Article 4.—We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are:—... (3) Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; ...
MODE OF BAPTISM.
1. Method of Administering Baptism Important.—In considering the object and the necessity of baptism, much has been said and inferred concerning the importance which the Lord attaches to this initiatory rite; it is natural that the mode of administering the ordinance should also be specifically prescribed. Many Christian sects have some established rite of initiation, in which water figures as a necessary element; though with some the ceremony consists in nothing more than the placing of the priest's moistened finger on the forehead of the candidate; or in the pouring or sprinkling of water on the face; while others consider immersion of the whole body as requisite. The Latter-day Saints hold that the scriptures are devoid of ambiguity regarding the acceptable mode of baptism; and they boldly declare their belief that bodily immersion by a duly authorized servant or representative of the Savior is the only true form. Their reasons for this belief may be summed up as follows: (1) The derivation and former usage of the word baptism, and its cognates, betoken immersion. (2) The symbolism of the rite is preserved in no other form. (3) Scriptural authority, the revealed word of God through the mouths of ancient and modern prophets, prescribes immersion as the true form of baptism.
2. (1.) The Word "Baptism," as is generally admitted by philologists, is derived from the Greek bapto, baptizo, meaning literally to dip, or to immerse. As is true in the case of every living language, words may undergo great changes of meaning; and some writers declare that the term in question may be as applicable to pouring or sprinkling with water as to actual immersion. It becomes interesting, therefore, to inquire as to the current meaning of the term at or near the time of Christ; for, as the Savior evidently deemed it unnecessary, in the course of His instructions concerning baptism, to modify or in any way to enlarge upon the meaning of the term, the word "baptize" evidently conveyed a very definite meaning to those who received His teachings. From the use made of the original term by the Latin and Greek authors,[405] it is plain that they understood an actual immersion in water as the only true signification. The modern Greeks understand baptism to mean a burial in water, and therefore, as they adopt the profession of Christianity, they practice immersion as the only proper form in baptism.[406] Concerning this kind of argument, it should be remembered that philological evidence is not of the most decisive order. Let us pass then to the consideration of other and stronger reasons.
3. (2.) The Symbolism of the Baptismal Rite is preserved in no form other than immersion. The Savior compared baptism to a birth, and declared such to be essential to the life that leads to the kingdom of God.[407] Surely none can say that a birth is represented by a simple sprinkling of water on the face or head. Not the least of the distinctions which have contributed to Christ's pre-eminence as a teacher of teachers, consists in His precise and forceful use of language; His comparisons are always strong, His metaphors ever expressive, His parables convincing; and so inappropriate a comparison as is implied in such a false representation of birth, would be entirely foreign to the Great Teacher's methods.
4. Baptism has also been very impressively compared to a burial, followed by a resurrection; and in this symbol of the bodily death and resurrection of His Son has God promised to grant remission of sins. In writing to the Romans, Paul says:—"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."[408] And again, the same apostle writes: "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."[409] Among all the varied forms of baptism practiced by man, immersion alone typifies a birth, marking the beginning of a new career; or the sleep of the grave, with subsequent victory over death.
5. (3.) Scriptural Authority warrants none other form than immersion. Christ Himself was baptized by immersion. We read that after the ceremony, He "went up straightway out of the water."[410] That the baptism of the Savior was acceptable before His Father is abundantly proved by the manifestations immediately following the ordinance—in the descent of the Holy Ghost, and the declaration, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." John, surnamed, because of his Divine commission, the Baptist, baptized in the river Jordan;[411] and shortly afterward we hear of him baptizing in Ænon, near to Salim, "because there was much water there;"[412] yet had he been baptizing by sprinkling, a small quantity of water would have sufficed for a multitude.
6. We read of baptism following the somewhat speedy conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, treasurer to the queen, Candace. To him Philip preached the doctrine of Christ, as they rode together in the Ethiopian's chariot; the eunuch, believing the words of his inspired instructor, desired baptism, and Philip consenting, "he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing."[413] Surely the record in this case is explicit, that immersion was the mode practiced by Philip.
