HENRIK - How do mormons baptize,what is the
simbol of water?,white dress?
JOEL - Mormons baptize by immersion the same way Jesus was
baptized by John the Baptist.(Matt 3:13-17)
Our children are baptized after they are at least
eight years old. Older people are taught the gospel and the
importance of repentence and are encouraged to repent of their sins before being baptized.
Someone holding the proper priesthood authority performs the ordinance for the one being baptized.
According to our Book of Mormon scripture:
23 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.
24 And now behold, these are the words which ye shall
say, calling them by name, saying:
25 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.
26 And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and
come forth again out of the water." (3 Nephi 11:23-26)
Being placed down into the water during the baptism
ordinance represents our bodies being placed down into
the grave after death; and then the rising out
of the water represents the resurresction, where our
bodies reunite with our spirits and rise up out of the
grave, the same as Christ did. It also represents the
candidate's new birth to a life in Christ, being born
of God, thus born again of the water and of the
spirit(Romans 6:4-5)
The white clothing represents purity, for after we are
baptized our sins are washed away(Acts 22:16) and we
are made clean and pure.
Baptism symbolizes the covenant by which people
promise to come into the fold of God, to take upon
themselves the name of Christ, to stand as a
witness for God, to keep his commandments, and to bear
one another's burdens, manifesting a determination to
serve him to the end, and to prepare to receive the
spirit of Christ for the remission of sins. The Lord,
as his part of the covenant, is to pour out his spirit
upon them, redeem them from their sins, raise them in
the first resurrection, and give them eternal life.