people then pass into a long corridor, extending north 
 and south, in which they remove their shoes and head cover- 
 ings. Seats are placed in the corridor, where the visitors can 
 rest until time to begin the day's services. Lavatories are lo- 
 cated at each end of this part of the Annex. The President of 
 the Temple has an office leading out from the corridor. A 
 room is provided in which children are taken care of while the 
 parents are engaged in the Temple. Another room contains 
 a supply of certain articles of white clothing, which are re- 
 quired to be worn in connection with the ceremonies per- 
 formed, and each person receives therefrom that which is 
 needed. 
 
 At 9 a. m. meeting is called, and the people enter from 
 the corridor into a neatly furnished chapel, where a short 
 service of hymns, prayer and instruction is given, to prepare 
 them for the more important proceedings in the Temple. 
 
 Four bas-relief plaster tablets on the walls of this room 
 deserve special notice; they are small reproductions of the 
 subjects represented in the four sculptured friezes on the 
 upper panels on the outside of the Temple. One contains figurel3 
 representing Adam and the Hebrew Prophets, and depicts epi- 
 sodes of the Old Testament history; another shows the per- 
 sons of Jesus and His Apostles, and illustrates incidents related 
 in the New Testament. The third panel is emblematical of the 
 Book of Mormon history; the figure of Christ in the center, 
 and each side of Him, Prophets, Apostles and others, associated 
 with incidents in their careers. The other panel conveys a 
 representation of the ushering in of this dispensation, when 
 the Father and the Son appeared to the praying boy, Joseph 
 
 11 
 
Smith; and other important subsequent occurrences are graph- 
 ically portrayed. The varied postures, apparel of the figures 
 and facial expressions are natural and life-like. Leo and 
 Avard Fairbanks designed and executed these panels. 
 
 The room is seated to accommodate fifty persons. The 
 massive bench seats are unpolished oak, corresponding with the 
 oak doors, window casings, cornice, wall paneling, etc. The 
 same scheme of seating and finish is carried through most of 
 the rooms in the Temple. All the rooms are designed to com- 
 fortably seat the same number as are provided for in the meet- 
 ing room. Elegant electroliers, in sufficient number, are in 
 each room. All the floors are covered with heavy velvet pile 
 carpeting except the font room and adjacent dressing rooms, 
 which are tiled. 
 
 When the morning service is completed in the chapel, the 
 company proceeds into the main part of the Temple; the men 
 exit by the doorway at the northwest corner of the cliapel and 
 the women by the southwest door. Short flights of marble 
 steps lead to their respective dressing rooms. The men's room 
 is entered from the north side of the hall in which the bap- 
 tismal font is located, and the women's room on the south side. 
 In their separate apartments they make such changes in their 
 apparel as may be requisite for participation in the ordinances 
 of endowments or of baptisms for the dead. 
 
 The sanitation system for the sacred building is perfect; 
 ventilation is well provided by numerous hinged windows 
 in every room. The dressing rooms, just referred to, have 
 tiled floors, and the contiguous lavatories are fitted with mar- 
 ble wainscoating, etc. 
 
 The windows are a striking feature of the Temple archi- 
 tecture; seen from outside, they appear placed closely together, 
 and run in straight lines to the full height of the two main 
 stories of the building. The windows are draped on the in- 
 side with a pleasing shade of Japanese silk. 
 
 The Baptismal Font occupies the center of the main hall 
 on the second floor. This is a prominent feature of the Tem- 
 ple. The hall is surrounded with an arched colonnade; the 
 ceiling is higher than the other rooms, giving it a majestic 
 
 12 
 
appearance; the floor is Mosaic tiling. Marble steps go down 
 into the depression, where stand the figures of oxen on which 
 the font rests; a marble stairway is at the east side of the hall 
 leading to the rooms above. 
 
 Within the upper part of the arches of the colonnade, in 
 this room, there is a series of seven lunettes in oil, painted by 
 Mr. A. B. Wright, which splendidly represent cardinal prin- 
 ciples and ordinances of the Gospel — Faith, Repentance, Bap- 
 tism, Confirmation and Healing. Each subject is so strik- 
 ingly portrayed, by the expressive individual figures and ap- 
 propriate settings, that the intended meaning of the artist is 
 made clearly apparent. 
 
 The Font is a beautiful structure. It is made of steel, 
 lined with white enameled tiles, and is encased in cement, 
 decoratively designed by the sculptor, Avard Fairbanks, who 
 also made the ornamental base, and life-size figures of the 
 oxen, on which the Font rests. (It may be said that, in some 
 respects, the Font resembles the "molten sea" of Solomon's 
 Temple, described in I Kings, vii, 23 to 26). The Font is of 
 sufficient dimensions in length, width and depth to con- 
 tain the supply of water needed for the officiating Elder to 
 immerse any person acting 3s proxy in the ordinance of bap- 
 tism for the dead. There is a flight of bronze steps, inlaid with 
 tile, at the east and west ends of the font, from the floor to 
 the rim, connecting with steps leading down into the water. 
 The steps are provided with a solid bronze hand-rail, which 
 also extends around the narrow platform that surrounds the 
 upper portion of the Font. On this platform seats are placed 
 for the recorder and witnesses, who are required to be pres- 
 ent when the ordinance is administered. Two other Elders 
 also have to be in attendance; they stand at the east end, and 
 their duty is to perform the ordinance of confirmation; plac- 
 ing their hands on the head of the proxy who, after bap- 
 tism, comes up out of the water, and is seated on a chair at 
 the east end of the platform. 
 
 The ordinance is made very impressive by the sublime 
 character of the ceremony and the artistic beauty of the font 
 and its surroundings. Men are baptized in behalf of dead 
 
 13 
 
men, and women for women. The person baptized is amply 
 clothed in thick, white garments. 
 
