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BAPTISM / "Born
Again"
References to baptism
in the Book of Mormon are too numerous to include all of them in this
short study, so I am confining myself to those that adhere to the goal of
this page - to show that the Book of Mormon backs up the Bible, defines
it, and enlarges upon what is in the Bible.
2 Nephi 31:4-21 … The prophet
Nephi gave a discourse on following Christ, being baptized, receiving the
Holy Ghost, and enduing to the end. Teaches that if Christ had need of
baptism then so do we. It's hard to just pick out individual reference
without destroying the flow of the whole discourse, so read the whole
thing.
3 Nephi 11:18-41 - MODE OF BAPTISM
… The Resurrected Savior visited the ancient Americans and instituted His
church among them. Here is the account of the establishment of baptism
among them. It tells us, among other things, HOW to perform the ordinance.
Mosiah 21:35 … desirous to be
baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God
with all their hearts
Mosiah 18:7-11 … The prophet
Alma led a people out of bondage to a wicked king and taught them the
words of God. Those who believed were baptized. It give an explanation of
what is expected from someone who has been baptized and is a follower of
Christ.
SEE IN THE BOOK
OF MORMON INDEX:
Accountability, Age of
Baptism
Born of God
BAPTISM OF LITTLE CHILDREN
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Mosiah 3:16-21: |
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"And even if it were
possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I
say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature,
they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.
"And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no
other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can
come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ,
the Lord Omnipotent.
"For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and
the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink
damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become
as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to
come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been
from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields
to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man
and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and
becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love,
willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict
upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
"And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come
when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people.
"And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found
blameless before God, except it be little children, only through
repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent." |
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Moroni chapter 8: |
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AN epistle of my father
Mormon, written to me, Moroni; and it was written unto me soon after
my calling to the ministry. And on this wise did he write unto me,
saying:
My beloved son, Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your
Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his
ministry, and to his holy work. I am mindful of you always in my
prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his
Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace,
will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.
And now, my son, I speak unto you concerning that which
grieveth me exceedingly; for it grieveth me that there should
disputations rise among you. For, if I have learned the truth, there
have been disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little
children.
And now, my son, I desire that ye should labor
diligently, that this gross error should be removed from among you;
for, for this intent I have written this epistle. For immediately
after I had learned these things of you I inquired of the Lord
concerning the matter. And the word of the Lord came to me by the
power of the Holy Ghost, saying:
Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord
and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous
but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that
are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not
capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from
them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of
circumcision is done away in me.
And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the
word of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is
solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.
Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye
teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and
capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent
and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and
they shall all be saved with their little children. And their little
children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto
repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of
sins. But little children are alive in Christ, even from the
foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a
changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little
children have died without baptism! Wherefore, if little children
could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless
hell.
Behold I say unto you, that he that supposeth that
little children need baptism is in the gall of bitterness and in the
bonds of iniquity, for he hath neither faith, hope, nor charity;
wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought, he must go down
to hell. For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one
child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no
baptism.
Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord
after this manner, for they shall perish except they repent. Behold, I
speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what
man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear.
And I am filled with charity, which is everlasting
love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love
little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and
partakers of salvation. For I know that God is not a partial God,
neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity
to all eternity. Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful
wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all
alive in him because of his mercy. And he that saith that little
children need baptism denieth the mercies of Christ, and setteth at
naught the atonement of him and the power of his redemption. Wo unto
such, for they are in danger of death, hell, and an endless torment. I
speak it boldly; God hath commanded me. Listen unto them and give
heed, or they stand against you at the judgment-seat of Christ.
For behold that all little children are alive in
Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of
redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is
not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and
unto such baptism availeth nothing—
But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of
Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead
works.
Behold, my son, this thing ought not to be; for
repentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the
curse of a broken law. And the first fruits of repentance is baptism;
and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and
the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins; And the
remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and
because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of
the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love,
which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall
come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.
Behold, my son, I will write unto you again if I
go not out soon against the Lamanites. Behold, the pride of this
nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction
except they should repent. Pray for them, my son, that repentance may
come unto them. But behold, I fear lest the Spirit hath ceased
striving with them; and in this part of the land they are also seeking
to put down all power and authority which cometh from God; and they
are denying the Holy Ghost. And after rejecting so great a knowledge,
my son, they must perish soon, unto the fulfilling of the prophecies
which were spoken by the prophets, as well as the words of our Savior
himself.
Farewell, my son, until I shall write unto you,
or shall meet you again. Amen. |
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BORN AGAIN /
CHANGE OF HEART
"Born Again" is more than just receiving
Baptism, as some believe. It is the "change of heart" that occurs when a
person receives Christ and begins to live a new life.
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| Mosiah 5:7: |
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"And now, because of the covenant which ye have
made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his
daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you;
for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith
on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons
and his daughters."
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| Alma 5:14: |
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"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the
church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his
image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty
change in your hearts?"
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Alma 19:33: |
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"And it came to pass that when Ammon arose he
also administered unto them, and also did all the servants of Lamoni;
and they did all declare unto the people the selfsame thing - that
their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to
do evil."
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Alma 36:5, 23-26: |
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Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been
born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by
the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of
any worthiness of myself...
"But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again,
and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I
had been born of God. Yea, and from that time even until now, I have
labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance;
that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did
taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the
Holy Ghost. Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me
exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;
"For because of the word which he has imparted unto me,
behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have
tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do
know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the
knowledge which I have is of God." |
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