Baptism - The Gateway to Eternal Life
This weekend was an awesome experience to see a new friend be baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Recently he and his wife (already a member) moved into our neighborhood and they began meeting with a brother in our ward to discuss the scriptures and Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The full-time missionaries were then invited to come into their home to teach a full series of lessons surrounding The Plan of Salvation and Restoration of Jesus Christ's gospel to the earth.
They invited this good brother to Come Unto Christ and enter on the covenant path of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. Because of his choice to do so, He was the recipient of the Gift of the Holy Ghost today in Sacrament Meeting. The GIFT of the Holy Ghost is given to each individual that enters into the baptismal covenant and can be a constant companion to comfort, guide, protect, and teach the truth of all things. This gift is given by the laying on of hands accompanied with a priesthood blessing by worthy, Melchezidek Priesthood holders.
4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and acleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the bchurch of Christ; and their cnames were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually dwatchful unto prayer, erelying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.
YOUR COVENANT PATH
Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints really is awesome. There are so many blessings and joyful things that come from our membership. When we’re baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That gift provides us guidance and direction, helps us repent and be clean, and changes our lives. These blessings are a result of living on the covenant path—or living faithfully according to the covenants we’ve made and will make, and doing the things that help us stay faithful.
The Covenant Path and You
So, what are those covenants? They include being baptized, being confirmed and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, (for young men) being ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood and then (once they’re at least 18) to the Melchizedek Priesthood, receiving the temple endowment, and being sealed in the temple. “Covenants with God help us to know who we really are.”1 With each covenant, we promise Heavenly Father to strive to live as He has asked us to. As we do, He promises we can have His Spirit to be with and guide us.
As we faithfully follow the covenant path, we’ll end up doing a lot of things that can help us grow, enjoy life, and be happy. And a big part of that includes the service we provide, such as young men who bless and pass the sacrament, which blesses everyone in the ward, or young women who reach out to fellowship those around them. Plus, as you follow the covenant path, you’ll be blessed by temple trips, priesthood blessings of comfort and counsel, a patriarchal blessing, counsel from prophets and apostles, and the power of personal prayer.
And, of course, there’s the hope that the doctrines give, such as eternal families, healing through faith and blessings, and the Resurrection.
Yes, when we live up to our covenants and strive to live as the Savior, Jesus Christ, has taught us to and when we heed the counsel of living prophets, life is just so much better.
But being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ isn’t just about the blessings you receive personally. It’s also about helping other people “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32). In fact, for each of us, as we live the gospel, a desire will grow within us for others to be blessed by the gospel, especially members of our family.
President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, explained that “the Lord knew you would have those feelings when He allowed you to receive the covenants which are blessing your life. … Even more, He knew how that desire would increase when you came to know the joy of the promises He makes to us in sacred temples. … He promises us, if we are faithful, that we may live with Him in glory in families forever in the world to come.”2
That desire to share is also our responsibility. President Eyring also taught, “The duty to warn our neighbor falls on all of us who have accepted the covenant of baptism. We are to talk with nonmember friends and relatives about the gospel. Our purpose is to invite them to be taught by the full-time missionaries who are called and set apart to teach.”3
Part of our covenant relationship with our Heavenly Father, because of our baptism, is to share the gospel. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jesus Christ declared, “It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor” (D&C 88:81).
The Covenant Path for Your Family and Friends
As you think about your family members and friends who may not be members of the Church or who may not be active in it, it’s natural to want them to enjoy the same blessings, opportunities, and help that you have as a result of making and keeping covenants. You’ll want them to receive power and inspiration through the Holy Ghost, to enjoy the blessings of temple covenants, and to receive guidance through patriarchal blessings.
Of course, you’ll also want them to enjoy some of the great blessings that come through Church membership, such as attending Mutual activities and feeling the peace of the temple and the joy of repentance.
It might just be that they are waiting for someone like you to open the door by being a good friend and example and by a simple invitation to follow the covenant path.
So, what are you waiting for?