 On the west side of the baptistry there are three small 
 rooms— the middle one is a prayer room; the one to the south 
 is a rest room for the female attendants; and the other, on the 
 north, is for the use of the male officiators. 
 
 From the floor of the Baptistry several marble steps, and 
 a tile floor landing, lead to a room on the east side of the 
 Temple. Like the chapel below it has oak benches to ac- 
 commodate fifty persons; and the doors and mouldings are of 
 the same kind of hardwood, unpolished. The walls are cov- 
 ered with canvas, painted a light olive shade. There are six 
 artistic oil painted panels on the walls, the work of a Utah 
 artist, Mr. LeConte Stewart. The subjects represented in these 
 panels are the six periods of Creation, beginning with the 
 earth in a condition of chaos, and ending with its glorious com- 
 pleted state. 
 
 Ascending a few more of the marble steps, the com- 
 pany is ushered into another room, in which the walls are 
 painted to represent delightful scenery, groves of beautiful 
 trees, lawns and flowering shrubs, among which are various 
 animals, all evidently living together in peaceful association. 
 This painting also is the artistic work of LeConte Stewart. 
 
 This room is the same size as the one we have just left. 
 It is lighted by windows on the south side, which extend from 
 floor to ceiling; it is furnished similar to the other, except 
 that a prayer altar is added, on which rests a copy of the 
 Holy Bible, importantly associated with the ceremonial ser- 
 vices. 
 
 After an instructive service, the company is taken into a 
 third room; furnished as were the others, but with a marked 
 difference in the character of the wall paintings. The artist. 
 A. B. Wright, professor of art at the L. D. S. University, in 
 Salt Lake City, has succeeded in graphically depicting the rug- 
 ged character of world scenery — broken, rocky mountains, 
 storm-swept landscapes, gnarled trees, wild beasts in combat— 
 a world to be subdued by man to enable him to live thereon. 
 
 A further ascent of a few steps brings the people into the 
 14 
 
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room in which the concluding instructive lecture of the 
 series is given. 
 
 Heavy silk plush portieres separate this from the largest and 
 most beautiful of all the rooms in the Temple, one that has been 
 sufficiently described in the fore part of this booklet. We 
 will merely add that the dedication services were held in this 
 room; and the adjoining room was connected with it on the 
 occasion, pushing aside the curtains which separate the two 
 rooms; curtains were opened also to a passage way on the 
 east side, where three smaller rooms are located. The ar- 
 rangement thus made provided seating capacity for three hun- 
 dred persons. There were five dedicatorial services given; 
 about fifteen hundred members of the Church participated 
 therein. 
 
 Three small rooms, on the east side of the largest room, 
 are paneled with polished koa wood, and are elegantly furn- 
 ished. The middle one is the most elaborate; it is used for the 
 highest of the Temple ordinances. The other two contain al- 
 tars, in addition to other furniture. At the altar, in either of 
 these rooms, men and women are united in the holy bond of 
 matrimony, according to lh6 order of the New and Everlasting 
 Covenant, revealed from Heaven in this dispensation. This is 
 called the "sealing" ordinance, and is performed in behalf of 
 living couples, not already married only on presentation of a 
 marriage license legally issued in accordance with the Hawaiian 
 Territorial law. 
 
 The marriage ceremony thus performed differs, in one 
 important feature, from what constitutes the ceremony as per- 
 formed elsewhere, in that it adds a clause to the effect that the 
 man and woman are united as husband and wife for time 
 and for all eternity. The reason for this remarkable addition 
 to the marriage contract will be duly explained in a succeeding 
 division of this pamphlet. 
 
 A man and woman, members of the Church, who have al- 
 ready been legally married may come to the Temple and have 
 the ordinance of sealing for time and all eternity performed in 
 their behalf; and their children can be sealed to them, so that 
 the family relationship of parents and children is thus estab- 
 
 16 
 
lished, to continue throughout the endless ages of the eternal 
 heieafter. 
 
 All Temple ordinances that need to be performed in be- 
 half of the living are equally essential to be performed for the 
 dead. The greater part of the sacred labor that is done in the 
 Temple is of that character, and is mostly attended to by the 
 kindred or friends of the dead who have passed into the 
 spirit world without a knowledge of or opportunity to obey 
 the laws and saving ordinances of the Gospel of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 WHY THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS BUILD TEMPLES. 
 
 Now that we have described the various rooms in the 
 Temple we will endeavor to satisfactorily explain the reasons 
 why the Latter-day Saints have already built seven Temples, 
 and are preparing to erect many more of those massive, beau- 
 tiful and costly structures. (The Temple in Salt Lake City 
 cost $4,000,000.) 
 
 We must first of all refer to the foundation for the won- 
 derful faith that has impelled and sustained the Latter-day 
 Saints in undertaking such a stupendous, labor, involving sac- 
 rifices unsurpassed in the world's history, when the limited 
 numbers, unpopularity, and comparative poverty of this peo- 
 ple are considered. It must be remembered that, until a 
 very recent period, the officials and members of the Church 
 were subjected to unjustifiable calumny and persecution, from 
 the time the Church was organized, April 6th, 1830, then 
 numbering only six charter members. That unrighteous treat- 
 ment was but a continuation of what had been heaped upon 
 the Prophet leader, Joseph Smith, from the time, in 1820, when 
 he announced that he had received a heavenly vision. 
 
