Prophecy of Unprecedented Temple Manifestations
Published August 26, 2026 at 6:12 AM
Contributed by
Todd Morgan
Beaumont, CA, 92223
In 1871, while the Salt Lake Temple was still under construction, George Q. Cannon delivered a prophecy regarding the future dedication of the building. He predicted that when the temple was finally finished and dedicated, the Saints would experience spiritual manifestations on a scale they had not previously known. He suggested that the veil between heaven and earth would become thin and that the Lord would pour out His spirit in a manner that would be remembered by all who were present. This prophecy served to sustain the Saints during the long, multi-decade construction process. Upon the dedication in 1893, many attendees reflected on Cannon's words, noting that the abundance of visions, manifestations, and the distinct presence of the Holy Ghost during the dedication week was a direct fulfillment of what he had foretold over two decades earlier.
In Their Own Words
“Elder George Q. Cannon had prophesied in 1871 that once the temple was finished, there would be “a power and manifestations of the goodness of God unto this people such as they have never before experienced.” And so there were. “The Heavenly Host were in attendance at the [first] dedication [service]. If the eyes of the congregation could be opened they would [have] seen Joseph and Hyrum [Smith], Brigham Young, John Taylor and all the good men who had lived in this dispensation assembled with us, as also Esaias, Jeremiah, and all the Holy Prophets and Apostles who had prophesied of the latter day work. … They were rejoicing with us in this building which had been accepted of the Lord.””
— George Q. Cannon (prophecy, 1871) and Wilford Woodruff (dedication account, April 1893), as published in LaRene Gaunt, 'The Power of God Was with Us,' Ensign, March 1993
Sources & References
LaRene Gaunt, 'The Power of God Was with Us,' Ensign, March 1993, 28–31 (quoting George Q. Cannon's 1871 prophecy and Wilford Woodruff's dedicatory-service account of the heavenly visitors): https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1993/03/the-power-of-god-was-with-us?lang=eng; George Q. Cannon, journal, April 1893 (dedication-week entries), The Journal of George Q. Cannon, Church Historian's Press: https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon/1890s/1893/04-1893?lang=eng; Brian H. Stuy, 'Wilford Woodruff's 1893 Vision of the Spirits of the Dead' and related dedication accounts. Research note: Cannon's prophecy was pronounced in October 1871 as the temple's foundations were being rebuilt; its wording survives as quoted in the published histories cited above, and Wilford Woodruff's April 1893 account of the heavenly beings attending the dedication is his own first-person record.
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