Part 7

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath: {125} Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

[Sidenote: The service principle of the Gospel.]

This is the true spirit of the Gospel of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Those who would hold membership in His Church, and receive the blessing of His love and redeeming sacrifice, must have faith in Him, then they must add to their faith works. And the first bit of work to be done is to repent of all evil--repent "after a godly manner," as Paul says, which will lead to salvation. Thus repentance becomes the second fundamental principle of the Gospel. And "by this," said Jesus to the great American prophet, "ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins. Behold, he will confess them and forsake them."

THE REFERENCES

Luke 13:1-9. Mark 6:7, 8.

Matt. 5:1-2. Matt. 11:16-24.

Mark 1:14, 15. Eph. 4:17-32.

Doc. and Cov. 58:43.

{126} THE QUESTIONS

1. How did the Jews explain suffering of any kind, and calamity?

2. What did Jesus say about the death of the men under the tower, and of the Galileans?

3. Interpret the parable of the barren fig tree.

4. What did both John and Jesus say to the people?

5. What do we learn from Jesus's exclamation against the cities where His greatest works had been done?

6. How is repentance a fundamental principle in our daily work?

7. Of what does Jesus want people to repent?

8. How is repentance the second principle of the Gospel?

9. Of what does true repentance consist?

{127}

{128} PICTURE: BAPTISM OF JESUS, Weberg

{129}

XVII

BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

[Sidenote: The first principles and ordinances.]

When the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked to make a statement of the principal doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he prepared what we know now as the Articles of Faith. The Articles of Faith are very plain, and touch the fundamental tenets of the Church. The third article of faith states that "we believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel;" and the fourth article declares that, "we believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost." Those who profess faith in Jesus must forsake the way of evil, and learn to take delight in the law of the Lord. This, we have learned, constitutes the requirement of the first two principles of the Gospel.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in His law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so; But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

{130} [Sidenote: Baptism essential to salvation.]

It is not enough, however, that the man who professes faith in Jesus, shall merely forsake the way of the ungodly. Jesus fulfilled in His coming the law of carnal commandments--a law which Paul asserts was but a sort of schoolmaster to train the people and prepare them for the coming of Jesus--and established through His ministry "the more perfect law" of the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation. And that law requires that those who believe in Jesus, and repent of their evil doings, shall further take upon them His name in the ordinance of baptism. One night, there came to Jesus a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. "Rabbi," said Nicodemus, recognizing in Jesus a power greater than his own, "We know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus was puzzled; for he thought, of course, only of a physical rebirth, and could not understand how such a remarkable thing could happen. So he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old?" Then Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." This Jesus said, of course, of the ordinance of baptism and of the Holy Ghost. Not only, then, must one believe and repent, but one must also be baptized in water in fulfillment of the requirement of the law. Without such a renewal of the spiritual life, a man may not even see the kingdom of God.

{131} [Sidenote: Humility and obedience the psychology of baptism.]

There are some people who pretend not to see any value in the ordinance of baptism. How can baptism make one any better, they ask, or have any effect on one's subsequent life? These people do not understand the true nature of the ordinance. There was once a Syrian captain named Naaman who became afflicted with the loathsome and infectious disease of leprosy. At the suggestion of an Israelitish captive, Naaman sought out the Prophet Elisha in the land of Israel, that the affliction might be rebuked. Elisha did not even come forth to see Naaman, but sent a messenger to him with this word: "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee and thou shalt be clean." Then Naaman became angry, because he did not understand the principle of obedience. Why should he wash in Jordan? Were not the waters of the rivers of Damascus better than the water of Jordan? But his servants prevailed upon him, saying, "If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean." Here was sound reasoning, Naaman listened; he went down to the Jordan and dipped himself seven times; he came forth with his flesh as clean as that of a little child, and was healed. What was it that healed Naaman? Was it the water of Jordan, with curative powers greater than those of the rivers of Damascus? Certainly not. Naaman bowed his haughty and powerful will to that of God. He humbled himself; he was humiliated. He learned the lesson of obedience, which is better than sacrifice. And the Lord God has chosen the ordinance of baptism as the means whereby men may show their humility, {132} their complete acceptance of the mission of Jesus, their sincere repentance, and whereby further they may become initiated into the Church of Jesus Christ. Here the Lord makes use of a wonderful psychology, and baptism literally washes away sin.

