Which Comes First – Baptism or Holy Ghost?
Preach My Gospel, pg 63; “After a person is baptized by water, one or more authorized priesthood holders lay their hands upon the person’s head and confirm the person a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They then confer the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 10:44-48; “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”
In light of what the Mormon Church teaches Peter was wrong.
Wouldn’t Peter of all people know if there was to be a correct order of how this was to be done?
Actually, if one reviews Peter’s teaching in Acts 2 and other baptism accounts in Acts, it appears that the pouring out of the Spirit at the beginning of Acts 2 and again to Gentiles (for apparently the first time and to emphasize they were legitimate recipients of Christian baptism) were exceptional and not the norm. Acts 2:38 certainly places baptism before reception of the gift of the Spirit; Peter also was the speaker there.