=8. Baptism among the Nephites= was performed by immersion only. The wide extent to which baptism was preached and practiced among the people from Lehi to Moroni has been already shown. When the Savior appeared to His people on this hemisphere, He gave them very explicit instructions as to the method of procedure in administering the ordinance. These are his words:--"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 shall ye 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."[416] [416] III Nephi xi, 23-27. =9. Modern Baptism=, as prescribed by revelation, is after the same pattern. The first baptisms in the present dispensation were those of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who baptized each other according to the directions of the heavenly messenger from whom they had received authority to administer in this holy ordinance, and who was none other than John the Baptist of a former dispensation, the forerunner of the Messiah. Joseph Smith thus describes the event:--"Accordingly we went and were baptized; I baptized him [Oliver Cowdery] first, and afterwards he baptized me.... Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings." =10.= In a revelation concerning Church government, dated April, 1830, the Lord prescribed the exact mode of baptism as He desires the ordinance administered in the present dispensation. He said: "Baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent:--The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented him or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name--_Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen._ Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water."[417] [417] Doc. and Cov. xx, 72-74. =11.= The Lord would not have prescribed the words of this ceremony did He not desire them used, and therefore elders and priests of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no personal authority to change the form given of God, by additions, omissions, or alterations of any kind. BAPTISM AND "RE-BAPTISM."