Opening Song: A Child's Prayer
Opening Prayer: Jordan Ivey
Talk on Baptism: Cathy Gillice
Musical Number performed by Belen and her friends: When I am Baptized.
The Baptism: Belen's blond hair was in a neat braid that fringed her head. She wore white and a beautiful smile.
Talk on the Holy Ghost: Britt Ivey
Welcome into the Clark Fork Branch: President Fluckiger
Closing Song: I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus
Closing Prayer: Beth Ivey
Piano played by Andrea Hudson
Conducted by Kevin Lowrey
This is the short talk I gave before she was baptized. It is short and to the point.
Today, Saturday June 4, 2011, we are here to witness the baptism of Belen Elizabeth Ivey. Belen has chosen to be baptized. She is being baptized in obedience to the commandments and ordinances of the Holy Priesthood, and in obedience to her Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. She is being baptized by immersion in water by one having authority from God, one who holds the Priesthood, her father.
Baptism, the first saving ordinance of the gospel, is necessary for anyone who wishes to receive eternal salvation and to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Immersion in water is symbolic of the death of a person's sinful life and the rebirth into a spiritual life dedicated to the service of God and His children. Romans 6: 3-4 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.”
Those who are baptized enter into a covenant with God to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ, to keep His commandments, and to serve Him to the end. Church members renew this covenant each time they partake of the sacrament.
You may wonder why we need to be baptized. If we are followers of the Lamb of God, then we must do as he has done and as he tells us to do. He, who was without sin, was obedient to his Father and was baptized by immersion in water, not because he needed forgiveness from sin, for he did not; but he did it to fulfill all righteousness. He did it out of obedience to his Father in Heaven. If He was baptized, then how much more we have need to be baptized.
The scriptures and our Prophets promise us that if we keep the commandments and if we fulfill His ordinances, of which baptism is the first, then He will remember us and we shall have eternal life.
In Alma 7: 15-16 it says, “Yea, I say unto you and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism. And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
Our Heavenly Father is please today with the obedience of Belen. He is pleased that she has decided to obey Him by being baptized by one with the authority to baptize. She has chosen to follow Him, be baptized just as He was baptized. And she has chosen to live her life as His obedient child. She has fulfilled this first ordinance of the Holy Priesthood. She has made a covenant with Him to keep His commandments, and to serve Him to the end. She will renew this covenant with Him each Sunday when she partakes of the sacrament. She has taken the first steps to returning to live with Him.
Heavenly Father is proud and pleased with the choices that Belen has made today, and so are her family and friends. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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