 How do we account for the steadfast adherence to their 
 faith, during the many years of bitter antagonism and relent- 
 less persecution which was the 'almost continuous experience of 
 the Latter-day Saints at the hands of mobocrats, under which 
 they were ruthlessly driven from their homes and lawful jios- 
 sessions in Missouri and Illinois, and during which periods 
 
 17 
 
of persecution hundreds of lives were sacrificed, and millions 
 of dollars worth of property destroyed or confiscated by their 
 enemies? This persecution did not cease even when their 
 two chief leaders were murdered by a mob, in Carthage, Illi- 
 nois, but it followed them to Utah's valleys in the Rocky Moun- 
 tains, and continued long thereafter. But, thank God, an era 
 of investigation concerning us, instead of persecution, has ar- 
 rived, and our true character, history and doctrines are becom- 
 ing known, with the happy result that tolerance and Christian- 
 like treatment are most frequently apparent. We are glad to 
 now be given an opportunity, that we have always anxiously 
 sought, to make known not only why we are so deeply in- 
 terested in erecting Temples and performing sacred ordinances 
 therein, but we want the whole world to know every other 
 detail of our religious belief and practice. 
 
 The cause of this steadfast adherence to faith, in the face 
 of merciless persecution and martyrdom, which characterized 
 the experiences of the Latter-day Saints, especially in their 
 earlier history, was and is simply this, that through obedience 
 to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, they have received 
 that which was promised to those who obeyed the Gospel when 
 He and His Apostles sojourned on earth in time's meridian, 
 namely, the gift af the Holy Ghost. It was that Gift that en- 
 abled the former-day Saints to remain steadfast to their faith 
 throughout all the fearful, devilish persecution, tortures, and 
 death-dealing attacks to which they were subjected. The Di- 
 vine influence and power, imparted unto them by that Gift, 
 enlightened their souls, and they knew that, by faithful ad- 
 herence to the Gospel, they would attain eternal life, even 
 if their mortal life was sacrificed. 
 
 In like manner, the Latter-day Saints, having received the 
 gift of the Holy Ghost, are enabled to say that they know the 
 Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth, 
 with all its gifts and blessings, as in olden times, because they 
 have witnessed and experiencecJ results. Countless miraculous 
 manifestations have strengthened their faith; above all, the 
 light of Truth has illumined their souls with such power that 
 they can truthfully declare they know that God lives, that 
 
 18 
 
Jesus is the Christ, and that the Gospel restored to the earth, 
 through God's chosen instrument, the Prophet Joseph Smith, 
 is in very deed the Divine plan of life and salvation. With 
 this assurance indelibly impressed upon their hearts, they un- 
 hesitatingly accept all that God has revealed through His in- 
 spired and authorized Priesthood in all past ages, and in the 
 present and last dispensation. This, then, is the reason why, 
 notwithstanding the world's opposition, they have adhered to 
 the faith they have received, and have strenuously endeavored 
 to fulfill the duties God has revealed they must perform to re- 
 tain His favor; and that includes the duty of building temples 
 to His Holy Name, in which ordinances can be performed for 
 the dead, who did not have a knowledge of, or opportunity to 
 obey those ordinances in life. 
 
 Our loving Heavenly Father desires the salvation of all 
 His children who have ever lived on this His footstool, and 
 the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the established plan 
 to accomplish that great purpose. It must be obeyed by all; 
 there is no exception. All accountable beings of every nation, 
 kindred, tongue and people, rich or poor, bond or free, are 
 included in Christ's declaration: "Verily, verily, I say unto 
 thee. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he 
 cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." (John 3:5.) That 
 was and is a fundamental principle of the Gospel of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ; a simple plan that all mankind can easily com- 
 prehend, and by which they are insured redemption. All 
 mankind shall be resurrected from the grave, and those who 
 obey the Gospel will "enter into the Kingdom of God;" that 
 is the Divine decree that applies to all who have lived or ever 
 will live in mortality. 
 
 But how is that to be accomplished? By far the greater 
 number of those who have lived never heard that Gospel 
 proclaimed during their lifetime; how can they render obe- 
 dience to that which was not made known unto them be- 
 fore their departure from this mortal sphere? Hearken! God's 
 boundless love, justice and mercy extend to His children 
 after they have ended their experiences here; their spirits still 
 live. He is the Father of their spirits, and His Beloved Son 
 
 20 
 
carried the Gospel message, the plan of eternal life and sal- 
 vation, to the myriads who had died before He followed them 
 into the spirit world. We read in the First Epistle of Peter, 
 third chapter: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, 
 the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being 
 put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by 
 which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison." 
 In the fourth chapter of the same epistle, Peter says: "For 
 this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are 
 dead, that they might be judged according to men in the 
 flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." 
 
 "But," says a skeptic, "how can a man who is dead 'be 
 born of water and of the Spirit,' which you say is required in 
 the Gospel plan? The man's spirit cannot be baptized in 
 water." Yes, that is a self-evident fact, a spirit cannot be bap- 
 tized in water; but it is inconceivable that the Son of God 
 would deliver that Gospel message to the countless myriads of 
 the dead to mock them, by telling them that they must do 
 something that they could not do, or they would be eter- 
 nally damned. No, verily no. He suffered Himself to be put 
 to death that He might, in the spirit, go and preach liberty 
 to the captive spirits — show them the way to life everlasting. 
 He provided the way for them to obey that eternal law of 
 the Gospel vicariously; it is made clear in Paul's first epistle 
 to the Corinthians, chapter fifteen, wherein he says: "Else 
 what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the 
 dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the 
 dead?" Baptism for the dead was an institution of Christ's 
 Church in the time of the Apostles, and for many years sub- 
 sequently. It is God's .way of making it possible for all His 
 children, living or dead, to comply with the law of the Gospel 
 — -"Except a man be born of water [baptized] and of the 
 Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." That a 
 vicarious compliance with Divine law is acceptable unto God 
 is evident in the accepted Atonement made by His Beloved 
 Son for the sins of the world. 
 
