Gospel Themes: A Treatise on Salient Features of "Mormonism"Whitney, Orson F. (Orson Ferguson)
Religion
Gospel Themes: A Treatise on Salient Features of "Mormonism"
Whitney, Orson F. (Orson Ferguson)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
Methods in Various Churches.--Pouring is the present practice in the
Roman Catholic church; sprinkling in the Church of England, and in the
Methodist church. A choice of modes is permitted by the Presbyterians,
though sprinkling is the regular form. The Baptists, as their name
implies, are strong advocates of immersion. The Quakers repudiate
baptism altogether.
It was the custom in early ages to immerse the candidate three
times--once for each name in the Godhead; but heretics took advantage
of this practice to argue against the unity of the Trinity, and the
three-fold immersion was abolished.
Authorized Practice.--The practice of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints in baptism is indicated by the following passages
from the Book of Mormon:
"Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your
words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye
baptize them: behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in
my name ye shall baptize them.
"And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them
by name, saying,
"Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
"And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out
of the water.
"And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name, for behold, verily
I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are
one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I
are one.
"And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And
there shall be no disputations among you, as there hath hitherto been;
neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of
my doctrine, as there hath hitherto been;
"For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of
contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of
contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger,
one with another." (III Nephi 11:23-29.)
Modern Revelation.--The Latter-day Saints derive their knowledge
of baptism not mainly from the Bible, nor from the Book of Mormon,
nor from any other ancient record of God's dealings with man. That
knowledge came directly to Joseph Smith. Through him was restored
that which was lost. He brushed aside the cobwebs and dust concealing
the precious jewel of Truth, and by new revelation brought back the
knowledge of the "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" of the ancients.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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