Posted in Mormon Dilemmas, tagged baptism, Christianity, Ensign February 1994, false doctrines of Mormonism, Jesus, John 3:5, salvation, works vs. grace on 07/30/2012| Leave a Comment »
Birth of Baptism
Ensign, Feb 1994; “Through the birth known as baptism, we are cleansed from sin and we become part of a new family — the family of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
– “The Birth That Is Baptism”
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1994/02/the-birth-that-is-baptism?lang=eng
Posted in August, Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged baptism, bible, everalsting covenant, false doctrine, Jesus, marriage, Melchezidek Priesthood, mormonism, salvation, Witnessing Tips on 08/19/2011| Leave a Comment »
August 19 – Hebrews 9:15-16; “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.”
Posted in Witnessing Tip of the Day, tagged Apostle Paul, baptism, baptism for the dead, bible, Corinth, Corinthians, Doctrine and Covenants, false gospel, joseph smith, mormonism, mormons, truth for Christians on 11/19/2010| Leave a Comment »
November 19 – Ephesians 4:5; “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
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The scripture above is just one example of how many times we need to be baptized. Paul actually admonishes the new believers in Corinth to stop practicing the pagan ritual of baptisms for the dead in his first epistle to them. (1 Corinthians 15:29) They were confused about this ordinance of when and whom should be baptized so they were baptizing everyone, dead or alive.
Strangely enough, they didn’t believe in the resurrection and that is where Paul comes in with his admonition and question. Why are you being baptized for dead people when you don’t believe they’ll rise from the dead anyway? Remember, the theme in 1 Corinthians chapter fifteen is Paul giving a dissertation for the defense of Jesus’ resurrection.
Jesus gave us two ordinances to observe; baptism and partaking in communion. In obedience you are doing what he says to do – be baptized. You are publicly being set apart and declaring you are a follower of Jesus.
Being dunked down into the water symbolizes you are dead to sin. Being raised out of the water symbolizes your new life in Christ.
It also serves as a sign for people that after you die and are buried, you will be resurrected to live eternally in the presence of God.
According to the Mormon Church though, Jesus’ teachings are never enough – there always has to be something else to sooth the mind of its founder Joseph Smith and to keep the adherents too busy to study out the truth for themselves.
Number of people we can save? Zero.
Only Jesus can save someone and you spending extra time in a baptismal font serves no purpose other than making your skin wrinkly and keeping your focus off of the true Redeemer.
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Doctrine and Covenants 128:18; “…It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times…”
Posted in Mentoring Handbook, tagged baptism, baptism for salvation, baptism for the dead, baptism into Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Jeus, lds church on 10/22/2010| Leave a Comment »
GETTING BAPTIZED…AGAIN!
By the time I left Utah and stopped getting baptized for dead people I was sure I could have webbed feet. I don’t recall how many times I went to the temple (more than five times, less than twenty) I do know it seemed like a lot! For me, Saturday mornings as a young teen meant a drive with the bishop to downtown Ogden to do works for the dead.
Not long after I was saved the Lord made it apparent to me that I needed to be baptized…again, yet it was for the first time! I remember waking my poor husband up in the middle of the night after the Lord had impressed it upon my soul that He wanted me to do this. Kirk said; “that’s nice dear” and quickly went back to sleep as I sat up the rest of the night talking to my Lord. It was one of the sweetest times I’ve ever had with God.
It is in obedience that we are baptized and not because we “have to”, but because we desire to please our Lord and God. It is an honor to follow Him and make that public proclamation of our devotion to Jesus. Even today I still can’t believe He got me of all people, out of Utah!
Jesus is always our example whenever there is any doubt or confusion about what we should do in matters such as these. We want to emphasize that baptism is not necessary for salvation and we can use the thief on the cross as one of the proofs, as well as Eph. 2:8-9. However, when we make Jesus our Lord and not merely our Savior, then we will heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He will never contradict what the word says, so we can use this as our measure of truth.
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry Matthew gives us the account of when Jesus went to the Jordan to be an example of righteousness fulfilled. Matthew 3:13-7 says;
“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad 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 fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Getting baptized unto the Lord also serves as another way of denouncing the evil one! Just as when we consider renewing our wedding vows and our public confession of believing Jesus, being baptized helps the ex-Mormon to spiritually make that break. The Mormon Church maintains that “true believers” have to be baptized and then have the “laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost”. Make it clear to the ex-Mormon this is not the case by showing them the thief on the cross and also how being baptized for dead people is not scriptural.
Explain in full what 1 Cor. 15:29 really means and also take another look at how Luke 16:19-31 tells us that there is no chance of being able to do things like this either from the grave or for those already in the grave. The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 92 says;
“The fourth article of faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints declares that “baptism by immersion for the remission of sins” is one of the “first principles and ordinances of the Gospel.”…It is a primary step in the process, which includes faith, repentance, baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, whereby members may receive remission of their sins and gain access to the Celestial Kingdom and eternal life… Baptism must be performed by one who has proper priesthood authority.”
To this I say; work, work, work, work, work…
© 2010 Life After Ministries, Inc.
Link for Chapter 17:
17. Bearing Your Testimony
http://lifeafterministry.com/2010/10/22/mentoring-handbook-chapter-17/
Posted in Foundation of Mormonism, tagged articles of faith, baptism, bible, godhood, joseph smith, lds church, mormonism, mormons, utah on 10/19/2010| Leave a Comment »
In January of 1972 I sat on a platform in front of my local Mormon ward. I was receiving the prayers and “laying on of hands” for the “gift of the Holy Ghost” and becoming a member of the LDS Church. Twenty four hours earlier I had been washed in the baptismal font of the Stake building to receive a remission of my sins. I was eight years old.
The remarkable point to this whole scenario is the real gift I received from the Church that changed my life forever and what was to become the beginning of the end for me and Mormonism.
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