Recovery to Mormonism

Mormon Baptism

It’s one of Mormon beliefs that the gateway to salvation is baptism.  If we have faith in Christ and have repented of our sins, the next step is baptism.  This is, of course, hardly unique to the Mormon faith—Jesus commanded His apostles to teach His gospel unto all nations, to baptize those that believed.  Thousands of Mormon missionaries today are sent throughout the world to follow this commandment.

Before the age of eight, Mormons aren’t baptized.  Mormons don’t believe that children are accountable for choices before then.  And, of course, people can be baptized much later. 

Before being baptized, the will-be member of the Church must have an interview with a bishop to make sure they’re ready.  After that, they will be baptized by immersion, which is to be completely submerged in water.  This symbolizes the death and burial of the sinful person and a rebirth as a disciple of Christ and a member of His Church.  The new member is cleansed of all previously committed sins and life can begin afresh.  Most other Christians would agree on this.  Where they differ—Mormons believe that baptism can only be performed by someone who holds the priesthood, or the authority to act in the name of God.  They believe that this priesthood can be traced from today to the first Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, and back through him to the Twelve Apostles, who received it from Jesus Christ.

After baptism, the new member receives the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For this ordinance to be performed, the member must first have had their sins washed away through baptism.  The gift of the Holy Ghost is given through the laying on of hands (on the new member) by someone who holds the priesthood.  This person will pronounce a special blessing on the new member.    The member will afterward have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, to warn, guide, protect, and comfort him or her.  But the Holy Ghost cannot abide sin and will leave if we sin.  When we repent, the Holy Ghost returns.

And we all sin.  To join the Mormon Church does not mean you stop sinning—we all must repent and often.  The sacrament is a sacred ritual many Christian churches share.  The members of the congregation partake of sacred bread and water.  This represents Christ’s body and blood.  In Mormon belief, to take the sacrament renews the covenants of baptism and cleanses the person from sin anew.  As we must repent before we’re baptized, so, too, must we repent before we take the sacrament.  As the sacrament comes weekly, we must repent frequently—but we should, of course, be doing that anyway.

With baptism standing as the gate to salvation, it’s a belief of Mormonism that every person should have an opportunity to be baptized.  They practice baptism for the dead.  What is this?  Essentially, someone living is baptized on behalf of someone who has died.  This ordinance can only take place in a Mormon temple, and, when performed, it gives the departed spirit the opportunity to choose to become part of the Mormon Church or not, to accept the baptism, or not.  Ordinances done by proxy for the dead don’t remove the free will of the person being baptized for.  They’re always able to choose what they will accept, even after death.