Physical Preservation and Strength during Dedication

At 86 years of age, Wilford Woodruff performed the strenuous duties of dedicating the temple, which included reading a lengthy 35-minute dedicatory prayer. Observers and the President himself noted that he was blessed with the strength and vigor of a man fifty years his junior. Furthermore, despite his advanced age, he was able to read the lengthy manuscript of the prayer without the need for his reading glasses. This physical preservation was seen by many as a miracle of the power of prayer and the sustaining grace of God, allowing him to fulfill his prophetic duty to dedicate the temple. The ease and clarity with which he performed these tasks served as a testament to the divine support provided to the leadership of the Church during the most significant events of the restoration, ensuring the dedication was completed as intended.