"Ye Shall Baptize This People", part 2

Part 1

The last post made it very clear that baptism is not limited to a one-time event. People can be baptized multiple times. You might be tempted to think that additional baptisms would only be required when something very important happens, like the start of a new dispensation. After all, it is certain that a new baptism was required when Christ was on the Earth during His mortal ministry. JST Matthew 9:18-21 says:

18 Then said the Pharisees unto him, Why will ye not receive us with our baptism, seeing we keep the whole law?

19 But Jesus said unto them, Ye keep not the law. If ye had kept the law, ye would have received me, for I am he who gave the law.

20 I receive not you with your baptism, because it profiteth you nothing.

21 For when that which is new is come, the old is ready to be put away.

But you will soon see that multiple baptisms do not require a world-changing event like a visit from Christ or a dispensation opened by Him. Alma 5 contains a discourse that Alma delivered to the church in Zarahemla. At the end of that discourse Alma says something that might seem peculiar. Verse 62 says, “I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.” This should make it very clear to you that repeated baptisms is part of the Doctrine of Christ.

Some will excuse themselves by claiming that those church members in Zarahemla that were baptized were wicked. Setting aside the potential problem of seeing wickedness in others and not in yourself, admittedly there is context around Alma 5 which does not put the church members in Zarahemla in a very good light. However, the next couple of chapters makes things even clearer. Alma 6:8 says, “And Alma went and began to declare the word of God unto the church which was established in the valley of Gideon…” In Alma 7, Alma has only good things to say about the members of the church in Gideon:

3 And behold, I have come having great hopes and much desire that I should find that ye had humbled yourselves before God, and that ye had continued in the supplicating of his grace, that I should find that ye were blameless before him, that I should find that ye were not in the awful dilemma that our brethren were in at Zarahemla.

…

6 But behold, I trust that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I trust that you do not worship idols, but that ye do worship the true and the living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins, with an everlasting faith, which is to come.

After teaching about Christ and His mission, Alma gives this invitation to the members of the church in Gideon:

14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.

These good church members in the land of Gideon; despite the way that they had humbled themselves, continued in supplication, held fast to belief, loved and worshipped God, looked forward to a remission of their sins, and were firm in the faith; they were invited to repent and be baptized. How would you respond to such an invitation?

Near the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni gives his final words. At the time, he had no ore to make new plates and he was running out of room. You should search his words diligently because they are likely the most important things he (and his father) could possibly think of that hadn’t yet been included in the record. In Moroni 6:1, he gives this little tidbit: “And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and teachers were baptized”. You ought to wonder why elders, priests, and teachers were baptized.

The Book of Mormon was meant for you in these last days. Much of it remains a mystery because there is not enough searching or studying. In D&C 84 the early saints were condemned for treating the Book of Mormon lightly:

54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

59 For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay.

The Lord has never at any time lifted this church-wide condemnation. I strongly suggest taking the Book of Mormon and its messages very seriously.

Part 3 | Part 4