Historical context
In 1980, President Ezra Taft Benson, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve, came to Brazil, and one of his principal assignments was to preside over the special conference creating the Brasília Brazil Stake, the first stake in the city and in all of Brazil’s Central-West region.
A notice in the Local News (Notícias Locais) of the Liahona states that, as he prepared for the trip, President Benson researched historical records of the Church in Brazil and realized that, like other South American nations, Brazil had not received a dedication for the preaching of the gospel following the Dedicatory Prayer of South America, offered by Elder Melvin J. Ballard, of the Quorum of the Twelve, at Christmas of 1925 in Buenos Aires, where he inaugurated the South American Mission.
In 1979, President Benson had visited Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Peru and dedicated those countries to the gospel, feeling the need to give specific blessings for each nation, following direction from President Spencer W. Kimball. On his visit to Brazil, President Benson identified that Brazil, too, had not received a specific dedicatory blessing.
President Benson’s assignment to preside over the conference organizing the first stake in the federal capital was full of special meaning. The fact that this new stake was being created in the year the new capital of Brazil completed 20 years since its inauguration indicated that the growth of the Church in Brasília reflected the growth of the city itself. President Benson himself had been in the city in October 1960, as United States Secretary of Agriculture, and on that occasion he was quite impressed with the city, its modern design, and the ability of the Brazilian people to build such a city practically from nothing (Galvão, 2022, p. 71-74). His return to the city was like a confirmation of it as one of the main centers of the Church in Brazil.
The dedication ceremony
The dedication meeting for Brazil was full of peculiarities.
According to accounts from members present on the occasion, after the conference was held, President Benson showed a certain haste to perform the dedication. It is true that President Benson was already advanced in age (he was 81 at the time), and it may be that the opportunity to perform this ordinance moved him and accounted for that eagerness.
According to an account by Sister Ruth Perillo, gathered by Sister Ludmilla Galvão in the book História dos santos dos últimos dias em Brasília (2022, p. 269), President Benson chose the site of the dedication after the conference ended. First, he asked whether there was a mountainous place nearby, but there are no such places in Brasília. Then he asked about a wooded area, and he was directed to the grove of Rogério Pithon Farias Park (now called Sarah Kubitschek City Park).
Only during the Dedicatory Prayer could one perceive the reason for the preference for a broad, tree-covered place. According to President Benson, these were the first temples on earth (perhaps in analogy to the Garden of Eden).
It is interesting to note that the dedicatory prayers offered by President Benson in Paraguay in 1979 and in Italy in 1966 were also given in groves and on elevated places: in the Botanical Garden of Asunción, in the Paraguayan case, and on a hill near where Lorenzo Snow had first dedicated Italy, in the second case.
President Spencer W. Kimball, then President of the Church, had dedicated other Latin American countries to the gospel when he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigned to supervise that area, and he too expressed a preference for elevated, tree-covered places, such as Colombia’s National Park (1966) and Mount El Panecillo in Ecuador (1965).
Although the route was short (the chapel grounds are adjacent to the park), it was raining at the time, which made it difficult for many members to reach the site.
At the park, those present formed a circle, sang the hymn “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer” (even though it was past 1:30 p.m. and raining heavily), and heard a prayer by Dirceu Atanásio Pontes (First Counselor of the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission) and a message from Elder Hélio da Rocha Camargo, a Regional Representative who was accompanying President Benson at the conference.
In the book Histórias de Fé (2008, p. 12), of the Brasília Brazil Stake, Brother Dario Canuto da Silva relates that, upon arriving at the park, President Benson asked that the umbrellas be closed, because he was going to offer the prayer.
Brother Dario said: “The rain was falling torrentially on the pines. But at that moment and in that place, the rain stopped and a brightness came among the pines. When he finished offering the prayer, it began to rain torrentially again.”
The powerful apostolic prayer was transcribed, translated into Portuguese (the language of Camões), and published in the Local News insert of the Liahona magazine, December 1980 issue, page 3.
Dedicatory Prayer of Brazil, offered by Ezra Taft Benson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, on October 12, 1980, in Brasília
O God, our Heavenly Father,
All-knowing and Eternal, we approach Thy holy throne in prayer, through the name of Thy beloved Son, our Savior and Redeemer. Father, we find ourselves here as a group of Thy covenant children on this Thy holy day to dedicate this country to the preaching of the saving word, the gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank Thee, Holy Father, for the privilege we have of gathering here under the trees, Thy first temple for Thy children. We thank Thee for the wonders of nature. We thank Thee for the beautiful things Thou hast provided for us as Thy children.
We thank Thee for the rain that is falling, so needed at this time, in this delightful country.
