20 - Baptism Of Jesus Review
Thoughts and questions related to the most popular LDS explanation of the Bible story 20 - Baptism Of Jesus 20 - Baptism of Jesus, miscellaneous - Matthew 03:13-17 - Mark 01:09-11 - Luke 03:21-22 should be added here.
1/160: The number represents the order of the event in the Life of Christ out of 160 events.
NOTE: There may also be an alternate version to the KJV of this Bible story based on the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible.
"Every person baptized into this Church has made a covenant with the Lord to keep his commandments. We are to serve the Lord with all the heart, and all the mind, and all the strength that we have, and that too in the name of Jesus Christ. Everything that we do should be done in the name of Jesus Christ."
Doctrines of the Gospel, Student Manual, p.43
"In the waters of baptism, we covenanted that we would keep these commandments; that we would serve the Lord; that we would keep this first and greatest of all commandments, and love the Lord our God; that we would keep the next great commandment, we would love our neighbor as ourselves; and with all the might that we have, with all the strength, with all our hearts, we would prove to him that we would 'live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God'; that we would be obedient and humble, diligent in his service, willing to obey, to hearken to the counsels of those who preside over us and do all things with an eye single to the glory of God."
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:328.)
"Some different reasons exist as to the need for baptism in the case of our Lord, he being without sin and in need of no repentance. His expression to John was, 'Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.' (Matt. 3:15.) Nephi explains that Christ did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized in that: 1. He humbled himself before the Father; 2. He covenanted to be obedient and keep the Father's commandments; 3. He had to be baptized to gain admission to the celestial kingdom; and 4. He set an example for all men to follow. (2 Ne. 31:4-11.) Book of Mormon Manual p.120 "Our Lord's baptism 'showeth unto the children of men the straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.' (2 Ne. 31:9.) If even the King of the kingdom could not return to his high state of preexistent exaltation without complying with his own eternal law for admission to that kingdom, how can any man expect a celestial inheritance without an authorized and approved baptism?"
(Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 71.)