The Lord revealed to the first Nephi, in a vision, very much of the life and labors of the Son of God, although the said Nephi flourished in the fifth century B. C. Among other things, it was revealed to him, that the Son of God would be baptized in water by a prophet who should be raised up for that purpose. Subsequently, when Nephi desired to impress his brethren with the importance and necessity of baptism, he said: "I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Son of God, which should take away the sins of the world. And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfill all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea even by water. And now I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfill all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy. But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men, that according to the flesh, he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. * * * And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them. And he said unto the children of men, Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus, save we be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? And the Father said. Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my beloved Son. And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying, He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore follow me, and do the things ye have seen me do."[Q] [Footnote Q: Book of Mormon, II. Nephi xxxi.] The first Alma's teachings are in accord with this: "And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you. I speak by way of commandment unto you who belong to the church; and to those who do not belong to the church, I speak by way of invitation, saying. Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be made partakers of the fruit of the tree of life."[R] [Footnote R: Alma ix: 26, 27.] The plain and fair inference from this last clause is, that those who refused to be baptized, would _not_ have right to the tree of life. Further on in his book, he says: "And not many days hence, the Son of God shall come in his glory; * * * And behold he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance through faith on his name."[S] [Footnote S: Alma v: 61,62.] Here, again, the fair inference is, that those who would reject baptism, could not be redeemed; hence the necessity of baptism.