Heavenly Father, we have just held a great conference of Thy Church here in Brasília. We have just created a great stake, an additional stake in Thy Kingdom. Thou hast said that our light must shine, that Zion must grow in beauty and in holiness, that her borders must be enlarged, that her stakes must be strengthened. We thank Thee for Thy holy word, for the encouragement Thou hast given us through the revelations of Thy Son and for Thy Church in this dispensation. Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the growth of Thy Church here in this great republic, throughout this great continent, and all over the world.
Father, we know that not all things are possible for us as humans, but we understand, Father, that all things are possible for Thee and Thy beloved Son. And so, Father, we come before Thee with hearts full of gratitude on this the Lord’s day and plead that Thou wilt hear our voice, for we raise it in gratitude and thanksgiving to Thee for Thy gospel.
We thank Thee for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for Thy holy Church being again upon the earth, with all the keys and the authority and the power Thou hast promised. We thank Thee for the mission of the Prophet Joseph, for the blessings of the leadership of the Church from his time to the present. And we thank Thee for President Spencer W. Kimball, who authorized, as part of a new policy, the dedication of each country separately to Thy holy word and Thy holy work.
And now, Father, we bless this nation. We invoke Thy choice blessings upon this great republic. Heavenly Father, once again we open the doors more widely than ever before for the preaching of Thy word, that Thy gospel may expand, that hearts may be opened, that their feelings may be softened before Thee and Thy great latter-day work, and that many thousands may come into Thy Church and receive the promised blessings.
O Father, we thank Thee for the saving principles of Thy gospel and plead with Thee to bless the missionaries, the mission presidents, and all who have any connection with this work in this part of Thy vineyard. May it expand, may the Saints rejoice in the opportunity they have to give referrals again, and may many be brought to a knowledge of the Church.
Heavenly Father, we have turned the key, we have opened the door. By the authority of the holy priesthood of God, we dedicate this nation for Thy holy purposes, for the preaching of Thy gospel, for the spreading of truth. We thank Thee that Thou hast given Thy Church, as guardian of the truth, all the authority necessary for the salvation, exaltation, and blessing of Thy children.
We plead, Holy Father, that Thy work may expand here. Bless those who have authority in the government, Father, that their hearts may be softened, that they may come to understand more fully the purpose of Thy great Church, that new friends may arise — even people we do not expect — Father, to help move forward Thy work here in this beautiful country.
Bless the people. Bless the citizens, help them to take an interest in their government and to help it move forward vigorously on correct principles, so that Thy work may prosper under the influence that will be generated through righteousness. Father, bless the people. Bless the people of this nation. Bless the leaders, give them faith and courage, and especially give them the vision to see clearly the course they must follow in order to bless the people, this great country, and to open the way for a greater expansion of the gospel throughout this land.
Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that we belong to Thy Kingdom.
We thank Thee for the privilege we have of helping to advance and build up Thy Kingdom in this part of Thy vineyard and in other places. May Thou bless the good people of this new stake.
Lift them up, Holy Father, bless them economically, culturally, and, especially, spiritually. Give them Thy sweet Spirit to assist them in their home together with their family. And wherever they may be, in their work, may Thy influence for good be felt in this community and in other places. May they be the right example. May their light so shine that people may see their good works and be led to glorify Thee and accept the gospel.
Now, Father, we do not wish to multiply words before Thee, but we thank Thee that we belong to Thy Church and Thy Kingdom. We thank Thee for this great nation.
We thank Thee for the progress that has been made and plead with Thee that, on this day, after the dedication of this country by the authority of Thy holy priesthood, the work may multiply and move forward, that it may progress, even beyond our most promising expectations, that many of Thy children may come to a knowledge of the truth.
And, Father, just as we dedicate this nation to Thee for Thy holy and sacred purposes, we rededicate our lives to Thee and to Thy great work and plead that our labors may be acceptable before Thee, for we love Thee, Holy Father, and Thy Beloved Son, and we pray that our labors may be acceptable before Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Impacts of the Dedicatory Prayer on the civil history of Brazil
The prayer offered by President Ezra Taft Benson in October 1980 takes on special significance when analyzed in light of the political and social context of Brazil at that time. In 1980, the nation was in the final phase of the Military Regime, a process of opening that had begun in 1979.
In the dedicatory blessing, President Benson interceded directly for those in government, that their hearts might be softened toward the work of the Church, and for the citizens of Brazil, that they might take greater interest in the political direction of the nation. I quote the following passages:
“Bless those who have authority in the government, Father, that their hearts may be softened, that they may come to understand more fully the purpose of Thy great Church, that new friends may arise — even people we do not expect — Father, to help move forward Thy work here in this beautiful country.”
