A House of Prayer Podcast Episode 8 - Baptism

In this episode I present a talk about baptism I gave as a missionary at a baptism. The text is not online. Baptism is the gate to eternal life. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ opens the gate but baptism is necessary for eternal life.

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Credit: The short music clip I use as an entrance and exit to the show is an arrangement of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing from the album Reflections of Christ. Visit that link to find out how you can purchase the music (I'm not associated with the artists; I just enjoy the music).

The podcast album art is an image by Irwin-Scott. Check out his photo stream on Flickr. I thought his photo of the Salt Lake Temple would be a fitting image as a house of prayer. His night-time photo of the illuminated temple surrounded by darkness has a lovely symbolic meaning of the temple as a light on a hill, an ensign to the nations, a lighthouse shining forth in the darkness.

A Wellspring of Eternal Life, Part 2

Water is a powerful force - in large amounts it can destroy nearly all life. It can also be used and controlled to bring and sustain life. The Lord's control and power over water was demonstrated many times throughout the scriptures. Moses parted the Red Sea to escape the Egyptians. Elijah divided the waters of the River Jordan, as did Elisha (see 2 Kings 2). Elisha also healed the waters of Jericho: "And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake" (2 Kings 2:19-22). Our own spiritual waters can also be healed and cleansed as we partake of the blood of the Atonement and as we follow our priesthood leaders, especially the Lord's prophet. [Image by Andrew.gd].

The Jaredites and the people of Lehi both crossed over the oceans in order to travel to the Promised Land. They survived their trials by water with faith in the Lord. The prophet Alma baptized in the waters of Mormon. Sometimes the waters beat down and seem to attack our very foundation but if we are built upon stony ground instead of sand, we can weather the storms.

I am always thankful to have clean water to drink and use. I am ever grateful to the Savior who demonstrated His power over water numerous times. The Lord gave Moses power to turn water to blood, in the hope that Pharaoh would let the Israelites go free: "And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood" (Exodus 7:20). This blood was symbolic of the Savior's atoning blood that provides the power to free Israel spiritually. The Lord also gave unto Moses power to purify water and to cause it to flow from a rock, quenching the thirst of the weary children of Israel. The Savior demonstrated the importance of baptism by water when He was baptized in the River Jordan; baptism in part symbolizes the cleansing of our sins but baptism is also a covenant we enter into with our Father and an ordinance He has commanded us to receive. Baptism is essential for exaltation, which is why the Savior was baptized even though He was and is without sin. Jesus turned water to wine and calmed raging storms. He walked upon the water. The Savior shed tears for friends as well as in Gethsemane and upon the cross. We use water today for the sacrament in remembrance of the Savior's atoning blood.

I am grateful unto Him, who is the source of all pure water; He is the fountain of living water. He promises that we too, can be like a spring of water whose waters fail not. "Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing." We, as we follow the Savior, will become like watered gardens. These promises are both physical and spiritual but mainly spiritual. We will be well watered, even though much of the rest of the world is in drought. We will have access to a wellspring that never fails, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

Link to Part 1 of this essay.

Parallels in Purifications

As I took a shower this morning in preparation to go to the temple with the youth of my ward, I thought of the symbolism of the shower. As I cleaned myself physically to get myself ready to enter the temple, I pondered whether I was spiritually clean and ready to enter the temple. I thought over my recent actions or inactions as I prepared. As I washed myself from head to toe, I thought how that paralleled baptism and repentance. While I was not fully immersed in a pool of water, which occurs at baptism, the water of the shower washed away dirt and other uncleanness. The heat of the water reminded me of the purifying burning of the Holy Ghost. The scrubbing with soap is like the spiritual scrubbing that comes in the process of repentance - it requires effort; without the cleansing of soap, the purification process is incomplete. Without repentance and effort on our part, even the cleansing of baptism is insufficient, for repentance is a condition of baptism.