 The Latter-day Saints build Temples, and perform bap- 
 tisms for the dead, and other ordinances, because God has 
 
 21 
 
made known unto them that He desires this done, so that all 
 the Gospel laws may be complied with for the salvation of 
 His children; all, dead and living, are amply provided with the 
 means to accomplish this glorious purpose. We read in the 
 Bible that God said to the Prophet Malachi, "Behold, I will 
 send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great 
 and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of 
 the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to 
 their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." 
 (Malachi 5:5, 6.) The Latter-day Saints announce to the world 
 that Elijah, who was taken to heaven without having passed 
 through the ordeal of death, did return to earth and, on the 
 third day of April, 1836, came to the Temple in Kirtland, Ohio, 
 and fulfilled the declaration that God made to Malachi. The 
 glorious purpose of God is being accomplished, the hearts 
 of the fathers are turned to the children, and the children's to 
 the fathers, and the ordinance of baptism is being performed 
 in behalf of the dead fathers by their children, in the Tem- 
 ples that God has directed the members of His Church to erect 
 for that purpose, and the blessings of the Lord are following 
 their ministrations in behalf of the dead, who are as much the 
 subjects of His boundless love and mercy as are the living. 
 
 We now desire to inform the reader somewhat concern- 
 ing other ordinances besides baptism for the dead which, for 
 our present purpose, has probably been dwelt upon suffi- 
 ciently. 
 
 The marriage ceremony is one of the "sealing" ordinances. 
 When that ceremony is performed in the Temple, the man 
 and woman are declared to be husband and wife for time 
 and for all eternity. 
 
 The enquiry is usually made, "Why are the words 'for all 
 eternity* added, instead of making the edict apply to this life 
 only, as in the marriage ceremony performed by other 
 churches, or by the civil law? Do the officiating Elders 
 in your Church possess Divine authority, whereby the relation- 
 ship of husband and wife can be made to extend beyond the 
 death of the man and woman? Is it not a fact, as Jesus an- 
 
 22 
 
nounced, that 'there is no marrying or giving in marriage in 
 heaven'?" Yes, undoubtedly that is a fact, as He declared it; 
 and the ordinance of marriage has to be performed on eartii. 
 BuC there is nothing in the Holy Scriptures, or any other re- 
 vealed word of God to indicate that He designed to limit the 
 sacred relationship of husband and wife to their earthly life. 
 When God gave Eve to Adam, and told them to "be fruitful and 
 multiply," they were not subject to death, and if they had not 
 partaken of the "forbidden fruit," they would have lived for 
 ever; therefore there can be no doubt it was Divinely designed 
 that their relationship in the holy bond He established would 
 never end, in time nor eternity. 
 
 God's decrees are eternal, as He is Eternal. Paul made a 
 very important statement that renders perfectly clear the fact 
 that it was God's design that there should be no separation of 
 man and wife after death. Paul said, 'Neither is the man with- 
 out the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the 
 Lord." (I Cor. 11:11.) 
 
 There is no question of the solemnity, importance, and 
 validity of the marriage ceremony as usually performed; it is, 
 or should be regarded as a sacredly binding relationship, le- 
 gally and lawfully established under the duly recognized au- 
 thority of the person performing the ceremony. Naturally, every 
 man and woman, thus legitimately married, who truly love each 
 other and their offspring, desire that their family association 
 should be perpetuated in the great hereafter. The thought of 
 separation after this life is ended is, to all right minded hus- 
 bands and wives, a terrifying prospect which they quickly ban- 
 ish; they do not permit their minds to dwell upon the hor- 
 rifying thought, but feel assured that the most sublime of all 
 their earthly experiences will be continued in heaven. And 
 yet they are married, untler the established law of man, until 
 death doth them part. 
 
 We will not continue consideration of the consequences in- 
 volved in man's perversion of this most important ceremony. 
 We have to announce that God has restored the order of mar- 
 riage instituted by Him in the beginning of time, and men hold- 
 ing the Priesthood, conferred by Him, are duly authorized to 
 
 23 
 
perform the ceremony, in His Holy Temples, that establishes 
 the Divine relationship of husband and wife for time and for 
 all eternity. 
 
 (It is a well known fact that the late President Wilford 
 Woodruff issued a manifesto, in 1890, prohibiting plural mar- 
 riages. His decree was accepted by the members of the Church 
 assembled in General Conference, consequently plural mar- 
 riages are not solemnized by this Church. Should any of its 
 members now contract such marriage, they would be subject 
 to excommunication, and to punishment by the law of the 
 land.) 
 
 Just a few more words about the "sealing" of children. 
 The Latter-day Saints do not entertain the shadow of a doubt 
 concerning the validity and eternal character of the ordinances 
 performed in the Temple in their behalf, or in behalf of the 
 dead. They have the most satisfying assurances that those or- 
 dinances are Divinely approved. Their joy is unbounded in 
 confident reliance upon a never-ending association, in the 
 resurrected state, with those to whom they have been united, 
 under God's authority, in this life; and this includes the chil- 
 dren born unto them after that union. The family organiza- 
 tion is to be perpetuated forever, with happiness increased be- 
 yond finite comprehension. 
 
 Children born in the bonds of wedlock under the sec- 
 tarian or civil form of ceremony, which declares that the re- 
 lationship of husband and wife is to exist only until death, 
 must remain under that law, they and their parents eternally 
 separated after they pass from this life, unless they comply with 
 the ordinance God has provided to perpetuate the family organ- 
 ization. This ordinance also is one of the glorious provisions 
 connected with Temple work; by Divine authority the husband 
 and wife are married for time and all eternity, and, by the 
 same power, the children are sealed to them to be theirs for- 
 ever, worlds without end. 
 
