8. Baptism among the Nephites was performed by immersion only. The wide extent to which baptism was preached and practiced among the people from Lehi to Moroni has been already shown. When the Savior appeared to His people on this hemisphere, He gave them very explicit instructions as to the method of procedure in administering the ordinance. These are his words:—"Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them: behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying, Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Amen. And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water."[415]

9. Modern Baptism, as prescribed by revelation, is after the same pattern. The first baptisms in the present dispensation were those of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who baptized each other according to the directions of the heavenly messenger from whom they had received authority to administer in this holy ordinance, and who was none other than John the Baptist of a former dispensation, the forerunner of the Messiah. Joseph Smith thus describes the event:—"Accordingly we went and were baptized; I baptized him [Oliver Cowdery] first, and afterwards he baptized me.... Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings."

10. In a revelation concerning Church government, dated April, 1830, the Lord prescribed the exact mode of baptism as He desires the ordinance administered in the present dispensation. He said: "Baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent:—The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented him or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name—Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water."[416]

11. The Lord would not have prescribed the words of this ceremony did He not desire them used, and therefore elders and priests of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no personal authority to change the form given of God, by additions, omissions, or alterations of any kind.

BAPTISM AND "RE-BAPTISM."

12. A Repetition of the Baptismal Ordinance on the same individual is allowable under certain specific conditions. Thus, if one, having entered the Church by baptism, withdraws from it, or is excommunicated therefrom, and afterwards repents and desires to regain his standing in the Church, he can do so only through baptism. However, such is a repetition of the initiatory ordinance as previously administered. There is no ordinance of "re-baptism" in the Church distinct in nature, form, or purpose, from other baptism; and, therefore, in administering baptism to a subject who has been formerly baptized, the form of the ceremony is exactly the same as in first baptisms. The expression, "I re-baptize you," in place of "I baptize you," and the additions "for the renewal of your covenants," or "for the remission of your sins," though such have been used by officiating elders and priests of the Church, are not authorized. The dictates of reason unite with the voice of the presiding authorities of the Church in discountenancing any erratic departures from the course prescribed by the Lord; changes in ceremonies given by authority can be effected only by authority, and we must look for direction in these matters to those who hold the keys of power in the Church.

13. A "re-baptism," that is, a repetition of the simple ordinance as at first performed, may be allowed under particular circumstances, which seemingly warrant this extraordinary step. Thus, in the early days of the Church in Utah, its members having come hither through much tribulation, long and toilsome journeyings, accompanied in many instances by prolonged suspension of Church gatherings and other formal religious observances, it was wisely suggested by President Young that the members of the Church renew the witness of their allegiance to the cause of God, by each one seeking baptism. Then, as other companies of immigrants continued to arrive, the same conditions of long travel and rough experience applying in their cases, and further, as many of them hailed from foreign branches of the Church, still incompletely organized, through which circumstances the actual standing of the members could not be readily proved, the same rite of a second baptism was allowed to them. However, it was never intended that such a practice should become general; far less that it should be established as a permanent rule of action in the Church. The Latter-day Saints do not profess to be Anabaptists.

14. "Re-baptisms" Recorded in Scripture are very few; and in every instance, the existence of special circumstances justifying the action are readily seen. Thus, we read of Paul baptizing certain professed disciples at Ephesus though they had already been baptized after the manner of John's baptism.[417] But in this case, the apostle was evidently, and with good reason, suspicious that the baptism of which these spoke had been performed by unauthorized hands, or at least without the proper preliminary education of the candidates; for when he tested the efficacy of their baptism by asking "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" they answered him, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." Then asked he in surprise, "Unto what then were ye baptized?" and they replied, "Unto John's baptism." But Paul knew, as we know, that John preached the baptism of repentance by water, but always declared that such was but a preliminary to the greater baptism by fire, which Christ should bring. Therefore, in view of such unsatisfactory evidence concerning the validity of their baptism, Paul had baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus administered unto these twelve devout Ephesians, after which he laid his hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

15. The baptism instituted by Christ among the Nephites,[418] was very largely a "re-baptism;" for as we have already seen, the doctrine of baptism had been taught and practiced among the people from the time of Lehi; and surely, Nephi, the first to whom the Savior gave authority to baptize after His departure, had been previously baptized, for he and his co-laborers in the ministry had been most zealous in declaring the necessity of baptism.[419] Yet in this case also, there had probably arisen much impropriety in the manner, and perhaps in the spirit, of administering the ordinance; for the Savior in giving minute directions concerning the form of baptism, reproved them for the spirit of contention and disputation that had previously existed among them regarding the ordinance.[420] Therefore, the baptism of these people was made valid by an authoritative administration after the manner prescribed of God.

16. Incidentally, our attention is arrested by the fact that in these cases of re-baptism among the Nephites, the same ritual was used as in first baptism, and this by explicit instructions of the Lord, coupled with an impressive warning against disputation. Why should the priests in this day seek to alter the form to suit the case of a candidate who has formerly been baptized?