7. History, other than Scriptural, proves that for more than two centuries after Christ, immersion was the only mode of baptism generally practiced by professed Christians; and not indeed till near the close of the thirteenth century did other forms become general.[414] Distortions of ordinances instituted by authority may be expected, if the outward form of such ordinances be attempted after the authority to minister in them has been taken away; yet such distortions are of gradual growth; deformities resulting from constitutional ailments do not develop in a day; we may with reason, therefore, look for the closest imitation of the true form of baptism, as indeed of any other ordinance instituted by Christ, in the period immediately following His personal ministry, and that of His apostles. Then, as the darkness of unbelief deepened, the authority given of Christ having been taken from the earth with His martyred servants, many innovations appeared, dignitaries of the various churches becoming a law unto themselves and to their adherents. Early in the third century, the Bishop of Carthage decided that persons of weak health might be acceptably baptized by sprinkling; and with the license thus given, the true form of baptism gradually fell into disfavor, and unauthorized practices devised by man took its place.
8. Baptism among the Nephites was performed by immersion only. The wide extent to which baptism was preached and practiced among the people from Lehi to Moroni has been already shown. When the Savior appeared to His people on this hemisphere, He gave them very explicit instructions as to the method of procedure in administering the ordinance. These are his words:—"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. And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying, 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. And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water."[415]
9. Modern Baptism, as prescribed by revelation, is after the same pattern. The first baptisms in the present dispensation were those of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who baptized each other according to the directions of the heavenly messenger from whom they had received authority to administer in this holy ordinance, and who was none other than John the Baptist of a former dispensation, the forerunner of the Messiah. Joseph Smith thus describes the event:—"Accordingly we went and were baptized; I baptized him [Oliver Cowdery] first, and afterwards he baptized me.... Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings."
10. In a revelation concerning Church government, dated April, 1830, the Lord prescribed the exact mode of baptism as He desires the ordinance administered in the present dispensation. He said: "Baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent:—The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented him or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name—Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water."[416]
11. The Lord would not have prescribed the words of this ceremony did He not desire them used, and therefore elders and priests of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no personal authority to change the form given of God, by additions, omissions, or alterations of any kind.
BAPTISM AND "RE-BAPTISM."
12. A Repetition of the Baptismal Ordinance on the same individual is allowable under certain specific conditions. Thus, if one, having entered the Church by baptism, withdraws from it, or is excommunicated therefrom, and afterwards repents and desires to regain his standing in the Church, he can do so only through baptism. However, such is a repetition of the initiatory ordinance as previously administered. There is no ordinance of "re-baptism" in the Church distinct in nature, form, or purpose, from other baptism; and, therefore, in administering baptism to a subject who has been formerly baptized, the form of the ceremony is exactly the same as in first baptisms. The expression, "I re-baptize you," in place of "I baptize you," and the additions "for the renewal of your covenants," or "for the remission of your sins," though such have been used by officiating elders and priests of the Church, are not authorized. The dictates of reason unite with the voice of the presiding authorities of the Church in discountenancing any erratic departures from the course prescribed by the Lord; changes in ceremonies given by authority can be effected only by authority, and we must look for direction in these matters to those who hold the keys of power in the Church.
13. A "re-baptism," that is, a repetition of the simple ordinance as at first performed, may be allowed under particular circumstances, which seemingly warrant this extraordinary step. Thus, in the early days of the Church in Utah, its members having come hither through much tribulation, long and toilsome journeyings, accompanied in many instances by prolonged suspension of Church gatherings and other formal religious observances, it was wisely suggested by President Young that the members of the Church renew the witness of their allegiance to the cause of God, by each one seeking baptism. Then, as other companies of immigrants continued to arrive, the same conditions of long travel and rough experience applying in their cases, and further, as many of them hailed from foreign branches of the Church, still incompletely organized, through which circumstances the actual standing of the members could not be readily proved, the same rite of a second baptism was allowed to them. However, it was never intended that such a practice should become general; far less that it should be established as a permanent rule of action in the Church. The Latter-day Saints do not profess to be Anabaptists.
