UNTIL DEATH

 

I am constantly amazed at the way the Book of Mormon clarifies the doctrines of Christ and it amazes me equally how often some of us miss these clarifications. One ordinance in the Church that often gets misunderstood is baptism. I have for many years in the past, like many others no doubt, partaken the sacrament each Sunday with the idea that if I do so I will walk away from the chapel 'clean' as on the day of my baptism. This is of course false. There is only one purpose to our weekly partaking of the sacrament and that is to renew our baptismal covenant of obedience.

The New Testament teaches us that baptism is important, but to me, the reasons why, are quite vague. The idea of purification by baptism as suggested in Acts 22:15-16 stands more as a symbol than a reason, probably because we associate water with cleanliness. The act of baptismal cleanliness is not due to immersion in water but the purifying power of the Holy Ghost for the redemption of sins, which follows (2 Nephi 31:17), but that’s a subject for another post. Paul also symbolises baptism with burial and resurrection in Romans 6:3,4. The greatest symbolism of baptism is, however, re-birth. Just as we are born physically coming forth out of the water of the womb, we are born spiritually in Christ coming forth out of the water of baptism.

Book of Mormon is clear on this fact: baptism's first and foremost objective is to make a covenant of obedience with God.  If the act of baptising was to wash away sins, Jesus being without sin would not need to be baptised. The obvious reaction to this is: He was baptised to be an example to us. But an example of what? This is where the Book of Mormon excels in clarification. Nephi makes it clear that Jesus' willingness to 'fulfill all righteousness' was not to exemplify washing away of sin but to make a covenant of obedience (Matthew 3:15; 2 Nephi 31:5,6,7). In other words, at the time of His baptism, Jesus was making a covenant with the Father that He would be obedient, and in the process, making an example for us to do the same. And, indeed, the renewal of this covenant of obedience is what we hear in our sacramental prayers every Sunday (Moroni 4,5)

When Alma who had fled from King Noah with a small band of followers preached to them the covenant of obedience by the waters of Mormon, the people were so overcome with joy that they committed to baptism there and then (Mosiah 18:10,11). Alma's first baptism was a man called Helam. The words he used as he baptised Helam took the baptismal covenant to a new level. He said: Helam, I baptise thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead...." (Mosiah 18:13). This is serious stuff. Especially considering that anciently covenants were not broken even at the point of death.

Nehi makes it clear that enduring to the end is an essential component of baptism, one on which the whole concept of salvation hangs (2 Nephi 31:16). But there is another reason. Nephi says we must endure "in following the example of the Son' (2 Nephi 31:16). The Saviour endured to the end in every sense of the word. Not just to the end of His life, but to the end of His 'death'. You will recall that His suffering began in the Garden of Gethsemane where His mental anguish caused Him to bleed 'at every pore' (D&C 19:18). This suffering returned to Him when He was upon the cross enduring the physical break-down of His body (see Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 661 and Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p 141). Did Jesus have the power to come down from the cross? Absolutely. But He chose to endure to the end, when all the mankind was redeemed and every soul accounted for, when He could say "it is finished' (JST Matthew 27:54, John 19:30). His death was His moment of choice. All things suffered, all things endured. Obedience made possible. Until death.

How noble You were

When You stepped

Through the water’s gate;

I bequest to You my earthly deeds

And fly to You

With my arms of faith. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Chris Brazelton)