 This little pamphlet is not designed to be a medium for 
 elaborating details of the religion of the Latter-day Saints, or 
 
 24 
 
to furnish an array of reasons for belief in the doctrines and 
 principles of their faith, it is simply a statement concerning 
 things especially connected with their Temples, and the ordi- 
 nances performed therein. But it is earnestly desired, by the 
 officials and members of the Church, that all mankind should 
 be fully informed regarding everything embraced in their 
 faith and practice, therefore the readers are urgently invited 
 to become familiar therewith by thorough, and we hope, un- 
 biased investigation. Help in such research is gladly given, 
 verbally or by the literature of the Church, accessible to all 
 who desire to investigate, and especially to honest searchers 
 after Truth. All such are solicited to write to, or call upon, 
 any of our missionaries; or attend the services in our meet- 
 ing houses, which are always freely open to the public. Much 
 of the Church literature is distributed gratuitously to enquir> 
 ers; and it can be procured, questions answered, and informa- 
 tion courteously imparted at the L. D. S. Mission Office, 1704 
 Luso Street, Honolulu. 
 
 The fundamental doctrines of the Latter-day Saints are out- 
 lined in their "Articles of Faith," which will be found on the 
 last page of this pamphlet. 
 
 "What may be regarded as a summarized expression of 
 much of the faith and hopes of the Saints is to be found in the 
 prayer delivered by President Heber J. Grant, at the dedication 
 of the Hawaiian Temple; it is, therefore, given herewith as 
 a fitting conclusion to this limited statement of reasons why 
 the Latter-day Saints build Temples. 
 
 DEDICATORIAL EXERCISES 
 
 On Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November 27, 1919, at 
 2:30 p. m., 310 Saints, including the missionaries from Zion, 
 were admitted to the Hawaiian temple, at Laie, upon written 
 recommend, to witness the dedicatory services. 
 
 Presidents Heber J. Grant, Anthon H. Lund, and Rudger 
 Clawson, with Elder Stephen L. Richards, of the Council of 
 the Twelve, Presiding Bishop Charles W. Nibley, and Elder 
 Arthur Winter, were the visiting brethren from Utah. 
 
 26 
 
Besides these brethren, there were seated on the first tier 
 of chairs in the upper room, President E. Wesley Smith, Sam- 
 uel E. Woolley; William H. Waddoups, President of the Tem- 
 ple; Duncan M. McAllister, recorder; Sister Sarah Jenne Can- 
 non, and between thirty and forty traveling elders and lady 
 missionaries from Zion. 
 
 President Grant presided and conducted the service. There 
 were twelve singers in the choir, selected in equal numbers 
 from the Honolulu and Laie choirs. These sang for the open- 
 ing number the hymn entitled, "A Temple in Hawaii," words 
 by Ruth May Fox, and music by Orson Clarke, formerly a 
 Hawaiian missionary. 
 
 After the opening song, the dedicatory prayer which fol- 
 lowed was offered by President Heber J. Grant. It was most 
 impressive and inspiring and was. received with great rejoicing 
 by the entire assembly, who all felt that the Lord had accepted 
 the beautiful prayer and dedication, and the house which had 
 been erected by the Church and the good people of Hawaii, 
 and dedicated to the service of the Lord. At the close of 
 the prayer, the choir and congregation sang, "Praise to the man 
 who communed with Jehovah," following which the sacred 
 "Hosanna Shout" was given with deep feeling and inspirational 
 effect. (Improvement Era, Feb., 1920.) 
 
 DEDICATORIAL PRAYER. 
 By President Heber J. Grant. 
 
 "O God, the Eternal Father, we. Thy servants and 
 handmaidens, thank Thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, 
 Thy well-beloved Son, with all the power of our being, 
 that we are privileged this day to be present in this 
 beautiful land, to dedicate unto Thy Most Holy Name, 
 a temple of the Living God. 
 
 "We thank Thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that 
 Thou and Thy Son, Jesus Christ, didst visit the boy 
 Joseph Smith, Jr., and that he was instructed by Thee, 
 and by Thy beloved Son. 
 
 "We thank Thee that Thou didst send Thy servant, 
 John the Baptist, and that he did lay his hands upon 
 
 27 
 
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and ordain them to 
 the Aaronic, or Lesser Priesthood. 
 
 "We thank Thee for sending Thy servants Peter, 
 James, and John, apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who 
 ministered with the Savior in the flesh and after His 
 crucifixion, and that they did ordain Thy servants Joseph 
 Smith and Oliver Cowdery apostles of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and bestowed upon them the Holy Melchizedek 
 Priesthood, by which authority and apostleship we do 
 dedicate unto Thee, this day, this holy edifice. 
 
 "We thank Thee for the integrity and the devotion 
 of Thy servants, the Prophet and Patriarch, Joseph Smith 
 and Hyrum Smith. We thank Thee that they labored 
 all the days of their lives, from the time of the restitu- 
 tion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ until the day of their 
 martyrdom, and that they sealed their testimony with 
 their blood. 
 
 "We thank Thee for Thy servants, Brigham Young, 
 John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and 
 Joseph F. Smith, who have severally stood at the head 
 of Thy Church since the martyrdom of Thy servant Jo- 
 seph Smith, and who have led and directed Thy people 
 by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, and who have 
 sent forth representatives to proclaim the everlasting 
 Gospel in nearly every land and clime. 
 
 "We thank Thee for all the faithful members of the 
 First Presidency of the Church, and for the Apostles, in 
 this last dispensation; and for each and all of the faith- 
 ful men who have held office as general authorities of 
 the Church. 
 
 "O God, our Eternal Father, we pray Thee to bless 
 the Presidency of Thy Church — Thy servants Heber J. 
 Grant, Anthon H. Lund, and Charles W. Penrose. May 
 these men, O Father, be guided by the unerring coun- 
 sels of Thy Holy Spirit, day by day. May they be even 
 as a three-fold cord that cannot be broken. May they 
 see eye to eye in all matters for the upbuilding of 
 the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. 
 