14. "Re-baptisms" Recorded in Scripture are very few; and in every instance, the existence of special circumstances justifying the action are readily seen. Thus, we read of Paul baptizing certain professed disciples at Ephesus though they had already been baptized after the manner of John's baptism.[417] But in this case, the apostle was evidently, and with good reason, suspicious that the baptism of which these spoke had been performed by unauthorized hands, or at least without the proper preliminary education of the candidates; for when he tested the efficacy of their baptism by asking "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" they answered him, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." Then asked he in surprise, "Unto what then were ye baptized?" and they replied, "Unto John's baptism." But Paul knew, as we know, that John preached the baptism of repentance by water, but always declared that such was but a preliminary to the greater baptism by fire, which Christ should bring. Therefore, in view of such unsatisfactory evidence concerning the validity of their baptism, Paul had baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus administered unto these twelve devout Ephesians, after which he laid his hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
15. The baptism instituted by Christ among the Nephites,[418] was very largely a "re-baptism;" for as we have already seen, the doctrine of baptism had been taught and practiced among the people from the time of Lehi; and surely, Nephi, the first to whom the Savior gave authority to baptize after His departure, had been previously baptized, for he and his co-laborers in the ministry had been most zealous in declaring the necessity of baptism.[419] Yet in this case also, there had probably arisen much impropriety in the manner, and perhaps in the spirit, of administering the ordinance; for the Savior in giving minute directions concerning the form of baptism, reproved them for the spirit of contention and disputation that had previously existed among them regarding the ordinance.[420] Therefore, the baptism of these people was made valid by an authoritative administration after the manner prescribed of God.
16. Incidentally, our attention is arrested by the fact that in these cases of re-baptism among the Nephites, the same ritual was used as in first baptism, and this by explicit instructions of the Lord, coupled with an impressive warning against disputation. Why should the priests in this day seek to alter the form to suit the case of a candidate who has formerly been baptized?
17. Repeated Baptisms of the Same Person are not sanctioned in the Church. It is easy to fall into the error of believing that baptism offers a ready means of gaining forgiveness of sins however oft repeated. Such a belief tends rather to excuse than to prevent sin, inasmuch as the hurtful effects seem to be so easily averted. Neither the written law of God, nor the instructions of His living Priesthood, designate baptism as a means of securing forgiveness by those who are already within the fold of Christ. Unto such, forgiveness of all sin, if not unto death, has been promised on confession, and repentance with full purpose of heart; of them a repetition of the baptismal rite has not been required and, were subjects of this class repeatedly baptized, unto them remission of sins would in no wise come, except they repent most sincerely. The frailties of mortality and our proneness to sin lead us continually into error; but if we covenant with the Lord at the waters of baptism, and thereafter seek to observe His law, He is merciful to pardon our little transgressions, through repentance sincere and true; and without such repentance, baptism, however oft repeated, would avail us nothing.
BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD.
18. Baptism Required of All.—The universal applicability of the law of baptism has been already dwelt upon. Compliance with the ordinance has been shown to be essential to salvation, and this condition applies to all mankind. Nowhere in scripture is a distinction made in this regard between the living and the dead. The dead are those who have lived in mortality upon earth; the living are mortals who yet shall pass through the ordained change which we call death. All are children of the same Father, all to be judged and rewarded or punished by the same unerring justice, with the same interpositions of benignant mercy. Christ's atoning sacrifice was offered, not alone for the few who lived upon the earth while He was in the flesh, nor for those who were to be born in mortality after His death, but for all inhabitants of earth then past, present, and future. He was ordained of the Father to be a judge of both quick and dead;[421] He is Lord alike of living and dead,[422] as men speak of dead and living, though all are to be placed in the same position before Him; there will be but a single class, for all live unto Him.[423]
19. The Gospel yet Unknown to Many.—Of the multitudes of human beings who have existed on the earth, but few have heard and fewer have obeyed, the law of the gospel. In the course of the world's history there have been long periods of spiritual darkness, when the gospel was not preached upon the earth; when there was no authorized representative of the Lord officiating in the saving ordinances of the kingdom. Such a condition has never existed except as the result of the unbelief and waywardness of the people. When mankind have persistently trodden the pearls of truth into the mire, and have sought to slay and rend the bearers of the jewels, in justice not more than in mercy these treasures of heaven have been taken and withheld until a more appreciative posterity could be raised up. It may very properly be asked, What provisions are made in the economy of God for the eventual salvation of those who have thus neglected the requirements of the Word, and for those who have never heard the gospel tidings?
