The eleventh chapter of third Nephi is an interesting study.  The chapter records the appearance of Jesus Christ to an astonished multitude of people numbering about 2500.  It is noteworthy to examine the sequence of the things the Savior did on this occasion.

The Savior’s appearance to the people was dramatic.  It was announced by a voice from heaven—a voice which was neither harsh nor loud, but small and piercing.  When the voice had everyone’s attention, Jesus made His descent.  It was not hurried.  It was not sudden.  He came and stood in their midst; stretched forth His hand in a gesture of love, openness, welcome, friendliness, and approachability; and identified Himself as Jesus Christ, the light and life of the world, who had drunk out of that bitter cup and had taken upon Himself the sins of the world.

So astonished were the people that they fell to the ground.  Every knee became so weak that it buckled.  Twenty-five hundred people fell to the earth.  Jesus told them to arise, and invited them to come forth and feel the wounds in his side, hands and feet.

So the first thing Jesus did was to identify Himself.  The second thing was to invite the people to come and verify by touch what their eyes and ears had already told them.  Next came the teaching.  Where would you begin?  What is of the uttermost importance for men to know and do?

I submit that it is more than significant that the rest of the chapter deals with baptism.

First Jesus brought Nephi and 11 others before Him and gave them power to baptize.

He next explained exactly how a baptism is to be performed, even giving the words that are to be spoken.

“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.”  (3 Nephi 11:23-26).

His purpose in being so precise is explained in verse 28:  that “there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been.”  Apparently the Nephites had disputations and contentions about the proper mode of baptism even as the various denominations do today.

Having explained how baptisms are to be performed Jesus then made very clear how important baptism is.  That no one could mistake how critically important baptism is He stated its necessity three times in just five verses.

“And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.”  (v. 34).

“And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.”  (v.37).

“And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.”  (v. 38).

Could any instructions be more plain?  The Bible is not that clear.  These doctrines from the Book of Mormon are all in perfect harmony with the Bible; but in the Bible they’re not clear, and are open to other possible interpretations.  We thank the Lord for the clear directions that the Book of Mormon provides.

While my father was yet living, I made many attempts to explain to him the Lord’s plan of salvation.  He loved me and was willing to believe anything I told him, but just seemed incapable of understanding the most basic concepts.  At one point he said, “All right, you’ve convinced me.  I’ll be baptized.”  He said it to appease me, and not because of any degree of understanding, testimony, or desire for the ordinance.  I, therefore, dropped the subject, and didn’t pursue it further.  If I was to baptize my father, I felt it should be for the right reasons.  The fact that he wasn’t baptized in mortality is, therefore, my fault, not his.  I’m sure that will be taken into account in the Judgment.

That day he called my older sister, a Methodist minister, and asked what she thought about him being baptized.  (He didn’t say, “Into the L.D.S. Church.”)  She replied that baptism is only symbolic, and not necessary, but that if he really wanted to be baptized, she would make the trip from Montana to Oregon to do it.

He was already confused, but here was confusion on a whole different level.  I thought it best to let the subject die, which it quickly did.

I marveled, however, over how confused the Christian world is about this simple, all-important ordinance—an ordinance that every man and woman must voluntarily seek and have performed.

I was grateful for the great privilege I have of holding the authority to baptize.  It’s the same authority that Jesus gave to Nephi, and can only come from that source  In just nine steps my own authority is traceable back to Jesus.  Just nine hands laid on nine heads separate me from the ultimate source of the priesthood.  That priesthood has come to me undiluted and pure.  I hold as much priesthood as an Apostle.  That is a staggering thought.

My current office in the priesthood was conferred by my stake president, Irvin Dale Wyatt.  He was ordained by one of my favorite Apostles, LeGrand Richards.  Elder Richards was ordained by David O. McKay, who was ordained by Joseph F. Smith, who was ordained by Brigham Young, who was ordained by the Three Witnesses, who were set apart to that purpose by Joseph Smith, who was ordained by Peter, James and John, who were ordained by Jesus Christ.

What an incredible lineage!  It’s short.  It’s all of record.  It’s valid.  I’m an ordained disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

On the other hand, from whence does a Methodist minister, or any other minister, derive his authority?

The Methodist movement was begun in England by the brothers, John and Charles Wesley.  As the movement expanded, many of the followers of Methodism immigrated to America.  John and Charles had never intended to start a church, but the Methodists in America were needing leadership.  John finally caved in to pressure and ordained a man named Coke to be a bishop and go to America.  Charles vehemently disagreed with this action, and said poetically and insightfully,

“How easily are bishops made

By man’s or woman’s whim;

Wesley his hands on Coke hath laid,

But who laid hands on him?”

