After Jesus had come down, declared Himself, and allowed all those present to witness His resurrection, He immediately re-instituted the ordinance of baptism beginning in verse 18 of 3 Nephi 11:
18 And it came to pass that he spake unto Nephi (for Nephi was among the multitude) and he commanded him that he should come forth.
19 And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself before the Lord and did kiss his feet.
20 And the Lord commanded him that he should arise. And he arose and stood before him.
21 And the Lord said unto him: I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven.
Baptism is so important that Jesus ensured that someone had the authority to offer it (and that the people knew who that was) as soon as He had finished introducing Himself. Because baptism is such a critical part of the Lord’s doctrine, He commanded his servant to baptize a people who had already been baptized. After the sign of the Lord’s birth appeared, many years before the events described above, 3 Nephi 1:23 says, “And it came to pass that Nephi went forth among the people, and also many others, baptizing unto repentance, in the which there was a great remission of sins...” Only a year or two before Jesus showed Himself to the people, 3 Nephi 7:23-26 says:
23 Thus passed away the thirty and second year also. And Nephi did cry unto the people in the commencement of the thirty and third year; and he did preach unto them repentance and remission of sins.
24 Now I would have you to remember also, that there were none who were brought unto repentance who were not baptized with water.
25 Therefore, there were ordained of Nephi, men unto this ministry, that all such as should come unto them should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission of their sins.
26 And there were many in the commencement of this year that were baptized unto repentance; and thus the more part of the year did pass away.
These people who repented and were baptized were the very people that survived the great destruction at the Lord’s crucifixion. 3 Nephi 10:12 says, “And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not; and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared”. Though they had been baptized before, the Lord expected them to be baptized again. As if to eliminate any doubt as to what the people were expected to do, Nephi himself, along with others that were chosen, went down into the waters of baptism decades after he had begun baptizing others. 3 Nephi 19:11-12 says, “And it came to pass that Nephi went down into the water and was baptized. And he came up out of the water and began to baptize. And he baptized all those whom Jesus had chosen.”
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