Today I read Doctrine and Covenants section 22, a very short but pointed section. In this section there were those who desired to become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without being baptized saying they had been baptized already. Anyone who has served a mission has heard this argument before. I remember when I was a missionary my junior companion and I were teaching a man the gospel and he agreed to be baptized if we could show him in the Bible where he needed to be baptized by immersion. We shared with him Romans 6:4 which says that we are buried with Christ through baptism and we talked to him about it asking him if it made sense that we were buried with Christ by sprinkling only. He thought about it for about 30 seconds and then agreed it did not and was baptized a short time later.
The thing most people do not realize when they say they have already been baptized is they are showing off a lack of understanding of the true order of God. When they say such things they do not realize that they are not arguing against me or another person when they say they do not wish to be re-baptized, they are arguing against God. It has always amazed me how many people have bought into the lie that Satan tells about authority to baptize not being important. How can it not be important? Did Jesus seek out one who had authority to baptize? John the Baptist never told Jesus he didn't have the authority to baptize him, he said he had need to be baptized of Him. He told his followers that he was unworthy to unlatch Christ's shoes, but he NEVER said he didn't have the authority.
So if Christ, who was perfect and needed no baptism unto the remission of sins but rather was baptized because it was a commandment of His Father, was baptized, why do people think they don't need to be baptized by the proper authority? I remember another person I taught on my mission just 3 weeks before I came home. He got hung up on authority and who had it and he was under the impression that either all had the authority or no one did. I remember clear as day that when I told him we had the authority to work in God's name and perform baptisms he scoffed and said all Church's claim that. It was a real shock to him when I told him that in fact no they don't. Only the LDS and the Catholic church claim to have authority from God. The others merely state that authority is not important or that their authority comes from the Bible. He too was baptized a little while later.
But the part that kind of makes me shudder a little bit as I read this section is the last verse where God almost rebukes us and tells us to not counsel Him. That is really a slap in the face almost. But if you think about it, what exactly ARE we doing when we say we are the exception? When we think the commandments don't apply to us? Are we not counseling God and telling Him that His word is not true and that His commands are meant for everyone else BUT us? That is exactly what we are doing! I learned a long time ago, as a teenager, that you cannot please everyone, so I stopped trying. Now, as a missionary, I really had no choice and had to correct people on this point and try and help them understand. But as a regular lay person, perhaps it is wrong of me, but I will state the doctrine and quote scriptures to make my point, but if you choose not to see it, I typically do not care, as Paul told the early saints of the church we each have to work out our own salvation. I often feel like quoting the angel who visited Alma the Younger and tell those people if they will be cast off of thyself, that is their business.
Again, I probably should not be that way and should really have more charity and be more concerned for their eternal salvation than I am, but I feel like it seems God does in this section. I don't like to see them question the will of God when it is so clear and the people are only missing it by purposefully ignoring it. I am sure there are many that have just been blinded by the craftiness of Satan but I often wonder how many are just stubborn? Again, luckily enough it is not for me to judge and I should have more charity than I do. It just makes me angry sometimes at the audacity of Satan and what he has done to these people and the people themselves that they are so carnal and give into the natural man so much that like Sherem they believe the message because it is pleasing to them.
Nevertheless the scriptures are before us all and we can all read them and fortunately the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants are clear so that there can be no misunderstanding. Those that desire can read and gain an understanding. And those that don't have the desire, well, we all have our agency and they can choose for themselves. I am glad I choose the path of righteousness and to reach my full potential as have most of you! Until tomorrow.
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