President Hinckley's father served as a mission president in the area that includes Nauvoo during the centennial celebration of the city in 1939. President Hinckley spoke earlier in the day of his gratitude at being able to oversee the temple's reconstruction after his father had longed to see it happen. His emotion during the dedicatory ceremony was evident several times as he paused before resuming his discourse. Church members also wept openly during the proceedings.

Driven from Nauvoo in 1846 after the original temple was finally completed, early Latter-day Saints knew as they left they would never see the structure again, he said. The building was subsequently burned by an arsonist and its remains destroyed by a tornado.

The return of the church's prominence here, with the reconstructed temple and the Williamsburg-style restoration of original homes and businesses, says much about the growth of the church worldwide, President Hinckley told reporters earlier in the day.

He predicted a bright future for the church and continued growth for a faith that sociologist Rodney Stark has called "a new world religion."

Music for the dedicatory services was provided by selected members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, whose size prohibited participation by the full group. Singing hymns of praise specifically connected to Joseph Smith and the early Latter-day Saints, their musical tributes echoed those of several church leaders who spoke during the ceremonies.

With the recent placement of a new satellite system, the church was able to broadcast the services to several areas of the world that have never before received any type of direct satellite feed, including Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Armenia, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia.

President Hinckley noted the participation of those in distant lands, thousands of whom he said had lined up in the dark to witness the live broadcast from Nauvoo.

The first and the last of the 13 dedicatory sessions are being broadcast live via satellite, with the final session scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. MDT. Dedication ceremonies are closed to the public, with entrance available only to church members considered worthy to participate in temple ordinances, either for themselves or by proxy for others who have died.

More than 330,000 people toured the temple during a record-setting, six-week open house, whose crowds had officials in this town of about 1,000 residents worried at the outset about how they would handle the throngs.

Before the dedicatory service began Thursday, President Hinckley thanked Nauvoo Mayor Tom Wilson publicly for his cooperation during a coverstone ceremony outside the temple.

Crowds are expected to remain heavy in town through Sunday, and tourist officials believe that though the temple is now closed to the public, it will become a permanent draw for thousands of additional visitors annually.

Ordinance work in the temple will open to Latter-day Saint patrons July 3, becoming the church's 113th operating temple worldwide.

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