Talk on Baptism

I am honored to have been asked to give this talk on baptism here today. What a special day for each of you that are getting baptized. And what a special day for your parents and families to share in this wonderful occasion. What an awesome sight to see all of you dressed in white ready to be baptized and to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

2 Nephi 31:5

And now, if the Lamb of God [or the Savior], he being holy [or without sin], should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy [with sin], to be baptized, yea, even by water! 

We have the privilege, of following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the waters of baptism, which is pretty exciting.

But, why is baptism so important?

In John 3:5 ​we read, Except a man be ​​​born​ of ​​​water​ and ​of​ the ​​​Spirit​, he cannot ​​​enter​ into the kingdom of God.

We want to return back to live with our father in heaven, don’t we? Being born of water is same thing as being baptized. And being born of the Spirit, is the same as receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, which you Will have the opportunity of receiving both here today.

You might be wondering though, how is baptism like being born?

Paul helps us understand this better. 

Romans 6:4

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

When a baby is born they “walk in newness of life” don’t they? That is a fancy way of saying that we are born of the Spirit.

So just to sum it up, as we are buried in the water, that is symbolic of the Savior’s death. As you are raised out of the waters of baptism, it is just like the Savior being raised from dead. You too are raised up or born of the water to “walk in newness of life.” 

I love the phrase, to “walk in newness of life.” After our baptism our lives should be different. We know that the age of eight is the age of accountability, so we know that from now on we are going to be held accountable to our sins, or the mistakes that we make, that causes our Father in Heaven to be sad. 

Now, to demonstrate this a little bit better, I need a couple volunteers. Which of you that are being baptized would be kind enough and brave enough to come up here for a quick demonstration?

Disappearing Ink Demonstration 

Which of you being baptized are brave enough to come up and help me with a demonstration. Don’t be shy, come on up. 

– Talk about how after they are baptized here today, they will be pure just like the white clothes they are wearing. When you go home, you are going to make some misrakes and sin. They Lord has provided us with the sacrament as a way to become clean again and have our sins forgiven. When you come to the sacrament meeting with a prayer in your heart and feeling sad about the sins you committed during the week and worthily partake of the sacrament, you renew your baptismal covenants and are made clean again. 

– Give an example or two of something they might do this week, like be mean to a sibling, and then squirt them with the disappearing ink.

–  Explain how our sins stain our souls just like this ink stains your clothes. Luckily, this is special disappearing ink, and it will show how with repentance and the sacrament we can be made pure and white again. 

– Show how the ink is disappearing already.

Thank you so much for your help, you may sit down.

We’ll look at one more scripture here today. This scripture helps us understand more fully the covenants that we make when we are baptized.

Mosiah 18:8-10

8 …Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God [explain what witness means, include testifier of God] at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life–

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/18?lang=eng

Are you guys all excited? I am super excited for each one of you. What a great opportunity you each have, here in a few more minutes, to be baptized even by water and then of course receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and to walk in newness of life and “and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even unto death.” 

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.