Baptisms performed in any manner other than that dictated by the Savior are at best meaningless and invalid.  Jesus said, “And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.”  (v. 40).

James E. Talmage

The adversary cares not a whit about invalid baptisms.  They don’t bother him at all.  In fact, they please him.  Baptisms performed by proper authority are another matter. They are a threat to his kingdom.  Perhaps that is why he was so upset about a particular young boy’s baptism.  That young boy grew up to become an Apostle, and wrote several books, including Jesus the Christ, and Articles of Faith.  That young boy, his works, and his books became a threat to the devil’s kingdom.

Ten-year-old James E. Talmage’s baptism had been put off for two years because of persecution in England.  Due to opposition in the community, baptisms were performed at night.  James and a small baptismal party went to a millrace beside a river where he was to be baptized.  James’ father stepped into the stream and held out his hand for his son.  At that moment, James related, “we were horror-stricken by such a combined scream, howl, shriek, yell—I know not how to describe the noise—as none of us had ever heard before.  It seemed to be a combination of every fiendish ejaculation that we could conceive of.”  To his dying day James never forgot how he trembled at the awful manifestation; which had about it the sharpness of a thunderclap followed by an angry roll.

“Father asked me if I was too frightened to be baptized, and I answered by directly stepping into the water…The unearthly noise ceased the instant I stepped into the water.”  (The Talmage Story, by John R. Talmage, pp. 5-6).

The story of that baptism, and the attention given it by the adversary, have always interested me.  Of even more interest, however, are several baptisms that were attended by healings and manifestations of the Lord’s power and approbation.

Granny’s Cold Baptism

“Archibald Stewart and his wife, Esther Lyle, are my great-great-grandparents.  The Stewart family had learned to face persecution and hardship.  Their ancestors had been forced to flee from Scotland to Northern Ireland, where they had been promised protection.  But instead of finding peace, they again became victims of persecution at the hands of the Irish Greens.  Independence and strong conviction were part of their heritage.

“The Stewart family characteristics of love and devotion and a deep religious faith made them receptive to the gospel.  When the Mormon missionaries came to the Stewart house, Elizabeth, the third child, immediately felt the truthfulness of their message.  She began to study and search for more assurance of the things she felt within.  Her feelings and study stirred an immediate response in her old granny, who was the matriarch of the Stewart household.  Elizabeth spent many hours telling her granny about the new prophet of God, Joseph Smith, who had brought back to earth the simple, direct message that Christ was alive and had appeared to man.  Elizabeth felt a testimony burning within and asked permission to be baptized.  Because of the unpopularity of the Mormons, her parents objected.  Elizabeth’s granny came to her rescue.  “Let the child alone,” she said.  “I have read all her books, and I do believe the child is right.”

“As Elizabeth left her home to go to her baptism, her granny was at her side.  The two walked to the river, where the elders had broken a hole in the ice that wintry March day.  When the elders came toward Elizabeth to baptize her, her granny stepped up and said, “Watch your manners, child; never step in front of your elders.”

“The elders baptized Granny in her street clothes; she even had on her little white cap.  She had brought no extra clothes, so she walked home in her wet, frozen clothes.  She did not take cold even though she did not change her clothes until the other family members had gone to bed.  She said nothing about her baptism to the family, but went about her usual tasks as if nothing had happened.  After the others had gone to bed, she hung her clothing around the fireplace.  In the morning when Archibald got up, he saw the clothes drying.  He began to joke with the others about Granny having been dipped in the river along with Elizabeth.  Granny listened to their fun and then said:  “Archibald, if you don’t want people to hear, stop shouting so loudly.  You can’t talk about Granny now, for she can hear better than any of you.”

‘Granny had been virtually deaf for twenty years, but a miracle had restored her hearing at the time she was baptized.  From that day until her death, she could hear distinctly.  Archibald said laughingly that she heard too much.  Most of the family members soon were baptized, in 1841.”  (As told by Ted E. Brewerton in general conference, October 1991.)

Hearing Returned at Baptism

“Some years ago, when I was serving as a bishop in a ward in Arizona, we had an unusual group of teenagers.  Most of them had the courage to do what was right.  They stayed close to each other and helped each other when things got tough.  Most of them went to a high school close by.  In numbers, they were really only a handful of the total student body.  They met a girl at the school who was not a member of the Church.  Her circumstances were unusual, for she was deaf.  She also had a defective heart.  The only way she could know what you were saying was to watch your lips and read them.  She sat in the front of each class so she could see the teachers speak.  She was a good student, but when you can’t hear and can’t be active, it’s hard for you to be a part of what is going on.  You’re sort of a spectator rather than a participant.  She was a spectator watching from the sidelines.

