The Origins of Baptism [message #608] |
Tue, 03 July 2012 05:40 |
Seeker
Messages: 244 Registered: June 2010 Location: Las Vegas
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In another thread, JulesGP asked:"JulesGP"Another question I have: So many times in the scriptures, we see the term (or something similar) "repent and be baptized for the remission of sins". Well in the early days of the church (I think Brigham Young started it...), people practiced re-baptism regularly. So is that something that was done in ancient times too? Do we need to be re-baptised for a remission of our sins, or is the Sacrament ordinance sufficient? (I don't mean after excommunication from the church, I mean as an ordinance to be washed clean of our sins.)
Yes, in the early church baptism was performed multiple times for everything from repenting to being sick and wanting to be healed. They did this thinking that the ordinance was magical in some way, as if it "did something" not realizing it was a dead work and they were relying on/putting faith in dead works. This was later stopped and declared unneeded. This also gives insight into D&C 22 which tells us:
Quote: Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works. - D&C 22:2
The Jews to this day perform what we call baptism. It is a cleansing ritual performed when they endeavor to do a Holy Work. For example, they would get baptized/cleansed before going on a mission or performing a sacred ritual or even before every time they write the name of God.
Putting this into perspective, Jesus being baptized at 33 was part of the Jewish custom in which he was symbolically cleaned before beginning his ministry.
~ Seeker
[Updated on: Tue, 03 July 2012 05:40] Report message to a moderator
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