I've decided to conclude this story at my baptism so you too may feel the importance of being baptized. It is the gateway back into the presence of Our Heavenly Father. It was so important that Jesus Christ went unto John to be baptized in the river Jordan as recorded in Matt 3:13-14. Now if the very Son of God suffered himself to be baptized how much more are ye in need of baptism ?
To those of you who say in your hearts that I've already been baptized and I need no other baptism. I say unto you "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" If not, whose baptism were you baptized to? Man's or God's ? Read Acts 19:1-6 and consider repenting and receiving the full baptism of Jesus Christ. The one of water and spirit as recorded in John 3:5.
In addition, it says in Eph 4:5 there is but, " One Lord, one faith and one baptism." Yea and it must be performed by those holding the proper priesthood authority. That priesthood must come to men according to the will of God as stated in Heb 5:4. "And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." We know Aaron was called to be a priest by revelation from God to Moses his prophet.
I bear witness that Joseph Smith was called of God like Moses to be a prophet to all the world in these last days. He was called by the voices of God the Father and Jesus Christ his Only Begotten Son to be the head prophet over the peoples of the earth in this final dispensation of the fullness of times. Joseph Smith was visited and ordained by Peter, James and John; three of the original apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, who are now resurrected beings enjoying eternal life. They ordained Joseph Smith an apostle and gave him the keys of the kingdom, the very same keys that the Lord had given Peter as recorded in Matt 16:18-19. " And I say also unto thee. That thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
These keys have been handed down from Joseph Smith to other apostles he ordained prior to his death and martyrdom . I testify that God has living apostles and prophets on the earth this day in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven. They have called others to various offices in the priesthood and given them authority to perform all the saving ordinances essential to salvation. The very first being baptism.
Now do not wrestle the scriptures to your destruction by using your own understanding or the reasoning of men. Look to the prophets who have the true spirit of prophecy as stated in 2 Peter 1:20-21. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
I was led by the Holy Ghost out of the mud pits of Woodstock to the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood of God and received the true full baptism of Jesus Christ. On Saturday June 27th, 1970, at 6:00 am at Smith Point, Fire Island, N.Y. I entered the waters of baptism in the salty Atlantic Ocean. There I had all the sins of my youth washed away by the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Then as I knelt in the sand on Fire Island, I received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Again, I was born anew as the fire of the Holy Ghost brought peace and reassurance to the very heart of my soul. I truly received the baptism of water and fire amidst the surf and sand under the early morning haze of an ocean mist.
I received those holy ordinances at the hands of my foreman, "Mormon", Elder Robert W. To this good brother I'm eternally grateful. It was by his great example, his teaching, his worthiness and his priesthood power and authority that I was able to officially enter into the Kingdom of God and become a member of the only true and living church upon the face of the earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Remember, God Almighty led me to this man and this church in answer to my prayers.
This church is not only the true link between heaven and earth but, it will become the great catalyst in promoting freedom of religion throughout the world. We have the greater light and truth and with that comes the responsibility to teach tolerance and love to all mankind no matter what they believe. Our God will force no man into heaven. Our church allows all other religions their rights and privileges to grow in truth at their own rate. Our God is loving , kind, merciful, patient, just, tolerant and long suffering towards the children of men as he invites all his children to come unto his Son Jesus Christ and receive the fullness of truth and a remission of all their sins. Our cry is simple; have faith, repent of your sins, be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the Kingdom of God is at hand and the hour of final judgement draws near. Prepare ye, prepare ye for the Great and Glorious Second Coming of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Only True Messiah!
The following teachings of Joseph Smith and some of the other early church leaders show we have always had a universal acceptance of others not of our faith. That we acknowledge and recognize the hand of God in the lives of all other people and their religions:
" We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." ( The Articles of Faith, 11)
"I see no faults in the Church, and therefore let me be resurrected with the Saints, whether I ascend to heaven or descend to hell, or go to any other place. And if we go to hell, we will turn the devils out of doors and make a heaven of it. Where this people are, there is good society. What do we care where we are, if the society be good? I don't care what a man's character is; if he's my friend - a true friend, I will be a friend to him, and preach the Gospel of salvation to him, and give him good counsel, helping him out of his difficulties.
Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of 'Mormonism'; [it is designed] to revolutionize and civilize the world, and cause wars and contentions to cease and men to become friends and brothers. Even the wolf and the lamb shall dwell together; the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf, the young lion and the fatling; and a little child shall lead them; the bear and the cow shall lie down together, and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall play on the cockatrice's den; and they shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the lord of hosts.
It is a time-honored adage that love begets love. Let us pour forth love - show forth our kindness unto all mankind, and the Lord will reward us with everlasting increase; cast our bread upon the waters and we shall receive it after many days, increased to a hundredfold. Friendship is like Brother Turley in his blacksmith shop welding iron to iron; it unites the human family with its happy influence.
I do not dwell upon your faults, and you shall not upon mine. Charity, which is love, covereth a multitude of sins, and I have often covered up all the faults among you; but the prettiest thing is to have no faults at all. We should cultivate a meek, quiet and peaceable spirit.
Have the Presbyterians any truth? Yes. Have the Baptists, Methodists, etc., any truth? Yes. They all have a little truth mixed with error. We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true 'Mormons.'
