Eccl. 1

DOCTRINE

Understand The Doctrine

Baptism

Understanding the doctrine of Baptism and that it is not a washing of sin, but a burial of the old man, the one who has not made covenants to be obedient to God, and the bringing fort hof the new man the one who has made covenants with God - The First Law of The Gospel is Obedience.

Baptism is "For" or "Unto" a remission of sin. Websters Dictionary says "unto expresses no more than to". The scriptures use the word "unto" thousands of times in phrases like "unto the sea" meaning until you get to the sea. It is the same with "unto" repentance. Baptism is not for the washing away of sin, which through tradition we have associated the water portion with cleansing, but this is not correct doctrine. (Little children are without sin, Christ was without sin). So Baptism is unto or so that one can move forward in order that they may obtain a remission of sins. This is why Baptism is called the gate? Because sin cannot be removed except through the atonement(the way the path is opened), the atonement cannot be applied without a making a covenant with God that you will be obedient from this time forward and that you are willing to take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ, through whom the atonement was made possible. After Baptism we have committed to be obedient to Gods laws, to change our character, that we will eventually have our sins washed away. So Baptism is needed in order to obtain a remission of sin.

Baptism is a sign to God, to angels, and to heaven that we do the will of God, and there is no other way beneath the heavens whereby God hath ordained for man to come to Him to be saved, and enter into the Kingdom of God, (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 197.)

Why is Baptism necessary? D&C 20:37 provides us with the reason why we are baptized.

"The gospel requires baptism by immersion [ To bury or immerse means to be completely covered over. Just as the earth was covered over in the days of the flood of Noah. ] for the remission of sins, which is the meaning of the word in the original language namely, to bury or immerse." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 314.)

To bury or immerse means to be completely covered over.

The Symbol of Baptism 4 And God talked with him, [ Abraham. ] , saying, My people have gone astray from my precepts, and have not kept mine ordinances, which I gave unto their fathers; 5 And they have not observed mine anointing, and the burial, or baptism [ To bury or immerse means to be completely covered over. ] wherewith I commanded them; (JST Genesis 17:4-5.)

The Symbol of Baptism 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins [ Burying the old man. Baptism also has ties with the creation. (Moses 2:2; Gen 1:2) So, if we look at the creation of the cosmos it was from the primordial waters that the earth came forth and that serves as a living template for the creation of the new man, one who has been organized again from chaos, a man who is confused, disordered life of the profane, and is born anew. He or she is spiritually born. ] of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 Buried with [ To bury or immerse means to be completely covered over. ] him [ Christ. ] in baptism, [ The covering or burial. ] wherein also ye are risen [ The new man comes forth. ] with him [ Christ, the one who made it all possible. ] through the faith of the operation of God, [ Or by the belief on him who made it all possible. ] who hath raised him from the dead. (JST Colossians 2:10-12.)

The Symbol of Baptism from the words of Paul. Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [ Or we were buried and as we were buried in Baptism we buried the old man. ] Romans 6:4 Therefore [ As a result of doing so. ] we are buried with him by baptism into death: [ And what death are we buried with him in Baptism? We were buried in the sense that our old man was buried. ] that like as Christ was raised up from the dead [ That through our changing our ways and becoming like him we become new, just like Christ was when he was resurrected. ] by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [ Because we have now made a covenant with God that we will be obedient from this point forward. ] Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, [ Or in burial, which is symbolized by Baptism. The water represents the earth, it is a burial not a washing. ] we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: [ We will come forth out of the water, symbolic of his resurrection. Christ came out of the resurrection a new man so too will we come forth from Baptism a new man symbolically. ] Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, [ The one that has not covenanted with God. ] that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.< [ And this is the covenant that we make with God, to be obedient. ]

So Baptism is a Burial of the entire body. Every part of the body must be buried. This is the reason why we have witnesses, to make sure that it is complete.

D&C 76:51 They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name [ We must first believe in Christ. ] and were baptized after the manner of his burial, [ Or like unto his burial. ] being buried [ Being immersed or covered completely. ] in the water [ Water is the best medium or way to accomplish symbolically a burial, and still stay alive after. We are so accustomed to the connection of water washing things that we jump to the idea that Baptism is a washing since it is in water. That is not true, it is the symbolic representation of a burial. ] in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given— [ Which he gave to Abraham in JST Genesis 17:4-5 ]

The Symbol of Baptism 13 Consequently, the baptismal font was instituted as a similitude of the grave, [ Because Baptism is a burial. Our old man who has not covenanted to be obedient is buried and the new man comes forth. ] and was commanded to be in a place underneath where the living are wont to assemble, [ Or below where the living normally assemble, which is the ground. We usually assemble, we walk on the ground. So the Baptismal font show be below ground level. ] to show forth [ Because. ] the living [ Those who are living walk on the ground. ] and the dead, [ Are buried below the ground. Baptism is a symbol of the grave. ] and that all things may have their likeness, [ Are symbolic, and all things point to Christ. ] and that they may accord one with another... (D&C 128:13.)

Obedience is the First Law of Heaven and The Gospel as well. Think Adam and Eve. What was the first thing that God gave them to do while they were still in the garden, right after they had taken of the fruit? He made a covenant with them that if they would be obedient from this time forward he provide for them a Savior.

So the question that needs to be asked is can we be disobedient before we covenant to be obedient? The answer is that we can only be accountable to the extend that we understand the law. This is why Mormon bring it up that children cannot sin, as well as those who do not have the law.

2 Nephi 9:25. Wherefore he has given a law and where there is no law given there is no punishment [ Pretty straight forward here - no law, no punishment. We cannot sin with out knowledge of the law. ] and where there is no punishment [ So where there is not an affixed punishment for disobedience to a law, there is no accountability. ] there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation [ Or where there is no accountability. ] the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, [ Those who have no law given unto them(Children or Adults) are covered under the general mercy of God. Through the atonement. ] because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him. 2 Nephi 9:26. Fore the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those [ Everyone child or adult that does not have the law. ] who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered... 2 Nephi 9:27. But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us that transgresseth them... [ So the real sinners are only those who know and understand the law. ] 2 Nephi 9:25-27

Before we can fully participate as a member of the church or a patron in the Temple. We must first enter into a covenant of Obedience. Hence the phrase that obedience is the first law of heaven and the first law of the church.