Apostle Heber J. Grant Dedicates Japan for the Preaching of the Gospel
Published October 13, 2026 at 4:28 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
While in Japan, Apostle Heber J. Grant and his missionary companions held a fast day in the woods. During this time, they prayed and sang, and Elder Grant formally dedicated the land and the people to the opening up of the Gospel, pleading that opposition would not prosper. He reported feeling a great spiritual outpouring and 'tears of joy' during this manifestation.
The prayer meeting occurred on September 1, 1901, as a Fast day. The group walked about twenty minutes from their rooms to a secluded grove on the south slope of a rolling hill, located between the foreign residences on the Bluff and the bay. The order of service included singing 'We thank thee, O God, for a prophet,' followed by prayers from Grant and Louis A. Kelsch, singing 'Now let us rejoice,' a prayer from Horace S. Ensign, and a continued supplication by Alma O. Taylor. After singing 'Come, come, ye Saints,' Grant offered the dedicatory prayer. Taylor's journal provides a detailed outline of the prayer's contents, which included thanks for his previous recovery from a severe illness, a request for the visitation of the Three Nephites, and a petition regarding the Japanese people as potential descendants of Lehi and Nephi.
In Their Own Words
“This being fast day we ate no breakfast, but went out into the woods about eleven o'clock to hold a prayer meeting. We walked about twenty minutes from our rooms to a secluded grove on the south slope of a rolling hill, which lies between the foreign residences on the Bluff and the bay. The spot was a beautiful one, and well adapted for the purpose for which we sought it. We sang, 'We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.' Brother Kelsch offered the opening prayer. We sang, 'Now let us rejoice.' Brother Ensign offered a prayer. We sang, 'Come, come, ye Saints.' Brother Grant then offered the dedicatory prayer. His tongue was loosed and the Spirit rested mightily upon him; so much so that we felt the angels of God were near, for our hearts burned within us as the words fell from his lips. I never experienced such a peaceful influence or heard such a powerful prayer before. Every word penetrated into my very bones, and I could have wept for joy. He thanked the Lord for his recovery from his recent severe illness, and for the privilege of being in this land. He dedicated the land and the people to the opening up of the Gospel, and pleaded that the opposition which we had met with might not prosper, but that the way might be opened for the honest in heart to hear the truth. He prayed that the Three Nephites might visit this land and prepare the way for us. He also prayed that the Japanese people might be led to see that they are of the seed of Lehi and Nephi, and that the promises made to their fathers might be fulfilled upon them. After the prayer we felt that the Lord had accepted of our offering, and that the mission would be a success.”
— Alma O. Taylor, journal entry for September 1, 1901, as published in Relief Society Magazine, January 1921
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 3 October 1901 (Vol. 63, No. 40). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1901-10-03_63_40 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Additional sources (periodical research): Alma O. Taylor, 'Account of Dedication of the Land of Japan by Heber J. Grant,' Relief Society Magazine, January 1921, pp. 199–203. https://josephsmithfoundation.org/account-of-dedication-of-the-land-of-japan-by-heber-j-grant Full first-person account: Relief Society Magazine, January 1921, pp. 199–203 https://josephsmithfoundation.org/account-of-dedication-of-the-land-of-japan-by-heber-j-grant
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