20. According to certain dogmas that have prevailed among many so-called Christian sects during the obscurity of the spiritual night, and which are yet zealously promulgated, never-ending punishment or interminable bliss, unchanging in kind or degree, shall be the lot of every soul; the award being made according to the condition of the spirit at the time of bodily death; a life of sin being thus entirely nullified by a death-bed repentance; and an honorable career, if unmarked by ceremonies of the established sects, being followed by the tortures of hell without the hope of relief. Such a belief must rank with the dread heresy which proclaims the condemnation of innocent babes who have not been sprinkled by man's assumed authority.
21. It is blasphemous to thus attribute caprice and vindictiveness to the Divine nature. In the justice of God, no soul shall be condemned under any law which has not been made known unto him. It is true, eternal punishment has been decreed as the lot of the wicked; but the true meaning of this terrible expression has been given by the Lord Himself:[424] eternal punishment is God's punishment; endless punishment is God's punishment, for "Endless" and "Eternal" are among His names, and the words are descriptive of His attributes. No soul will be kept in prison or continued in torment beyond the time requisite to work the needed reformation and to vindicate justice, for which ends alone punishment is imposed. And no one will be permitted to enter any kingdom of glory to which he is not entitled through obedience to law.
22. The Gospel to be Preached to the Dead.—It is plain, then, that the gospel must be proclaimed in the spirit world; and that such work is provided for, the scriptures abundantly prove. Peter, describing the mission of his Redeemer, thus declares this truth:—"For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."[425] The inauguration of this work among the dead was effected by Christ in the interval between His death and resurrection. While His body lay in the tomb, His spirit ministered to the spirits of the departed:—"By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water."[426]
23. Other scriptures sustain the position, that while in a disembodied state, Christ went elsewhere than to the place usually termed heaven,—the abode of His Father; and that He labored among the dead, who greatly needed His ministry. One of the malefactors who suffered crucifixion by His side, through humility won from the dying Savior the promise, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."[427] And three days afterward, the Lord, then a resurrected Being, declared to the sorrowing Magdalene, "I have not yet ascended to my Father."[428]
24. If it was deemed proper and just that the gospel be carried to the spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah, is it not reasonable to conclude that like opportunities shall be placed within the reach of others who have rejected the word at different times? For the same spirit of neglect and disobedience that characterized the time of Noah has ever existed.[429] And further, if, in the plan of God, provisions be made for the redemption of the wilfully disobedient, of those who actually spurn the truth, can we believe that the still greater multitudes of spirits who have never heard the Gospel are to be left in punishment eternally? No; God has decreed that even the heathen nations, and those that knew no law, shall be redeemed.[430] The good gifts of the Father are not confined to this sphere of action, but will be distributed in justice throughout eternity. Upon all who reject the word of God in this life shall fall the penalties provided for such act; but after the debt has been paid, the prison doors shall be opened, and the spirits once confined in suffering, now chastened and clean, shall come forth to partake of the glory provided for their class.