 "Bless, O Father, each and all of the Apostles, the 
 Presiding Patriarch, the First Council of the Seventy, 
 and the Presiding Bishopric. 
 
 "Bless, we beseech Thee, those who preside in all 
 the stakes of Zion, and in all the wards and branches 
 of the Church. 
 
 "Bless those who preside over the missions of the 
 Church throughout the world, together with all Thy ser- 
 
 28 
 
vants and handmaidens who have gone forth to proclaim 
 to the peoples of the world the restoration again to 
 the earth of the plan of life and salvation. 
 
 "Bless those, O Father, who preside in the temples 
 that have been erected to Thy holy Name Irr the land 
 of Zion. Bless, also, those who preside and who labor 
 in the Church schools which have been established froi.. 
 Canada on the north to Mexico in the south. 
 
 "O God, accept of the gratitude and thanksgiving 
 of our hearts, for the very wonderful and splendid la- 
 bors performed in the land of Hawaii by Thy servants 
 President George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith. We 
 thank Thee for their devotion to the Gospel and to the 
 people of this land. We thank Thee for raising up Thy 
 servant Elder J. H. Napela, that devoted Hawaiian, who 
 assisted Thy servant President Cannon in the transla- 
 tion of the Book of Mormon, which is the sacred history 
 of the Nephites, the Lamanites, and the Jaredites. We 
 thank Thee that the plates containing the Book of Mor- 
 mon were preserved so that they could be translated, 
 and that Thy words to the Prophet Joseph Smith might 
 be fulfilled; namely, 'That the Lamanites might come 
 to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might 
 know the promises of the Lord, and that they may be- 
 lieve the Gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus 
 Christ, and be glorified through faith in His name, and 
 that through their repentance they might be saved.' 
 
 "We thank Thee, that thousands and tens of thou- 
 sands of the descendants of Lehi, in this favored land, 
 have come to a knowledge of the Gospel, many of whom 
 have endured faithfully to the end of their lives. We 
 thank Thee, our Father and our God, that those who are 
 living and who have embraced the Gospel are now to 
 have the privilege of entering into this holy house, and 
 laboring for the salvation of the souls of their ancestors. 
 
 "We thank Thee that on this occasion the widow of 
 thy beloved servant, George Q. Cannon, even thine hand- 
 maiden. Sister Sarah Jenne Cannon, is present with us 
 today, and is permitted to participate in these dedica- 
 tory services. 
 
 "We thank Thee, O Father in Heaven, for our fam- 
 ilies, our friends, our relatives, and for all the many 
 blessings which Thou hast bestowed upon us. 
 
 "We thank Thee for all of the temples that have 
 been erected in this last dispensation, and we pray 
 Thy choice blessings to be and abide with all those who 
 
 30 
 
minister therein. We pray that that same sweet spirit 
 which is present in all of the temples, may abide with 
 those who shall labor in this holy house. 
 
 "We thank Thee, O Father, this clay, that the prom- 
 ise made in a dream to Thy servant William W. Cluff, by 
 Thy Prophet Brigham, Young, that the day would come 
 when a temple should be erected in this land, is fulfilled 
 before our eyes. 
 
 "We thank Thee, O God, that Thy faithful and dil- 
 igent servant, President Joseph F. Smith, was moved 
 upon, while in this land, on the birthday of Thy ser- 
 vant President Brigham Young, in the year 1915, to dedi- 
 cate this spot of ground for the erection of a temple to 
 the Most High God. 
 
 "We thank Thee for the long and faithful and dili- 
 gent labors of Thy servant President Samuel E. Woolley, 
 who has so faithfully presided over this mission for 
 these many years. We thank Thee for his labors in the 
 erection of this temple, and beseech Thee, O Father, 
 that Thou wilt bless him and all of his associate workers. 
 
 "We pray Thee, O Father, to bless the son of Thy 
 beloved servant President Joseph F. Smith, E. Wesley 
 Smith, who now presides over the Hawaiian mission. 
 May the missionary spirit be and abide with him. May 
 he have that same splendid love for the people of this 
 land which his dear departed father possessed. 
 
 "We now thank Thee, O God, our Eternal Father, for 
 this beautiful temple and the grounds upon which it 
 stands, and we dedicate the grounds and the building, 
 with all its furnishings and fittings, and everything per- 
 taining thereunto, from the foundation to the roof there- 
 of, to Thee, our Father and our God. And we humbly 
 pray Thee, O God, the Eternal Father, to accept of it 
 and to sanctify it, and to consecrate it through Thy 
 Spirit for the holy purposes for which it has been 
 erected. 
 
 "We beseech Thee that no unclean thing shall be 
 permitted to enter here, and that Thy Spirit may ever 
 dwell in this holy house and rest mightily upon all who 
 shall labor as officers and workers in this house, as well 
 as all who shall come here to perform ordinances for the 
 living or for the dead. 
 
 "May Thy peace ever abide in this holy building, 
 that all who come here may partake of the spirit of 
 peace, and of the sweet and heavenly influence that 
 Thy Saints have experienced in other temples, and that 
 
 31 
 
has also been experienced in visiting the monument and 
 cottage erected at the birthplace of Thy servant Joseph 
 Smith, the great Latter-day prophet. 
 
 "May all who come upon the grounds which sur- 
 round this temple, in the years to come, whether mem- 
 bers of the Church of Christ or not, feel the sweet and 
 peaceful influence of this blessed and hallowed spot. 
 
 "And now that this temple is completed and ordi- 
 nance work will soon be commenced, we beseech Thee, 
 O Father, that Thou wilt open the way before the mem- 
 bers of the Church in these lands, as well as of the na- 
 tives of New Zealand, and of all the Pacific Islands, 
 to secure the genealogies of their forefathers, so that 
 they may come into this holy house and become saviors 
 unto their ancestors. 
 
