The Prophet Joseph Smith Asks the Lord to Accept the Saints’ Great Sacrifice in Building the Kirtland Temple
Doctrine and Covenants 109:1–5
1 Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee, with all their hearts—
2 Thou who hast commanded thy servants to build a house to thy name in this place [Kirtland].
3 And now thou beholdest, O Lord, that thy servants have done according to thy commandment.
4 And now we ask thee, 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 thee, O Lord, to accept of this house, the workmanship of the hands of us, thy servants, which thou didst command us to build.
5 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.
President George Q. Cannon wrote:
“[The temple had been built at the expense of the] utmost self-sacrifice. Nearly three years had been occupied in its construction; and during this time the Saints had given of their substance and had toiled without ceasing to make a habitation fit for the ministration of angelic visitants and of the Holy One, Himself.”
(Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet [2005], 221.)