25. Christ's Work among the Dead was Foretold.—Centuries before Christ came in the flesh, the prophets rejoiced in the knowledge that through Him would salvation be carried to the dead as well as to the living. Speaking of the punishment to be brought upon the proud and haughty of the earth, Isaiah declares: "And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited."[431] The same great prophet thus testifies concerning the work of the coming Redeemer; He is "to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."[432] And David, singing to the music of inspiration concerning the redemption from the grave, exclaims: "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."[433]
26. Work of the Living for the Dead.—The redemption of the dead will be effected in strict accordance with the law of God, which is written in justice and framed in mercy. It is alike impossible for any spirit, in the flesh or disembodied, to obtain even the promise of eternal glory, except on condition of obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. And, as baptism is essential to the salvation of the living, it is likewise indispensable to the salvation of the dead. This was known by the Saints of old, and hence the doctrine of baptism for the dead was taught among them. In an epistle addressed to the Saints at Corinth, Paul expounded the principles of the resurrection, whereby the bodies of the dead are to be brought forth from the graves. "Christ the first fruits, and afterward they that are Christ's," and as proof that this doctrine of the resurrection was included in the gospel as they had received and professed it, the apostle asks: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?"[434] These words are unambiguous, and the fact that they are presented without explanation or comment argues that the principle of baptism for the dead was understood among the people to whom the letter was addressed.
27. The necessity of vicarious work is here shown,—the living laboring in behalf of the dead; the children doing for their progenitors what is beyond the power of the latter to do for themselves. Many and various are the interpretations rendered by erring human wisdom on this plain statement of Paul's; yet the simple and earnest seeker after truth finds little difficulty in comprehending the meaning. In words which form the closing sentences of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi predicted the great work to be carried on in behalf of the dead during the latter days: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."[435] It is a current belief among many Bible students, that this prophecy had reference to the birth and ministry of John the Baptist,[436] upon whom indeed rested and remained the spirit and power of Elias, as the angel had foretold;[437] but we have no record of Elijah ministering unto John; and moreover the results of the latter's ministry warrant no conclusion that in him did the prophecy find its full realization.
28. We must therefore look to a later date in the world's history for a fulfillment of Malachi's prediction. On the 21st of September, 1823, Joseph Smith[438] received a visitation of a heavenly being who announced himself as Moroni, sent from the presence of God. In the course of his instructions to the chosen youth, this heavenly personage quoted the prophecy of Malachi, already referred to, but in language slightly different from, and certainly more expressive than, that appearing in the ordinary translation of the scriptures; the angel's version is as follows: "For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, shall burn as stubble, for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so the whole earth would be utterly wasted at His coming."[439]
29. In a glorious manifestation to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, given in the Kirtland Temple, April 3, 1836, there appeared unto them Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death; he declared unto them: "Behold, the time has fully come which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse. Therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors."[440]
30. The Fathers and the Children Mutually Dependent.—One of the great principles underlying the doctrine of salvation for the dead is that of the mutual dependence of the fathers and the children. As the Prophet Joseph taught the Saints,[441] but for the establishment of a connecting link between the departed fathers and the living children, the earth would be smitten with a curse. The plan of God provides that neither the children nor the fathers can alone be made perfect; and the necessary union is effected through baptism and associated ordinances for the dead. The manner in which the hearts of the children and those of the fathers are turned toward one another is made plain through these scriptures. As the children learn that without the aid of their progenitors they cannot attain perfection, assuredly will their hearts be opened, their faith will be kindled, and good works will be attempted, for the redemption of their dead; and the departed, learning from the ministers of the gospel laboring among them, that they must depend upon their children as vicarious saviors, will seek to sustain their still mortal representatives with faith and prayer for the perfecting of those labors of love.
31. And love, which is a power in itself, is thus intensified. Aside from the emotions which are stirred within the soul by the presence of the Divine, there are few feelings stronger and purer than the love for kindred. Heaven would not be all we wish were family love unknown there.[442] Affection there will differ from its earthly type, in being deeper, stronger, purer. And thus in the mercy of God, His erring, mortal children, who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ on earth, may become, in a limited sphere, each a savior in the house of his fathers, and that too by vicarious labor and sacrifice, rendered in humility, and, as represented in the baptismal ordinance, typical of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Redeemer.
