I have never known much about most religions. I know some details, but I’ve never been a true scholar of all religions. A few years ago, I started noticing some of the major differences between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christian denominations, even more so, the differences between creedal Christians.
Along came Pastor Jeff, who was learning about the LDS Church, then becoming a non-LDS authority regarding the LDS Church. I would go as far as saying that this is due to the deep understanding and relationships he has developed over the years. I have come to love Pastor Jeff for many reasons. But there were a number of things he said that I found shocking. One of those was related to baptism.
Pastor Jeff explained, “Baptism is a command, but it doesn’t save us. In other words, just because someone isn’t baptized doesn’t mean they’re going to miss out on heaven or that they’re going to go to hell.”
Then he goes on to say baptism isn’t optional.
To me, that sounds like if it doesn’t save and you can receive salvation (heaven) without it, it is optional.
I started doing TikTok lives about 5 months ago. It has been very eye-opening. It has been eye-opening how many people debate: Is baptism necessary? Does baptism save? Is water baptism necessary? Clearly, the ranks of creedal Christians are not in agreement on it.
Yet it is in the Bible. The Bible clearly teaches it. And it was important enough that even the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was baptized.
Let’s look at the scriptures.
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 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.
16 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:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Jesus was baptized. Why? To fulfill all righteousness.
As we would later learn, it served a few purposes. One, to fulfill all righteousness. Two, as an example unto us of the path we should follow. Jesus said, “Come, follow me.” Three, it was symbolic of His death, burial, and resurrection. Four, because the Father commanded it. We will learn this when Jesus teaches the Nephites.
To fulfill all righteousness. Joseph Fielding Smith, in the April 1918 General Conference, said: “To fulfil all righteousness” is “to fulfil the law.” TG Baptism
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them…”
It is amazing that even with such a direct commandment, baptism is still debated. I would contend that one of the reasons this command carries such little weight among creedal Christians is that they do not have a living oracle who speaks the word of God unto them.
I believe one preface that is often overlooked is the phrase in the preceding verse: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
And with that acknowledgment, Jesus Christ commanded them to go and teach all nations, baptizing them.
Baptism is not a suggestion. It is required to fulfill all righteousness. It is a commandment of the Father. It is also the gate we must enter to return to the Father.
The fulness of this doctrine was lost but restored by the Book of Mormon.
9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
This verse parallels the Great Commission, the teachings of Jesus Christ to Nicodemus in John 3:5: “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”, and the Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 11:33: “And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
Are we under condemnation if we are not baptized? I would say yes. Like the Pharisees and lawyers, who rejected the counsel of God and were not baptized. Again, why? Because they were not baptized. So, when we discuss baptism not being necessary for salvation, or not being necessary to enter heaven, how can we believe this if even the Pharisees and lawyers found themselves condemned for rejecting baptism?
If our faith suggests that baptism is optional and is not needed to enter heaven, nor needed to receive salvation, we reject the word of God. Because the word of God, written in the Bible, teaches us that a man MUST be baptized in order to receive salvation and enter heaven.
John 3:22-23 & John 4:1-2 both teach that baptisms continued. Not only that, but a lot of baptisms took place. The disciples of Jesus Christ baptized more than John.
My argument is clear: the Bible teaches that Jesus commanded us to be baptized. Baptism is necessary for salvation. This truth was lost in the Apostasy when apostolic authority was lost with the death of the Apostles. But this doctrine has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. The power and authority are on the earth once again. It is for this reason that I share this with the world.
1 Behold, I say unto you that all old covenants have I caused to be done away in this thing; and this is a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.
2 Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works.
3 For it is because of your dead works that I have caused this last covenant and this church to be built up unto me, even as in days of old.
4 Wherefore, enter ye in at the gate, as I have commanded, and seek not to counsel your God. Amen.
31 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.
32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.