“Bless the people. Bless the citizens, help them to take an interest in their government and to help it move forward vigorously on correct principles, so that Thy work may prosper under the influence that will be generated through righteousness. Father, bless the people. Bless the people of this nation. Bless the leaders, give them faith and courage, and especially give them the vision to see clearly the course they must follow in order to bless the people, this great country, and to open the way for a greater expansion of the gospel throughout this land.”
With the perspective of our day, these words resonate as a plea for divine help — for wisdom and moderation for the state’s leaders at a critical moment of transition — as well as a blessing upon the people to take on the role of protagonists in the democracy that would take shape in the following years.
In the years following the prayer, Brazil experienced decisive events in its history: the restoration of civil liberties, the broad amnesty, the popular mobilization for Diretas Já (Direct Elections Now), the indirect election of a civilian president (Tancredo Neves), the promulgation of the 1988 “Citizen Constitution,” and the direct election of a civilian president in 1989. In short, within ten years Brazil accomplished its political transition toward civility and the consolidation of fundamental guarantees, among them religious freedom, as President Benson had asked of the Lord in that garden in the heart of Brazil.
Impacts of the Dedicatory Prayer on the history of the Church in Brazil
The Brasília Stake, organized on October 12, 1980, was the twentieth stake of the Church in Brazil. Shortly afterward, in 1985, the Brasília Mission was created, facilitating the progress of missionary work not only in the Central-West region but also in the North Region.
Between 1966, when the first Brazilian stake was created, in São Paulo, and 1979, only 18 stakes were created in Brazil. In the 1980s alone, 37 stakes were created, in every region of Brazil (including the Manaus Stake, organized on October 16, 1988, the first after the promulgation of Brazil’s Constitution). The growth in the number of stakes continued over the following decades. About 120 stakes were created in Brazil between 1990 and 1999, and in the 21st century there have been 12 temple dedications (including one rededication), with 12 more announced and in various stages of construction and planning.
In an article published in the Liahona magazine, July 2014 issue, the historian Mark L. Grover presented a table showing the growth in the number of Church members in Brazil. According to his description, up to 1978 (two years before the dedication of Brazil), Brazilian Latter-day Saints numbered a little more than 54,000; by 1988 that number had nearly quintupled, reaching 265,286 members; by 1998 the number reached 703,210. The first million members was reached in 2008.
There is no doubt, therefore, that this prayer was offered at a precise moment, when Brazil most needed the help of heaven. Together with the dedication of the São Paulo Temple and the end of the racial restriction on the priesthood (both in 1978), the 1980 Dedicatory Prayer is one of the events that most contributed to the growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil.
References
A IGREJA DE JESUS CRISTO DOS SANTOS DOS ÚLTIMOS DIAS. Estaca Brasília-Brasil. História de fé: Estaca Brasília-Brasil. Brasília: Presidência da Estaca Brasília-Brasil, 2008.
GALVÃO, Ludmilla. História dos Santos dos Últimos Dias em Brasília: relatos sobre o início da década de 1960, e relatos sobre a oração dedicatória do Brasil, em 12-10-1980. 1. ed. Brasília, DF: Tagore Editora, 2022.
GROVER, Mark L. A Igreja no Brasil: O Futuro Finalmente Chegou. A Liahona, jul. 2014, p. 18-23. Disponível em: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2014/07/the-church-in-brazil-the-future-has-finally-arrived?lang=por
NOTÍCIAS Locais. O Brasil é abençoado e dedicado ao Senhor. A Liahona, p. III-IV, dez. 1980.
SILVA, Renan Apolônio de Sá. Centenário da Igreja de Jesus Cristo na América do Sul / Centenario de la Iglesia de Jesucristo en Sudamérica. 1. ed. Olinda: Ed. do Autor, 2025. Disponível em: https://educapes.capes.gov.br/bitstream/capes/1133218/1/Livro%2520Centenario_compressed.pdf
Translator’s note. This article was originally written in Portuguese by Renan Silva and published on this site as “A Dedicação do Brasil ao Evangelho,” which can be read here. The Spanish and English versions were translated with Claude, by Anthropic.
How to cite this publication
APA (7th edition)
Silva, R. (2026, October 8). The Dedication of Brazil to the Gospel. Legado de Promisión. https://legadodepromision.com/en/the-dedication-of-brazil-to-the-gospel/
Chicago (bibliography)
Silva, Renan. “The Dedication of Brazil to the Gospel.” Legado de Promisión, October 8, 2026. https://legadodepromision.com/en/the-dedication-of-brazil-to-the-gospel/