32. The Labor for the Dead is Two-fold.—That performed on earth would be incomplete but for its supplement and counterpart beyond the vail. Missionary labor is in progress there, whereby the tidings of the gospel are carried to the departed spirits, who thus learn of the work done in their behalf on earth. What glorious possibilities concerning the purposes of God are thus presented to our view! How the mercy of God is magnified by these evidences of His love! How often do we behold friends and loved ones, whom we count among earth's fairest and best, stricken down by the shafts of death, seemingly in spite of the power of faith and the ministrations of the Priesthood of God! Yet who of us can tell but that these may be permitted to minister in the labor of redemption beyond, preaching perhaps the gospel to the spirits of their forefathers, while others of the same family are officiating in a similar behalf on earth?
33. As far as the Divine will has been revealed, it requires that the outward ordinances, such as baptism in water, the laying on of hands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost, and the higher endowments that follow, be attended to on earth, a proper representative in the flesh acting as proxy for the dead. The results of such labors are to be left with God. It is not to be supposed that by these ordinances the departed are in any way compelled to accept the obligation, nor that they are in the least hindered in the exercise of their free agency. They will accept or reject, according to their condition of humility or hostility in respect to things divine; but the work so done for them on earth will be of avail when wholesome argument and reason have shown them their true position.
TEMPLES.
34. Temples or Other Sacred Places are required for the performance of these holy ordinances. Whenever an organization of the priesthood has existed on earth, the Lord has required the preparation of places suited to His use, where the rites of His Church could be performed. It is but proper that such a structure should be the result of the people's best efforts, inasmuch as it is made by them an offering unto the Lord. In every age of the world, the chosen people have been a temple-building people. Shortly after Israel's deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, the Lord called upon the people to construct a sanctuary to His name, the plan of which He minutely specified. Though this was but a tent, it was elaborately furnished and appointed, the choicest possessions of the people being used in its construction.[443] And the Lord accepted this offering of His wandering people, by manifesting His glory therein, and there revealing Himself.[444] When the people had settled in the promised land, the Tabernacle of the congregation was given a more permanent resting place;[445] yet it still was honored for its sacred purpose, until superseded by the Temple of Solomon as the sanctuary of the Lord.
35. This temple, one of the most gorgeous structures ever erected by man for sacred service, was dedicated with imposing ceremonies; but its splendor was of short duration; for, within less than forty years from the time of its completion, its glory declined, and finally it fell a prey to the flames. A partial restoration of the temple was made after the Jews returned from their captivity; and through the friendly influence of Cyrus and Darius, the temple of Zerubbabel was dedicated.[446] That the Lord accepted this effort of His people to maintain a sanctuary to His name, is fully shown by the spirit that actuated its officers, among whom were Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi. This temple remained standing for nearly five centuries; and, but a few years before the birth of the Savior, the reconstruction of the edifice was begun by wicked Herod the Great, and the term "Temple of Herod" passed into history.[447] The veil of this temple was rent at the time of the crucifixion,[448] and in the year 70 A. D. the destruction of the building was accomplished by Titus.
36. Modern Temples.—From that time until the present dispensation, no other temples have been reared on the eastern continent. It is true, imposing edifices have been erected for the purposes of worship; but a colossal structure does not necessarily constitute a temple. A temple is more than a church-building, a meeting-house, a tabernacle, or a synagogue; it is a place specially prepared by dedication unto the Lord, and marked by His acceptance, for the performing of the ordinances pertaining to the Holy Priesthood. The Latter-day Saints, true to the characteristics of the chosen of God,[449] have been from the first a temple-building people. Only a few months after the organization of the Church in the present dispensation, the Lord made reference to a temple which was to be built.[450] In July, 1831, the Lord designated a spot in Independence, Mo., as the site of a future temple;[451] but the work of construction thereon has not yet been consummated, as is likewise the case with the temple site at Far West, on which the corner-stones were laid July 4, 1838, and relaid April 26, 1839.
37. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has constructed temples, each an imposing and costly structure, at Kirtland, Ohio; Nauvoo, Illinois; St. George, Logan, Manti, and Salt Lake City, Utah; Cardston, Canada; and Laie, Hawaiian Islands. The temples at Kirtland and Nauvoo were abandoned as the members of the Church who had built them through sacrifice yet untold were driven westward by the force of persecution. The building at Kirtland is now used as an ordinary meeting-house by a small sect that is but little known and that evinces no activity in the sacred labors for which temples are built. The temple at Nauvoo was destroyed through malicious incendiarism. The magnitude and grandeur of the sacred labors accomplished in the temples of the present dispensation, for the salvation of both the living and the dead, give assurance of the Lord's gracious acceptance.[452]
NOTES.
1. Usage of the Term "Baptize" in Ancient Times.—The following instances show the ordinary meaning attached to the Greek term from which our word "baptize" is derived. In all, the idea of immersion is plainly intended.—(For these and other examples, see Millennial Star, Vol. XXI, pp. 687-688.)
Polybius, a writer of history, who flourished during the second century before Christ, uses the following expressions: In describing a naval conflict between the Carthaginian and Roman fleets off the shores of Sicily he says, "If any were hard pressed by the enemy they withdrew safely back, on account of their fast sailing into the open sea: and then turning round and falling on those of their pursuers who were in advance, they gave them frequent blows and 'baptized' many of their vessels."—Book I, ch. 51.
The same writer thus refers to the passage of the Roman soldiers through the river Trebia: "When the passage of the river Trebia came on, which had risen above its usual current, on account of the rain which had fallen, the infantry with difficulty crossed over, being 'baptized' up to the chest."—Book III, ch. 72.
Describing a catastrophe which befell the Roman ships at Syracuse, Polybius states: "Some were upset, but the greater number, their prow being thrown down from a height, were 'baptized' and became full of sea."
Strabo, who lived during the time of Christ, used the term "baptized" in the same sense. He thus describes an instrument used in fishing: "And if it fall into the sea it is not lost: for it is compacted of oak and pine wood: so that even if the oak is 'baptized' by its weight, the remaining part floats and is easily recovered."
Strabo refers to the buoyancy of certain saline waters thus: "These have the taste of salt water, but a different nature, for even persons who cannot swim are not liable to be 'baptized' in them, but float like logs on the surface."
Referring to a salt spring in Tatta, the same writer says: "So easily does the water form a crust round everything 'baptized' into it that if persons let down a circlet of rushes they will draw up wreaths of salt."
Speaking of a species of pitch from the lake Sirbonis, Strabo says: "It will float on the surface owing to the nature of the water, which, as we said, is such as to render swimming unnecessary, and such that one who walks upon it is not 'baptized.'"
Dio Cassius, speaking of the effects of a severe storm near Rome says: "The vessels which were in the Tiber, which were lying at anchor near the city, and to the river's mouth, were 'baptized.'"
The same author thus alludes to the fate of some of Curio's soldiers while fleeing before the forces of Juba: "Not a few of these fugitives perished, some being knocked down in their attempts to get on board the vessels, and others, even when in the boats, being 'baptized' through their weight."
Alluding to the fate of the Byzantians who endeavored to escape the siege by taking to the sea, he says: "Some of those, from the extreme violence of the wind, were 'baptized.'"
2. Baptism among the Greeks.—"The native Greeks must understand their own language better than foreigners, and they have always understood the word baptism to signify dipping; and therefore from their first embracing of Christianity to this day they have always baptized, and do yet baptize, by immersion."—Robinson.
3. Early Form of Christian Baptism.—History furnishes ample proof that in the first century after the death of Christ, baptism was administered solely by immersion. Tertullian thus refers to the immersion ceremony common in his day: "There is no difference whether one is washed in a sea or in a pool, in a river or in a fountain, in a lake or in a channel: nor is there any difference between those whom John dipped in Jordan, and those whom Peter dipped in the Tiber.... We are immersed in the water."
The following are but a few of the instances on record (see Millennial Star, Vol. XXI, pp. 769-770):
Justin Martyr describes the ceremony as practiced by himself. First describing the preparatory examination of the candidate, he proceeds: "After that they are led by us to where there is water, and are born again in that kind of new birth by which we ourselves were born again. For upon the name God, the Father and Lord of all, and of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and of the Holy Spirit, the immersion in water is performed, because the Christ hath also said, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.'"