But meddle not with any man for his religion: and all governments ought to permit every man to enjoy his religion unmolested. No man is authorized to take away life in consequence of difference of religion, which all laws and governments ought to tolerate and protect, right or wrong. Every man has a natural, and, in our country, a constitutional right to be a false prophet, as well as a true prophet. If I show, verily, that I have the truth of God, and show that ninety-nine out of ever hundred professing religious ministers are false teachers, having no authority, while they pretend to hold the keys of God's kingdom on earth, and was to kill them because they are false teachers, it would deluge the whole world with blood.
I will prove that the world is wrong, by showing what God is. I am going to enquire after God; for I want you all to know him, and to be familiar with him; and if I am bringing you to a knowledge of him, all persecutions against me ought to cease. You will then know that I am his servant; for I speak as one having authority."
"Joseph remarked that all was well between him and the heavens; that he had no enmity against any one; and as the prayer of Jesus, or his pattern, so prayed Joseph - Father, forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me, for I freely forgive all men. If we would secure and cultivate the love of others, we must love others, even our enemies as well as friends.
Sectarian priests cry out concerning me, and ask,'Why is it this babbler gains so many followers, and retains them?' I answer, it is because I possess the principle of love. All I can offer the world is a good heart and a good hand.
The Saints can testify whether I am willing to lay down my life for my brethren. If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a 'Mormon,' I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves.
It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul - civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race. Love of liberty was diffused into my soul by my grandfathers while they dandled me on their knees; and shall I want friends? No.
The inquiry is frequently made of me. 'Wherein do you differ from others in your religious views?' In reality and essence we do not differ so far in our religious views, but that we could all drink into one principle of love. One of the grand fundamental principles of 'Mormonism' is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.
We believe in the Great Elohim who sits enthroned in yonder heavens. So do the Presbyterians. If a skilful mechanic, in taking a welding heat, uses borax, alum, etc., and succeed in welding together iron or steel more perfectly than any other mechanic, is he not deserving of praise? And if by the principles of truth I succeed in uniting men of all denominations in the bonds of love, shall I not have attained a good object?
If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way. Do you believe in Jesus Christ and the Gospel of salvation which he revealed? So do I. Christians should cease wrangling and contending with each other, and cultivate the principles of union and friendship in their midst; and they will do it before the millennium can be ushered in and Christ takes possession of His kingdom.
'Do you believe in the baptism of infants?' asks the Presbyterian. No. 'Why?' Because it is nowhere written in the Bible. Circumcision is not baptism, neither was baptism instituted in place of circumcision. Baptism is for remission of sins. Children have no sins. Jesus blessed them and said, 'Do what you have seen me do.' Children are all made alive in Christ, and those of riper years through faith and repentance.
So far we are agreed with other Christian denominations. They all preach faith and repentance. The gospel requires baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, which is the meaning of the word in the original language - namely, to bury or immerse.
We ask the sects, Do you believe this? They answer, No. I believe in being converted. I believe in this tenaciously. So did the Apostle Peter and the disciples of Jesus. But I further believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Evidence by Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:38. You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half - that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
The Savior says, 'Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' 'Though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed,' according to Galatians 1:8." ( Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 351-355 & 389 )
The following quotes sustain the fact that the Prophet's teachings on this subject was carried on by new leaders after his death:
"We believe in all truth no matter to what subject it may refer. No sect or religious denomination in the world possesses a single principle of truth that we do not accept or that we will reject. We are willing to receive all truth, from whatever source it may come; for truth will stand, truth will endure. No man's religion, no religious organization in all the world can ever rise above the truth." (Joseph F. Smith - Gospel Doctrine, 1939, p. 1)
"Seven hundred years before the birth of the Savior, the Prophet Isaiah, looking down the vista of time, saw the Latter-day gathering of the scattered House of Israel, and said concerning them: 'They shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the West.' We recognize the fulfillment of that prophecy in the founding of this Church by Joseph Smith, a lineal descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who thus lifted the Ensign for the gathering of their descendants from their long dispersion among the nations. But a part of the fulfillment rests with the Gentiles. Their steamships, their railroads, their means of rapid transit and communication - these are 'the shoulders of the Philistines,' upon which the children of Ephraim have been and are being brought to the West, to the land of Zion, where the New Jerusalem is to rise , where the pure in heart will assemble, and the necessary preparation be made for the coming of the Lord in his glory. God works outside as well as inside his Church, and uses big things and little things for the accomplishment of his purposes." (Orson F. Whitney, in Conference Report, Oct. 1919, p. 69)
The scriptures prophesy that the day will come when every knee must bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philp 2:9-11). May this happen in the Lord's own time according to his divine will and not by the will of men.
Now for those with eyes that see and ears that hear let us join with the eleven original disciples and fulfil this charge as recorded in Matt 28:19-20. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world. Amen."
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
I've decided to conclude this story at my baptism so you too may feel the importance of being baptized. It is the gateway back into the presence of Our Heavenly Father. It was so important that Jesus Christ went unto John to be baptized in the river Jordan as recorded in Matt 3:13-14. Now if the very Son of God suffered himself to be baptized how much more are ye in need of baptism ?