[Sidenote: The law of obedience in daily life.]

Moreover, obedience and humility of the kind required by the ordinance of baptism is demanded also in the daily walk of life. A young man in a chemical obedience in laboratory attempted one day, by a process of electro-plating, to put a new covering of yellow gold over his watch case. He prepared very carefully the solution of gold-leaf in aqua regia; he built up an excellent voltaic battery; he made all the connections close and secure; and he cleaned carefully the old watchcase that the new gold might be deposited upon it evenly and smoothly. Then in the evening, when everything was in readiness, he suspended the case properly in the gold solution, closed the circuit, and went home, hoping to find his watch case in the morning with a beautiful new coating of yellow gold ready to polish. But when he entered the laboratory the next morning, and went to examine his electro-plating, he found to his horror that his watch case was as black as coal. What had happened? Everything was as he had left it the evening before. So far as he could tell there was no reason why his experiment should not have been successful. Then he resorted to his books again. After patient searching, in the volumes on his desk, he arose a wiser and a more careful man. He had overlooked one requirement of the law. In the process of electro-plating, he remembered now, the gold is deposited in its usual yellow form only when the gold solution is warm. When the electric current is {133} passed through a cold solution, the gold is deposited in an unusual black form. The young chemist had learned that obedience is better than sacrifice.

[Sidenote: The example set by Jesus.]

As always, Jesus Himself practiced the doctrine that He presented to His people. Jesus was baptized. Moreover, in His own baptism, Jesus taught both the necessity and the proper mode of baptism. John was baptizing in the river Jordan. Apparently, he selected places where the water was deep; for, later in the ministry of Jesus we read, that, John was baptizing in Aenon, near to Salim, "because there was much water there." When He was ready to begin His ministry, Jesus went to John to be baptized. But John forbade Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water." From this record, it is clear that Jesus recognized the ordinance of baptism as essential to salvation, and therefore set the example Himself. Then Jesus was baptized correctly; He went down into the water; He was immersed; He came up out of the water. For it is now an accepted fact that John baptized by immersion. In Stanley's _Eastern Church_ occurs the following passage, which Dr. Geikie considers of such authority that he quotes it in his excellent _Life and Words of Christ_: "The mode of John's baptism has been and still is much discussed, but the practice of the Eastern Church, and the very meaning of the word, leave no sufficient grounds for questioning that the original form of baptism was complete immersion in the deep baptismal {134} water." This form of baptism it was certainly that the apostles themselves practiced, else there could be no meaning to the favorite figure of Paul, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? 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 should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection."

[Sidenote: The purpose of baptism.]

Do you ask what is the purpose of baptism? As has been already suggested baptism serves to wash away sin, and to initiate the repentant believer into the Church of Christ. John's baptism was for "the remission of sins." Peter, the chief apostle, called to the people on the day of Pentecost, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." And it follows that since baptism is for remission of sins, those who have not reached the age of sinning have no need of baptism. There has grown up in the world a vicious habit of baptizing infants and little children. Such a practice is wrong. Jesus Himself said of little children, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Infants and little children have not learned to know the difference between good and evil. They cannot sin. Baptism should not be administered to them till they reach the age of discretion. "Little children need no repentance," wrote the Nephite prophet, "neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins."

{135} [Sidenote: The door of the sheepfold.]

This then did Jesus teach: Baptism is essential; it is correctly performed by complete immersion in water; it is for the remission of sins; it should be administered only to those who have reached the age of accountability; only by obedience to the law can one enter the kingdom of God. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. . . . I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." Only through Jesus, you see, can one enter the sheepfold, and become a member of it. And the way to enter by Jesus was thus stated in His final commission to the eleven apostles, just before He ascended to heaven. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be dammed."

THE REFERENCES

Psalm 1. Acts 2:38.

John 3:1-5. Moroni 8:8-14.

2 Kings 5:1-14. John 10:1-18.

Matt. 3:13-16. Matt. 28:19-20.

Rom. 6:3-5. Mark 16:15, 16.