Bishop Bennet says concerning the practices of the early Christians: "They led them into the water and laid them down in the water as a man is laid in a grave; and then they said those words, 'I baptize (or wash) thee in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost'; then they raised them up again, and clean garments were put on them; from whence came the phrases of being baptized into Christ's death, of being buried with Him by baptism into death, of our being risen with Christ, and of our putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, of putting off the old man, and putting on the new."
"That the apostles immersed whom they baptized there is no doubt.... And that the ancient church followed their example is very clearly evinced by innumerable testimonies of the fathers."—Vossius.
"Burying as it were the person baptized in the water, and raising him out again, without question was anciently the more usual method."—Archbishop Secker.
"'Immersion' was the usual method in which baptism was administered in the early Church.... Immersion was undoubtedly a common mode of administering baptism, and was not discontinued when infant baptism prevailed.... Sprinkling gradually took the place of immersion without any formal renunciation of the latter."—Canon Farrar.
4. The Fathers and the Children.—"The revelation in our day of the doctrine of baptism for the dead may be said to have constituted a new epoch in the history of our race. At the time the Prophet Joseph received that revelation, the belief was general in Christendom that at death the destiny of the soul was fixed irrevocably and for all eternity. If not rewarded with endless happiness, then endless torment was its doom, beyond all possibility of redemption or change. The horrible and monstrous doctrine, so much at variance with every element of Divine justice, was generally believed, that the heathen nations who had died without a knowledge of the true God, and the redemption wrought out by His Son Jesus Christ, would all be eternally consigned to hell. The belief upon this point is illustrated by the reply of a certain Bishop to the inquiry of the king of the Franks, when the king was about to submit to baptism at the hands of the bishop. The king was a heathen, but had concluded to accept the form of religion then called Christianity. The thought occurred to him that if baptism were necessary for his salvation, what had become of his dear ancestors who had died heathens? This thought framed itself into an inquiry which he addressed to the bishop. The prelate, less politic than many of his sect, bluntly told him they had gone to hell. 'Then, by Thor, I will go there with them,' said the king, and thereupon refused to accept baptism or become a Christian."—Geo. Q. Cannon's Life of Joseph Smith, p. 510.
5. Temples and Sacred Places.—"When the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, determined to make that people a nation to Himself, as soon as they had arrived at a safe distance from surrounding peoples, He required them to build a Tabernacle, which is sometimes called the Temple, wherein He could institute certain ordinances and regulations for their guidance and worship. This, at the commencement of their pilgrimage in the wilderness, was made portable, and of the costliest and best material within their reach; and one of the tribes was set apart to have charge of it and its appurtenances. Such has ever been the purpose of the Lord. This served them through their journey and in the promised Canaan, until suitable wealth enabled Solomon to erect a magnificent Temple on Mount Moriah, since called 'The Hill of Zion,' to which all Israel came annually to worship or attend conference. The Lord has informed us (Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 39) that His people are always commanded to build Temples, or holy houses, unto His holy name. This accounts for our reading in the Book of Mormon of so many Temples having been erected on this continent. It also explains why the Prophet Joseph so early taught the commencement of a Temple in every important location of the Saints."—Compendium, F. D. Richards and J. A. Little, pp. 301-302. Consult: Exo. xxv-xxviii; I Kings vi-viii; Ezra vi; II Nephi v, 16; and compare Jacob i, 17; ii, 2-11; Mosiah i, 18; ii, 6-7; Alma xvi, 13; xxiii, 2; xxvi, 29; Helaman iii, 9; x, 8; Doc. and Cov. i, 7-9; lxxxiv, 3-5, 31; xcvii, 10; cxxiv, 29-51, 55. See also Temples, J. M. Sjodahl, Salt Lake City, 1892. See "The House of the Lord, a Study of Holy Sanctuaries, Ancient and Modern," by James E. Talmage, Salt Lake City, 1912.
