Q. Why would a Lutheran pastor say that a baptism held by the Mormon church might not hold true with all of Christianity?
The best place to go for the answer to this question is a Lutheran pastor. There could be many reasons he would hold such a position, and I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of Lutheran doctrine. However, I will tell you about our beliefs regarding baptism, so that when you talk to the pastor you will be moderately well-informed (in case he doesn’t know the ins and outs of Mormonism).
One thing I want to make clear: baptism is a covenant between an individual and his Heavenly Father. It is not a covenant with the rest of Christianity. Whether any other denomination accepts my baptism is immaterial if I know that it was authorized by God.
But which baptisms does He authorize? I’ll get to that in a moment; first, I’d like to shed a little light on what baptism means and why we do it.
The purpose of baptism
Baptism is found among the very first principles and ordinances of the gospel: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and receipt of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is a token of faith in Christ, and a sign that we have repented of our sins. It is also a prerequisite to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost as a daily, constant companion.
Like I mentioned above, baptism is a covenant (or contract) with God. We promise to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, become one of His people, and to serve God and keep all of His commandments. He promises to forgive us of our sins, to guide us through the Holy Spirit, and to give us eternal life. After baptism, we must be faithful to the promises we made.
Baptism by water is the gateway to the straight and narrow path leading home to God. Jesus taught, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Being baptized is not optional for salvation. Even Jesus Christ, the holy and perfect Son of God, made this covenant with His Father when He was baptized by John. Why? Nephi, from the Book of Mormon teaches us:
“Notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments” (2 Nephi 31:7).
Baptism must be done in the right way
How can you be sure your baptism was authorized by God? First, it must be done in the right way.
When Jesus appeared to the people in America (in the Book of Mormon), He very first taught them who He was, followed by detailed instructions on how to properly baptize:
“Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying: ‘Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.’ And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water” (3 Nephi 11:23-26).
We’ll talk more about that phrase, “Having authority given me of Jesus Christ” in the next section.
Immersion in water is a key component of baptism. The very word “baptize” comes from the Greek word baptizein, meaning “to immerse.” Immersion is a symbol of death and burial. It represents both the death of our old, sinful life and the death and entombment of the Savior. We come out of the water to symbolize resurrection and rebirth. We have a new, clean life ahead of us. Baptism allows us to start with a clean slate.
Another key to proper baptism is accountability. Baptism must be administered to individuals who understand right and wrong. They must be capable of making and keeping this important covenant with God. Baptism of babies is not only unnecessary — because “little children are alive in Christ” (Moroni 8:12), and “of such is the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:14) — it is condemned. Babies are whole; they are not capable of committing sin. It is a wicked thought to say that one baby is saved and another condemned because the parents baptized the first and not the second (see Moroni 8).
Baptism must be done by authority
“We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof” (Article of Faith 5). We call this God-given authority ‘Priesthood.’ It is what allows a baptism on earth to be counted in heaven.
Not everyone holds the priesthood, though. After the deaths of the twelve Apostles, the authority to baptize was lost for hundreds of years.
The Lord never intended for it to be lost forever. When Joseph Smith was translating 3 Nephi 11, where it mentions, “Having authority given me of Jesus Christ…” he and his scribe, Oliver went to the banks of the Susquehanna river to ask the Lord for more information about this authority.
An angel appeared to them both. He said he was John the Baptist, and laying his hands on their heads, he said, “Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins…” (Doctrine & Covenants 13).
The priesthood authority for baptism has been passed down from the prophet Joseph through the laying on of hands ever since. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is today the only church with the power to authoritatively baptize anyone for the remission of sins. This is the reason we send missionaries all over the world, including to the doors of faithful Christians. We hope to take the preparation of the gospel they’ve received and supplement it with the restored priesthood power and revelations from a living prophet.
We make baptism available to any who desire it. Please contact your local missionaries to set up an authorized baptism for yourself and your family.
That Sunday church service is designated for witnessing or bearing testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ by the members of the congregation. Besides abstaining from food and drink and attending testimony meeting, a true fast also consists of giving a fast offering to care for those in need. The offering, the sum of money that would have been spent on the two skipped meals, is given to the Bishop for any members who are struggling.
Isaiah notes the spiritual benefits and lists them in the 58th chapter of his book. When we obey the law of the fast he says, “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward [or rearguard]. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; though shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.” We are promised better health, protection, that we will be closer to the Spirit of the Lord and that the Lord will hear and answer our prayers.
When I lived in Uganda last summer I fasted for a number of reasons. I went there to do humanitarian work and “change the world!” I wanted Heavenly Father to show me what I could do that would make the most meaningful impact on the people I worked with. Thinking I could change things or fix problems was incredibly prideful, but I really wanted to make a difference. The biggest difference, of course, was with myself. The scriptures tell us to feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe the naked, etc., but I have never seen such practical application in my life. Everyone I knew in the U.S.A. had at least five pairs of shoes, plenty of food in the pantry and access to medical attention, but in Lugazi? No. It was while I was walking up and down dirt roads, having little kids who wore the same shirt everyday run up in their bare feet and grab my hands that I realized why we are asked to fast. Not everyone can have the experience I did in East Africa, but fasting gives people everywhere that little taste of discomfort that is so common around the world. It helps us to realize that there is so much work for us to do while Christ is away.
You are very wise to bring this up, Sherry, because the Book of Mormon is the proverbial keystone in the archway of our religion. If it is a true document with miraculous origins, then Joseph Smith was a prophet and this Church represents the best thing to happen to humanity in thousands of years. If the book was merely dreamed up by Smith, then he was a fraud and got away with one of the biggest, most successful hoaxes ever imagined. The whole Church would crumble. It becomes even more important when we consider that this book is verifiable.
The early chapters in the Book of Mormon map out a route from Jerusalem, along the Red Sea to a city called Nahom, ending in a lush coastal location where a boat was built to sail to America. The city NHM and the paradise valley are still there today, and exist in exactly the locations on the Arabian peninsula the Book of Mormon describes. Joseph Smith had no access to such information.
Many books of scriptures were originally journals of prophets replete with inspired writings. It would be impossible to remember the great words of Isaiah or Ezekiel or Paul if they had not been recorded with good old-fashioned pen and paper. Isn’t it conceivable that your own journal will influence future generations as well?