 "Wo thank Thee, O God, our Eternal Father, that 
 the land of Palestine, the land where our Savior and 
 Redeemer ministered in the flesh, where He gave to 
 the world the plan of life and salvation, is now redeemed 
 from the thralldom of the unbeliever, and is in the 
 hands of the great, enlightened and liberty-loving em- 
 pire of Great Britain. We acknowledge Thy hand, O 
 God, in the wonderful events which have led up to the 
 partial redemption of the land of Judah, and we be- 
 seech Thee. O Father, that the Jews may, at no far dis- 
 tant date, be gathered home to the land of their fore- 
 fathers. 
 
 "We thank Thee that Thy servants, the Prophets 
 Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, were moved upon to 
 send holy apostles to Jerusalem to dedicate that land for 
 the return of the Jews. 
 
 "Wo acknowledge Thy hand, O God, our Heavenly 
 Father, that one of the benefits of the great and terrible 
 world war, through which the nations of the earth have 
 recently passed, will be the opportunity for the Jews to 
 return to the land of their fathers. 
 
 "We thank Thee, our Father in Heaven, for the 
 victory which came to the armies of the Allies, and we 
 beseech Thee that that victory may lead to increased 
 liberty and peace throughout all the nations of the 
 earth. 
 
 "We pray for Thy blessings to be upon the kings, 
 and upon the nobles, and upon the rulers in all nations, 
 that they may have it in their hearts to administer jus- 
 tice and righteousness and to give liberty and freedom 
 to the peoples over whom they rule. 
 
 32 
 
Maternity Group, in Center of Terrace Wall 
 
"We thank Thee that Thou didst inspire the noble 
 men who wrote the Constitution of our beloved coun- 
 try, and we beseech Thee that the principles of that in- 
 spired document may ever be maintained; that the peo-- 
 ple may overcome selfishness and strife, and contention, 
 and all bitterness, and that they may grow and increase 
 in the love of country, in loyalty and patriotism, and in 
 a determination to do that which is right and just. 
 
 "We thank Thee for this land of liberty in which we 
 dwell, which Thou hast said is choice above all other 
 lands. We do thank Thee, O God our Father, for the 
 noble men who have presided over our country from the 
 days of George Washington until the present time. 
 
 "We pray Thee to bless Woodrow Wilson, the presi- 
 dent of these United States. Touch him with the heal- 
 ing power of Thy Holy Spirit and make him whole. We 
 pray that his life may be precious in Thy sight, and may 
 the inspiration that comes from Thee ever abide with 
 him. 
 
 "We pray for the vice-president of the United States, 
 for the members of the president's cabinet, for the sen- 
 ators and congressmen, and for all the officers of this 
 great and glorious government in every state and terri- 
 tory, and in every land where the United States bears 
 rule. We also remember before Thee, all those who 
 have been selected to administer the law in this favored 
 land of Hawaii. 
 
 "We beseech Thee, O God in heaven, that the peo- 
 ple of the United States of America may ever seek to 
 Thee for guidance and direction, that Thy declaration 
 and promise that this is a land choice above all other 
 lands, and shall be protected against all foes, provided 
 the people serve Thee, may be realized and fulfilled, 
 and that the people may grow in power, and strength 
 and dominion, and, above all, in a love of Thy truth. 
 
 "We thank Thee, O God, that Thy Son, our Re- 
 deemer, after being crucified and laying down His life 
 for the sins of the world, did open the prison doors and 
 proclaim the Gospel of repentance unto those who had 
 been disobedient in the days of Noah, and that He sub- 
 sequently came to the land of America, where He estab- 
 lished His Church and chose disciples to guide the 
 same. 
 
 "We thank Thee, for restoring again to the earth 
 the ordinances of the Gospel of Thy Son Jesus Christ, 
 whereby men and women can be, in very deed, saviors 
 
 34 
 
upon Mount Zion, and where they can enter into Thy 
 holy temples and perform the ordinance^ necessary for 
 the salvation of those who have died without a knowl- 
 edge of the Gospel. 
 
 "We thank Thee, O Father, above all things upon 
 the face of the earth, for the Gospel of Thy Son Jesus 
 Christ, and for the Priesthood of the living God, and 
 that we have been made partakers of the same, and have 
 an abiding knowledge of the divinity of the work in 
 which we are engaged. 
 
 "Wo thank Thee for the words of Thy Son Jesus 
 Christ to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon: 
 'This is the Gospel, the glad tidings which the voice 
 out of the heavens bore record unto us, that He came 
 into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, 
 and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the 
 world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness, that 
 through Him all might be saved whom the Father had 
 put into His power and made by Him, who glorifies 
 the Father and saves all the works of His hands.' 
 
 "We thank Thee, O Father, that Thou didst send 
 Thy Son Jesus Christ, to visit Thy servants Joseph Smith 
 and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland temple, the first 
 temple ever erected by Thy people in this last dispen- 
 sation. We thank Thee for the words of our Redeemer: 
 
 " 'I am the first and the last, I am he who liveth, 
 I am he who was slain, I am your advocate with the 
 Father. Behold, your sins are forgiven you, you are 
 clean before me, therefore, lift up your heads and re- 
 joice, let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let 
 the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have with their 
 might, built this house to my name, for behold, I have 
 accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I 
 will manifest !my self tomy people in mercy in this house.' 
 
 "We thank Thee, O God, that Thou hast accepted, 
 by the testimony of Thy Holy Spirit, all of the tem- 
 ples that have been erected from the days of Kirtland 
 until this present one. 
 
 "We also thank Thee for sending Thy servants, 
 Moses and Elias and Elijah, to the Kirtland temple, and 
 delivering to Thy servants, Joseph and Oliver, the keys 
 of every dispensation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from 
 the days of Father Adam down to the present dispensa- 
 tion, which is the dispensation of the fulness of times. 
 
