Zaisan Hill

Today is our P-day so we decided to take a little walk.  We went to ZAISAN HILL which is close to an 8 mile round trip.  The significance of this sight is not that it is an old Russian Monument or that it has a great view of the city but this is where Elder Maxwell dedicated the Land of Mongolia for the Preaching of the Gospel on April 15, 1993 at 4:00 p.m.  It is now 20 years later and there are over 10,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I feel the whole country of Mongolia have been blessed by having the gospel here whether they know it our not.  The country is coming more into the light and having more freedoms than they have had before.  The people are delightful, honest and beautiful.  We feel very grateful to be here.

 OFFICIAL DEDICATORY PRAYER

For the Land of Mongolia for the preaching of the restored Gospel

April 15, 1993 ~ 4:00 pm, Zaisan Hill – Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

By Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Almighty God, Father of the whole human family, we, a few of thy children, feel privileged to gather here today.  We are grateful for the sunshine and thank Thee, O God, for so smiling upon this special occasion.  Though we can see Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, in the distance, Father, we know we cannot see far away.  We are comforted to know that Thou seest all things at all times.  Some of us are far from home and far from our families, but we are comforted to know that no place is distant from thee.

Father, as we prepare to dedicate the country of Mongolia for the preaching of the restored Gospel and for the building up of Thy Kingdom, we first seek to rededicate ourselves to Thy service and to Thy purposes in the earth.

Father, bless these pioneering couples and all those missionaries who will follow.  Protect them; bless them with a love for the Mongolian people.  May their assistance be welcomed; may the ways they help the Mongolian people be appreciated.

O God, Our Father, bless the new converts.  Help them to be strong as they will shape the future of the Church in Mongolia.

Please continue to raise up friends in Mongolia who will help Thy work to progress.

May all of these things be combined so that Thy work will help these hardy, strong Mongolian people to be happier and more prosperous.

Father, this is a wind-swept land.  May it also be the case that the winds of freedom will never cease to blow in Mongolia.  Preserve and protect the independence of Mongolia regardless of the moves made on the great checkerboard of the nations.

Heavenly Father, may the yesterdays of Mongolia not hold the tomorrows of Mongolia hostage.

We pray for the leaders, present and future, of this nation.  Guide them and bless them to preserve freedom and to have a more adequate economy.

Father, we realize there are many in the world to whom Mongolia is unknown and unappreciated, but we plead with thee, Father, that Mongolia not go unblessed.

So, in the power and the authority of the Holy Apostleship, I dedicate the land of Mongolia and bless its leaders and people, its soil, and its sky – all to the end that the nation may be blessed, that it will so respond to the Gospel message so that Thy work may be firmly established here.  May Mongolia ever be a beacon light to other nations.

Father, we thank thee for the atonement of Thy Son Jesus Christ, for Thy plan of salvation which tells us who we are and why we are here.  We thank Thee for the restoration of Thy Gospel and unite in our expressions of appreciation on this special occasion.  We are grateful for the love Thou has given us and ask Thy blessing to preserve our memories of this occasion.

We so dedicate this land.  May the members of the Church here be good citizens of the Church and good citizens of this nation.  For all these things we pray.  As Mongolia faces the future, may the sunshine we experience this day symbolize Thine approval of this occasion and this dedication.  We so pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!