“The young people from the ward were friendly to her and invited her into their circle.  She responded to their kindness.  One step led to another, and with her parents’ permission she was finally invited to receive the missionary lessons in one of the homes.  She was taught by two nineteen-year-old elders not much older than she.  She liked what she heard; she believed what she heard; she felt good inside.  The day was set for her baptism.  We were all invited to go.  Dressed in white, she and one of the missionaries entered the water, and she was baptized as he said, calling 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.”  (D&C 20:73)

“The next step was for her to be confirmed.  Some of us stood in the circle as priesthood hands were placed on her head.  I was aware that she couldn’t see the lips of the one confirming her.  And she wouldn’t be able to hear the blessing he might give.  I listened carefully because I wanted to invite her into my office later, where she could see me talk, and tell her what had been said.

“A nineteen-year-old elder was the voice as she was confirmed a member of the Church.  He then continued with a blessing.  As he spoke, he began to make her promises that I thought were unusual.  In fact, I became a little uneasy at his words.  He continued the blessing, and I began to feel a calm spirit of peace as he spoke.  Later, I sat in front of her and said, ‘I want to tell you of the blessing the elder gave you.  It was tremendous.’

“She paused, and with moistened eyes said, ‘Bishop, I heard the blessing.’

“She had been healed.  She could now hear, and her heart was beating normally.  She could now participate more fully in the gospel and in the blessings of life.”  (As told by H. Burke Peterson in general conference, October 1981.)

Baptism Heals Crippled Man

“One day eight years ago, on my way home from work, I was hit by a hit-and-run driver.  For eleven days I was unconscious, and for two years I was in a hospital.  When I was finally released from the hospital, my wife had left me and had taken the children with her.  We had had a fine family life before the accident, but my life became a total wreck.  I was lonesome and depressed, for I had lost my most precious possession—my family.  I attempted suicide many times.  My only living came from welfare.  I was emotionally and physically exhausted; I had become a living vegetable.  I couldn’t walk, so I would transport myself by rolling over on the floor and crawling on all fours.

“One evening I went to the hospital to see my doctor for the final results of a series of operations.  He told me there was no hope for recovery.  Though I had expected him to say so, it was still very shocking for me.  All was lost.  As I approached a railway bridge on my return from the doctor’s, I wept to see my own face in the wet reflection on the pavement.  It was a pitiful sight.

“…Just when he was about to jump in front of the oncoming train, he met (a missionary….Cottage meetings began immediately.  In them, Mr. Sugiyama learned that the gospel is true, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and the true church of God has been restored in this last dispensation.

“As usual, missionaries invited him to church; however, because he couldn’t walk, he said he wouldn’t be able to come.  But on the morning of the Sabbath, he awoke early and bravely headed for the church.  Though it was close, it took him nearly three hours to traverse the distance between his home and the closest station to the Yokohama chapel.  The Yokohama chapel is situated high upon a hill.  From the station to the church it took him almost an hour, although ordinarily it would take a person only five minutes.  He would cling to the wall, then fall down, only to struggle again to his feet.  He finally reached the chapel where the sacrament was in progress.  The missionaries had never expected him to come to church.  But Brother Sugiyama felt the pure love of God from the missionaries and members and felt himself drawn to it…

“Shortly afterward, Brother Sugiyama followed the Lord’s commandment by becoming baptized…The morning following his baptism, he woke up bright and early.  He stretched his legs out in preparation to roll over as usual.  But this time…something was different.  He felt strength in his legs, and his whole body surged with power.  He sat up and gradually, eventually, stood on his feet.  He hadn’t stood in years without other supports.  He walked away that morning!  He found that his body had been made whole.” (As told by Yoshihiko Kikuchi in general conference, October 1979.)

Conclusion

These are unusual physical miracles that demonstrate the Lord’s approbation—His approval—of baptisms properly performed upon repentant people, through faith, and by proper authority.  The real miracle, however, happens at every baptism.  The real miracle is not physical, but spiritual.  At every baptism a lifetime of sins is washed away, and the baptismal candidate comes forth from the watery grave as a new, pure person possessing a clean slate and a spotless future.  It is done by the redemptive power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself the sins of all mankind, conditioned upon their acceptance of Him as their Redeemer.

How grateful I am to Him for His love, for His Atonement, and for the unspeakable privilege that has been mine to repent of my sins, and to be baptized.