Baptism and Confirmation: Symbols and Purpose

What is the difference between “seeing” the kingdom of God and “entering” the kingdom of God?

Perhaps the difference in seeing the Kingdom of God and entering the Kingdom of God is that seeing the Kingdom refers to those who are of the Church of Jesus Christ, see the signs of the times, and are assisting to hasten the work forward. To see the Kingdom of God as it comes. To enter the Kingdom of God is, I suppose, just as it seams.

What did Jesus Christ teach Nicodemus that he must do to enter the kingdom of God?

Christ told Nicodemus that he must “be born again,” and then explained that this rebirth required both the ordinances of baptism and confirmation when He said “Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

What does it mean to be “born of water?”

To be “born of water” signifies the ordinance of baptism by immersion by one who has priesthood authority.

Read Moses 6:59 and list ways that baptism is a symbol of rebirth. Read Romans 6:4 and list how baptism can be a symbol of death.

Moses 6:59 helps us understand that baptism and confirmation are symbols of a rebirth. Here, the Lord explains that we were born into the world by “water, and blood, and the spirit.” To be born again we would need to repeat the process, being born “by water,” or baptism, “and of the Spirit,” being the reception of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, “and be cleansed by blood,” the atonement of Christ. This passage in Moses also helps us understand that a new birth, or a rebirth, requires both the ordinances of baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost to be complete.
In stark contrast to the symbolism of the rebirth of a man or women who takes upon himself or herself the ordinances baptism and confirmation, baptism has also been used as a symbol of death. Paul explained in Romans 6:4 that “we are buried with him by baptism unto death.” The symbol of death has a two fold meaning. First, the submersion of the body in the ordinance of baptism represents the death and burial of our mortal bodies. And as we are raised from the water we are to remember the rising of Christ from the grave, and the resurrection that will pass upon all men by and through Him. Secondly, the burial of the body under the water also signifies the death of the natural man, or body of sin, and a commitment to leave behind our sinful nature, and become new creatures in Christ. Thus, by ordinance and covenant, our natural man dies, and we are reborn, becoming saints and disciples of Christ.

What does it mean to be “born of the Spirit?”

To be “born of the Spirit” means, at least initially, that one has received the Gift of the Holy Ghost and is striving to follow and develop a relationship with him. But in addition to the bestowal of this gift, and our seeking to follow it, being born of the Spirit also comes to mean that we receive the baptism of fire (2 Nephi 31:13). The baptism of fire is a process through which our “stony heart” is taken away and we receive a “heart of flesh,” (Ezk 11:19) through the application of the atonement of Christ. To reach this condition, we must be cleansed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost (Alma 5:54) leaving us with “no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” (Mosiah 5:2) This process cannot take place before the covenant of Baptism is made and the Gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed.

What natural element does the Lord compare with the Spirit? Why is it an effective comparison?

The Lord compares the cleansing role of the Holy Ghost to fire. Malachi spoke of the “refiners fire” and the “fullers’ soap.” (Malachi 3:2) The role the fire in the process of refining gold and other metals, and the role of the Holy Ghost in the process of personal sanctification are very similar. As a fire burns, purges and removes all of the unwanted elements from the ore, the Holy Ghost can cleans our hearts, and change our very nature, leaving us refined and sanctified.

Our Father in Heaven loves us very much. He has provided for each of us a way to overcome the mistakes He knew we would make. He sacrificed His only begotten Son to provide a way for us to return to Him. He provided each of us with all we would need to live, makes choices, learn right from wrong.


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