 "We thank Thee, that Elijah has appeared and 
 that the prophecy of Thy servant Malachi, that the 
 
 35 
 
hearts o( the fathers should he turned to the children, 
 and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest the 
 earth be smitten with a curse, has been fulfilled in our 
 day, and that our hearts in very deed, go out to our 
 fathers; and we rejoice beyond our ability to express 
 that we can, through the ordinances of the Gospel of 
 Jesus Christ, become saviors of our ancestors. 
 
 "We thank Thee, O God, with all our hearts and 
 souls for the testimony of Thy Servants Joseph Smith 
 and Sidney Rigdon: 'And now, after the many testi- 
 monies which have been given of Him, this is the testi- 
 mony last of all, which we give of Him, that He Jives; 
 for we saw Him, even on the right hand of God, and we 
 heard the voice bearing record that He is the Only Be- 
 gotten of the Father — that by Him and through Him, 
 and of Him the worlds are and were created, and the in- 
 habitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto 
 God/ 
 
 "We thank Thee, O Father, for the knowledge that 
 we possess in our very souls, that Thou dost live, and 
 that Thy Son Jesus is our Redeemer, and our Savior, and 
 that Thy servant, Joseph Smith, Jr., was and is a prophet 
 of the true and living God. And, O Father, may we 
 ever be true and faithful to the Gospel of Thy Son 
 Jesus Christ, revealed through Thy servant Joseph. 
 
 "We beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou wilt stay 
 the hand of the destroyer among the natives of this 
 land, and give unto them increasing virility and more 
 abundant health, that they may not perish as a people, 
 but that from this time forth they may increase in num- 
 bers and in strength and influence, that all the great 
 and glorious promises made concerning the descend- 
 ants of Lehi, may be fulfilled in them; that they may 
 grow in vigor of body and of mind, and above all in 
 a love for Thee and Thy Son, and increase in diligence 
 and in faithfulness in the keeping of the commandments 
 which have come to them through the Gospel of Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 "We pray Thee, O Father, to bless this land that it 
 may be fruitful, that it may yield abundantly, and that 
 all who dwell thereon may be prospered in righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 "Bless all Thy people who have named Thy name 
 in all parts of the world. Especially bless Thy people 
 in the Valleys of the Mountains, whereunto they were 
 led by Thy divine guidance, and where the greatest of 
 
 36 
 
'4 
 
 The Prophet Lehi Blessiag His Son 
 
all temples in this dispensation has been erected, and 
 where Thou hast blessed and prospered Thy people even 
 beyond anything that could have been expected. 
 
 "Bless, O Father in Heaven, all Thy servants and 
 handmaidens who hold responsible positions in all the 
 various auxiliary organizations of Thy Church, whether 
 as general, stake, ward, or mission authorities; in the 
 Relief Societies, in the Mutual Improvement associa- 
 tions, in the Sunday schools, in the Primary associa- 
 tions, and in the Religion Class organizations. Bless 
 each and everyone who is laboring for the benefit of the 
 members, as well as the members themselves, in these 
 associations. 
 
 "We especially pray Thee, O Father in Heaven, to 
 bless the youth of Thy people in Zion and in all the 
 world. Shield and preserve and protect them from the 
 adversary and from wicked and designing men. Keep 
 the youth of Thy jieople, O Father, in the straight and 
 narrow path that leads to Thee; preserve them from 
 all the pitfalls and snares that are laid for their feet 
 O Father, may our children grow up in the nurture 
 and admonition of the Gospel of Thy Son Jesus Christ. 
 Give unto them a testimony of the divinity of this work 
 as Thou hast give it unto us, and preserve them in 
 purity and in the truth. 
 
 "O God, our Heavenly and Eternal Father, sanctify 
 the words which we have spoken, and accept of the dedi- 
 cation of this house, we beseech Thee, in the name of 
 Thine Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. 
 We have dedicated this house unto Thee by virtue of 
 the Priesthood of the Living God which we hold, and 
 we most earnestly pray that this sacred building may 
 be a place in which Thou shalt delight to pour out 
 Thy Holy Spirit in great abundance, and in which Thy 
 Son may see fit to manifest Himself and to instruct 
 Thy servants. In the name of Jesus Christ our Re- 
 deemer. Amen and Amen." 
 
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ARTICLES OF FAITH. 
 Of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
 
 1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His 
 Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. 
 
 2. We believe that men will be punished for their own 
 sins, and not for Adam's transgression. 
 
 3. We believe that, through the atonement of Christ, all 
 inankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordi- 
 nances of the Gospel. 
 
 4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances 
 of the Gospel are: First, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; 
 second. Repentance; third. Baptism by immersion for the re- 
 mission of sins; fourth. Laying on of Hands for the Gift of the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by 
 "prophecy, and by the laying on of hands," by those who 
 are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in 
 the ordinances thereof. 
 
 6. We believe in the same organization that existed in 
 the primitive church, namelj^ apostles, prophets, pastors, 
 teachers, evangelists, etc. 
 
 7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, 
 visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc. 
 
 8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as 
 it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon 
 to be the word of God. 
 
 9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does 
 now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great 
 and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. 
 
 10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the 
 restoration of the Ten Tribes. That Zion will be built upon 
 this continent. That Christ will reign personally upon the 
 earth, and that the earth will be renewed and receive its para- 
 disical glory. 
 
 11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God 
 according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men 
 the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they 
 may. 
 
 12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers 
 and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law. 
 
 13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, 
 virtuous, and in doing good to ALL MEN; indeed we may say 
 that we follow the admonition of Paul, "We believe all things, 
 we hope all things," we have endured many things, and hope to 
 be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, 
 lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these 
 things. 
 
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