{136} THE QUESTIONS

1. What are the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel?

2. Show that baptism is required by the teaching of Jesus.

3. By what process does baptism wash away sin?

4. How does the law of obedience operate in the daily affairs of life?

5. How did Jesus show in His own acts that baptism is essential to salvation?

6. What is the proper mode of baptism?

7. What is the purpose of baptism?

8. To whom should baptism be administered?

9. Summarize the teachings of Jesus concerning baptism.

10. What is the teaching of our own Church concerning baptism?

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XVIII

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST

[Sidenote: What Jesus told Nicodemus.]

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." We have just learned what it means to be born of water. When a man has gained the gift of faith and believes sincerely in the saving mission of Jesus Christ; when he has added to his faith works, and has learned to walk in the way of the righteous--then he must be baptized by immersion in order to fulfill all righteousness. As we have learned, such a man is then born of water: for, by obeying the law, he has laid aside his sins, and comes forth out of the water spiritually a new man, reborn. There are some people in the world who hold that when a man has done all this, he has fulfilled all the requirements, and may therefore hope to gain admittance into the kingdom of God without observing any further ceremony. But Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit." Evidently, then, to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born not only of water, but also of the spirit. And to be born of the spirit means to be born of the Holy Ghost. But, by what means may one be born of the spirit?

[Sidenote: The laying on of hands.]

This question is a very important one, since a man may not hope to enter the kingdom of God if he has not been born--or quickened--by the spirit. In the preceding lesson, it was stated that the Prophet, Joseph Smith, once stated the principal doctrines of the Church of Jesus {138} Christ of Latter-day Saints in a sort of creed, known as the Articles of Faith; and that the fourth article, in enumerating the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel, names the ordinance of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost as the fourth essential step in becoming a member of the Church of Christ. According to this statement, then, one may be born, or quickened, of the spirit--after having been baptized--through the ordinance of the laying on of hands. But was this the teaching of the primitive church and of the Lord Jesus Himself?

[Sidenote: The teaching and practice of Paul.]

Anxious that the saints to whom he ministered should grow in the knowledge of God, and should not stand still merely rehearsing the first and practice principles of the Gospel, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews as follows: "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands." It is very interesting to note that Paul lists here as one of the first four principles the ordinance of the laying on of hands. But what use did Paul make of the ordinance? It happened once that Paul, in his missionary travels, came, to the city of Ephesus, and found there certain disciples who had been baptized, apparently, by the followers of John the Baptist. Paul asked of these disciples, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, {139} Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied." This use, then, did Paul make of the ordinance of the laying on of hands: Upon those who had been baptized unto Jesus, Paul laid his hands, and he confirmed them, and the Holy Ghost then came upon them, endowing them with spiritual gifts. Moreover, this practice was not limited to the missionary labors of Paul alone; all the apostles likewise confirmed those who had been baptized and conferred thus the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them.

[Sidenote: The practice of the apostles.]

Furthermore, it was understood that only such men as possessed the necessary delegated authority from God might presume to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. It is recorded in the history of the doings of the apostles that Philip, a deacon, went down to Samaria and preached the Gospel to the Samaritans. Many of the Samaritans believed, and were baptized by Philip, among them a certain man named Simon, "which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one." But Philip, apparently did not hold the necessary authority to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost, and he was too wise and righteous a man to attempt to do what he had no right to do. So, "when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard {140} that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: . . . . then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Naturally, Simon the sorcerer was very much interested in this wonderful ceremony. Such power he had never seen manifested before. He longed himself to possess such authority. Therefore, he offered money to the apostles, saying, "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him. Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." The lesson here is perfect. The authority to lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost may not be merely assumed--not even by a man of such enduring faith as Philip's--neither may it be purchased with wordly goods.

[Sidenote: The teaching and practice of the apostles derived from Jesus.]

Of course, the apostles did nothing but what they had seen their Master do, or had been instructed by Him to do. In this they were wholly like Him; for He also declared, "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." There can be no question, then, that Jesus taught that the gift of the Holy Ghost should be conferred by the laying on of hands by men holding the proper authority. Jesus Himself practiced laying on of hands to confer blessings, to heal the sick, to ordain, to authorize, and for other purposes. And He taught very distinctly that God would not recognize any usurped authority. "Ye {141} have not chosen me," said Jesus to the apostles, "but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give you."

[Sidenote: What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?]