A Universal Requirement.—If it was becoming in the Son of God to be baptized, it is becoming in all who follow in his footsteps and hope to be with him hereafter. They must be baptized with the baptism that he was baptized with—not only the baptism of suffering, through which "the captain of our salvation" was "made perfect," but the baptism of water and of spirit, received by him at the River Jordan, nineteen centuries ago.
King and Subject.—Can you conceive of a kingdom in which the king is required to obey the laws ordained for its government, while his subjects are not required to obey them? Far more likely, is it not, that the king, rather than the subject, would be exempt from such obedience? But the laws of God's kingdom are just and impartial, bearing with equal pressure upon all. "The Son doeth nothing but what he hath seen the Father do;" nor does he require of us what he himself is not willing to render. "Follow me," is the watchward of his mission, and it applies to baptism as much as to anything.
To Fulfil All Righteousness.—True, baptism is "for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4; Acts 2:38) and Jesus "grew up without sin unto salvation." Hence, there was no sin in him to remit. Why, then, was he baptized? John saw this point when Jesus presented himself for baptism: "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" While we cannot impute sin to the sinless, and say that Jesus was baptized, like an ordinary man, for the remission of his sins, we can and should take him at his word, that it was becoming in him, and is becoming in us, to be baptized, in order "to fulfil all righteousness."
Necessity of Baptism Not Obviated by Christ's Baptism.—Some hold that Jesus was baptized vicariously for original sin, the sin of the world, resulting from the transgression of Adam. That load of guilt, it is argued, had to be remitted, and hence the Savior, who had taken the burden upon him, was baptized that it might be washed away. I cannot vouch for the correctness of that view; but this I know: The baptism of Jesus did not obviate the necessity of baptism, any more than his suffering of the pangs of every man, woman and child (2 Ne.9:21, 22), did away with human suffering. Men still suffer, notwithstanding that infinite atonement—necessary, in order that the resurrection might pass upon all men. And they must still be baptized for the remission of their own sins, notwithstanding the baptism of "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Christ plainly taught, after his own baptism, the necessity of baptism as a universal requirement, obligatory upon all capable of faith and repentance.
Little Children Exempt.—The only class exempt are infants, or children young enough to be without sin. Obviously they cannot repent, and are therefore not fit subjects for baptism. Jesus said: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Again: "Except ye humble yourselves and become as this little child, ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven." This shows not only that little children are sinless, but that they are types of the innocence and purity required of men and women, who, because not sinless, must be baptized and have their sins remitted, before they can enter into that kingdom where no sin, no uncleanness, can come. For this cause—that men and women must "become as little children" before entering there—baptism, the doorway, is compared to a birth, the entry of an infant into life. For this reason also, converts to Christ in ancient times were referred to as "new-born babes." Peter so styled them (2:2); and the first principles of the gospel, those easiest to comprehend, to mentally digest, were termed both by him and by Paul, "the milk of the word," in contradistinction to "the meat of the word"—advanced principles and mysteries (1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:12-14; 1 Cor. 3:2). The effect of baptism is to make men childlike, not in ignorance, nor in physical weakness, but in innocence and humility.
Mormon to Moroni.—Upon this theme Mormon writes thus to his son Moroni, voicing the word of the Lord:
"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.
"And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.
"Behold, I say unto you, that this thing shall ye teach, repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent, and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children. * * *
"Little children cannot repent; wherefore it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are alive in him because of his mercy. * * * The power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing." (Moroni 8:8-10, 19, 22.)