Today was a special day. I was up late last night sewing white handkerchiefs for the Hosannah Shout. It was an absolute labour of love. When the temple was originally dedicated in 1990 my YWs leaders made us/bought us little white hankies. I wanted to create an heirloom for Fiona and Alice too, so I did. They are not the most beautiful, but I hope that they will save them and when they see them they will remember watching the dedication, and be reminded of the specialness of the temple.
It's been so neat going to the open house twice for me, three times for Ken, Alice and Fiona. Watching Fiona confidently walk through the temple during the open house, watching it feel like her temple, that felt really special. I was grateful that Kate came with us, and wanted to walk through the temple again.
Today, the whole dedication service was just beautiful. There was a choir - very small, of youth/ysa, Terri-Ann my friend from Orangeville directed the choir. The talks - two youth speakers, Ken Shoesmith, the Temple President and Matron, Elder Daines, Elder Holland, they were all so uplifting and inspired. The music was beautiful. What was really special to me, the General Authority 70 that spoke Elder Daines he talked about the Hosannah Shout and it being a joyous exultation, and blessing of blessings that is exactly what it felt like. It didn't feel weird, it felt blessed. It reminded me of doing the Hosannah Shout during covid. One of the ancient definitions of Hosannah is "God save us". This felt very poignant thinking back on covid.
Going to the rededication, I was walking all around down memory lane. I couldn't find a journal entry from the original dedication and that a little bit broke my heart. I did find the original invitation to the open house and the ticket to the original dedication and of course the handkerchief so that felt like something.
This is the dedicatory prayer offered by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:
Our holy and merciful Father in Heaven, Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Father of Thy magnificent Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Father to each of us here in mortality, we bow our heads and would bend our knees in reverence and gratitude for the blessings of this day.
We have gathered this hour for the rededication of the Toronto Ontario Temple, where we declare over its door that it is a “house of the Lord.” It is where we pledge “holiness to the Lord,” where the principles, doctrines, covenants and ordinances, flowing from Thy plan of mercy are available. Here we also find the justice demonstrated in vicarious work performed for our deceased who did not enjoy the blessings of the gospel in their lifetimes.
Today we remember and pray for our beloved President and Prophet Russell M. Nelson. He loves temples and has had the prophetic, visionary foresight to aid in hastening the Lord’s work through the unprecedented construction of temples. We thank Thee for him and ask a blessing upon him and his beloved counselors. We ask a blessing upon the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Seventy, the Presiding Bishopric, and all other general and local leaders of the Church. Bless all of them in helping people come to the temple, and bless them to encourage the gleaning of family names that will sustain temple work across the globe.
Please bless the temple president, the matron, their counselors and assistants respectively, and all who serve in any way in the temple. May that service bless all of them personally, bringing the spirit of this edifice into their homes and marriages and families.
Bless the youth to be clean and worthy to carry a temple recommend proudly. Bless the young men who are able to serve and the young women who choose to serve that they will come to the temple, receive their ordinances and covenants and take that Spirit into the mission field. Bless all those patrons who are of marriageable age that they will take comfort and find encouragement, moving toward that goal.
Now, Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the power and authority, virtue and keys of the holy apostleship in the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, I rededicate the Toronto Ontario Temple unto Thee.
I rededicate the entirety of this beautiful building, including all that was renovated and reconfigured. I bless the temple grounds and ancillary buildings. I bless the baptismal font and rededicate it for the use and blessing of so many, especially the youth. I bless the space where initiatory ordinances are performed and the wonderful promises given there. I bless the endowment rooms with their beauty and comfort. Especially bless us all to understand the doctrine taught in the endowment rooms, for it gives meaning to the experiences that will accompany it. I bless the celestial room that it will be a place of beauty and rest, symbolically representing our coming into the rest of the Lord. I bless the sealing rooms whereby Thy hand, working through Thy mortal ministers, will perform the sacred sealing ceremony, binding families on earth and in heaven.
We bless the carpets and curtains, the altars and pulpits, the windows and walls, hallways and instruction rooms and mechanical systems, all these that contribute to the sacred temple experience. And, Father, please protect this holy temple from any damage by nature or defilement or vandalism at the hand of man.
Lastly, and perhaps most important of all, Father, we rededicate ourselves on this delightful day of rededication. Each one of us is here by virtue of a temple dedication recommend. Whatever our circumstance in life, we pledge our best effort to improve, to be more kind and clean and to remember that Christlike behavior should be evident in those who take upon themselves His name.
Father, our hearts are full and our faith is strong as we have dedicated all aspects of the temple mentioned and unmentioned today. We have done so in the magnificent name of the Lord Jesus Christ, He who was the Babe of Bethlehem and the Child of Nazareth, He who was the Good Shepherd, who went after the lonely sheep that wandered, He who is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all our hopes and dreams. We pray that we can give something to Him, because He gave everything to us. This is our dedication prayer today, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
