_4. Realities Give Virtue to Symbols:_ Let it be said here, however, and because following the above presentation of baptism it may be seen better than in any other connection, that it is not the physical fact of being immersed in water that brings remission of sins, nor the physical fact of the imposition of hands that re-established the union with God through the medium of the Holy Ghost. These as we have tried to explain are symbols of the deeper and greater realities that produce the results of forgiveness of sins and union with God. Back of the physical fact of baptism is the Atonement of Christ, wrought out by his making satisfaction to the injured honor of God, occasioned by sin, and bringing to pass the resurrection from the dead, because a Lord of life, and having the power to impart life to others, to the dead. Back of the physical fact of the immersion of a man in water, in order to a remission of his individual sins, is the fact that Jesus by his own suffering paid the penalty due to that and every other man's sins in the world, and thus brought all men within the claims of Mercy, and made it possible for the sins of men to be forgiven without violence to the Justice of God. This ordinance of baptism supplies the symbols of these realities; it is, however, in the realities instead of the signs or symbols of the realities whence arises the power of God unto salvation. Still the symbols of the realities may not be dispensed with; they are necessary to the perpetuation, in palpable form, of the realities behind them, hence the Church teaches and will always teach the necessity of conforming to or obeying them; they are but the signs and seals of our salvation, however, rather than the ground of it; and they would have no virtue at all except for the existence of the realities which they image forth to outward senses, and witness to the world the covenant which those who accept the gospel make with God. _5. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as a Symbol of the Atonement:_ This, like baptism, is a permanent Christian institution; and also like baptism it is best set forth in the Nephite scriptures,[A] the Book of Mormon; for there, and no where else in ancient scripture, is the formula of the institution as given by the Christ to be found. The prayer of consecration of these symbols is of the highest value, and one of the noblest monuments of Nephite or any other Christian literature extant. I give the prayers of consecration together with the introductory remarks of Moroni which declare their origin.