Baptism
Mormons believe children are not accountable to God for their actions until they are eight years old, when they have the ability to know right from wrong and have a sense of consequences for actions. For this reason, Mormons don’t baptize children until that age. From age eight and on, anyone who was born into the church or who joins it as a convert must be baptized.
Jesus Christ set the pattern when He chose to be baptized even though He was entirely without sin. He was baptized by his cousin, John, who held the priesthood and had the authority to perform baptisms. John baptized the Savior by immersion, meaning Jesus was taken completely under the water for a moment. This also demonstrated to us how baptisms ought to be performed, a method only possible if babies aren’t baptized.
Baptism serves several purposes. First, it cleanses the person being baptized, so they, having now learned the truth and what God expects of them, can begin fresh. God doesn’t hold us accountable for that which we never had the opportunity to learn. It is also a time for us to make covenants with God. A covenant is a two-way promise between ourselves and God. God sets the terms, which cannot be negotiated, but if we do our part, he is required to do His. Our part includes taking on ourselves the name of Christ and serving as a valiant representative of His gospel. It also involves a commitment to keep the commandments as best we can, always working to improve our ability to live as God wants us to live.
God’s part is fulfilled only if we keep our part of the covenant. He gives us forgiveness for our sins, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and the promise of eternal life. These are wonderful gifts that make life more rewarding and eternity perfect.
The Mormons perform the baptism shortly before a person becomes a member of the church. This prepares him to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which guides him through the remainder of his life, if he chooses to live worthily of its presence.
Although baptism cleanses us of all previous sins, we are not going to be able to maintain that perfection. We’re taught to do everything in our power to live a Christ-like life, but when we fail, God has given us ways to resolve the sin. We can go through a repentance process, which includes recognizing the sin, experiencing deep, sincere sorrow for it, making restitution as far as possible, asking for forgiveness, and forsaking the sin.
In addition, Mormons take the Sacrament once a week. This is similar to communion in other churches. At this time, we can renew our baptismal covenants and strengthen our resolve to become more like God the Father.
Baptism is a required saving ordinance. We must be baptized as part of the process of returning home to our Father in Heaven. The steps we take in becoming baptized then help us to take the additional steps required. It is our first covenant and our initial declaration of our determination to serve God the rest of our lives.
