Following is the complete text of the dedicatory prayer of the Anchorage Alaska Temple, given Jan. 9, 1999, by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

O God our Eternal Father, Thou great Elohim, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, we come unto Thee in the name of Thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ to dedicate this the Anchorage Alaska Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We are grateful for this sacred and hallowed structure. We are grateful for the purposes for which it has been built. We thank Thee for the faithful Saints who will use it. We thank Thee for the light of the everlasting gospel which has come into our lives and given purpose for our being. Our hearts are filled with thanksgiving unto Thee, our Father and our God, as we acknowledge Thy benevolent hand in our behalf.

We, as Thy faithful sons and daughters, and as Saints of the Most High, love Thee. We love Thy Beloved Son, who gave His life for each of us, our Savior and Redeemer.

We love the Prophet Joseph Smith through whom Thy work has been restored in this the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. We thank Thee for the everlasting truths which have come of that restoration, for the Book of Mormon as another witness for the divinity of our Lord, for the organization of the true and living Church which carries His name, and for divine authority to act in these temples in service to Thy sons and daughters of all generations.

We thank Thee for the eternal ordinances which will be administered in this Thy holy house. We thank Thee for the keys governing these ordinances, for the wonderful work of baptism for the dead, for the initiatory ordinances associated with Thy holy house, for the endowment service with its sacred and binding covenants, for the beautiful and matchless sealing ceremony performed in the authority of the eternal priesthood. We thank Thee for the work carried on in temples throughout the world to bless the living and bring eternal life and the opportunities for exaltation to the dead. O Father, we are so deeply grateful for these remarkable and wonderful gifts, blessings, keys, and authority which make this possible.

Now we have this sacred house in which to carry forward this work. Acting in the authority of the holy priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Divine Son, we dedicate this the Anchorage Alaska Temple to Thee and to Him as Thy holy house, a sacred sanctuary which Thou might call Thine own. Accept of it as the offering of Thy thankful people. Bless and sanctify it and hallow it with the presence of Thy Holy Spirit.

We pray that all who enter these portals may recognize that we come here as Thy guests. May no evil thing, or influence, cross the threshold of this Thy house. We dedicate all of the elements of its structure from the foundation to the figure of Moroni. We dedicate every facility found herein, together with the land on which it stands.

We are grateful for the inspiration which has come to build it, and pray that Thy faithful people in this part of Thy vineyard may treasure it and use it for the purposes for which it is designed. Increase their faith, deepen their understanding of things divine, acquaint them with Thy holy and everlasting purposes. Bless them as they walk in righteousness before Thee, contributing their tithes and offerings, working with faith to build Thy cause and kingdom. Open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings upon them.

We pray that this temple may stand against the storms of nature through the years to come. May no unholy hand vandalize it in any way. May it be recognized even by those not of our faith as a place holy and sacred, the house of the Lord, built as an expression of love for Thee.

May this great work of temple building go forward across the earth to bless Thy people wherever they may be found. May all who come with hope and high expectation, leave with satisfaction and gratitude, having tasted of the sweet things of Thy divine work.

Bless, we pray Thee, all who shall serve here, the temple presidency, the matron and her assistants, and all who work in any capacity. Theirs will be a labor of faith and love. Bless them with joy in their service.

And now, to the accomplishment of Thy work we, with love and appreciation, dedicate this Thy holy house, again asking that Thy sanctifying blessings may rest upon it, in the name of Thy Beloved Son, the Redeemer of the world through whose Atonement all of these blessings are made possible, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.