BEHOLD THE WATERS OF MORMON

Although age dims memory as well as hearing and sight, if I concentrate for a moment or two I can pierce the cloudiness of my mind sufficient enough to recall the conditions and circumstances which were part of my baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints shortly after my 8th birthday.

The baptismal font in our Ward Meeting House was in the basement which was dimly lit, but had adequate light so that you could make out the unpainted cement walls and the bleakness of the font itself. There were a few chairs set up in front of the font where family and appropriate church leaders were seated. We had a prayer and sang a song and then my father, Frederick William Riley, led me down into the font, voiced the ordinance and baptized me by immersion. Even as a young boy it was interesting to me to think of the difference between the basement font where the ordinance of entrance into the Lord’s Kingdom was performed and the cultural hall where games were played and movies were viewed; the former being so stark (I would probably use the word humble today) and the latter which was well lit, with brightly colored walls, shiny floors and scarlet curtains.

If you are wondering why I had this bit of nostalgia flooding my mind this morning as the anniversary of my baptism approaches. When I opened The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ and turned to the 18th chapter of the book of Mosiah to receive stimulation for this week’s Thought, I read once again the words of Alma, the only Priest of King Noah which we have record of who was converted by the words of Abinadi during his trial. The thought hit me that it would be a good thing, if each time I thought of my own entering into the waters to have the words of the covenant pronounced upon me personally, I should review the covenants and commitments Alma taught the people who entered such covenants at the waters of Mormon were taking upon themselves.

Desirous to enter into the fold of God and be called His people.

Willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they might be light.

Willing to mourn with those who mourn.

Comfort those that stand in need of comfort.

To stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places.

Be baptized as a witness that ye have entered into a covenant with Him.

That ye will serve Him and keep His commandments.

As I was compiling this list from Alma’s teachings I was directed to include the admonitions of the Savior given on the Mount and again at the Temple Bountiful.

Blessed are they who shall believe on the words of the twelve.

Blessed are they who come down into the depths of humility and are baptized.

Blessed are they who shall be visited with fire and the Holy Ghost.

Blessed are they who shall receive a remission of their sins.

Blessed are they who are poor in spirit who come unto Him.

Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Blessed are the merciful.

Blessed are the pure in heart.

Blessed are the peace makers.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for His name’s sake.

You shall be the salt of the earth.

Let your light shine before the people that they may see your good works.

Keep His commandments.

I have observed that if one is not conscientiously and continuously reminding themselves about the reason there are so many requirements and consequential blessings attached to making and keeping the covenants we make when we enter the waters of baptism, we can easily become transfixed on requirements and blessings and be diverted from the more important purposes of the law.

Ponderings:

We are born into this world and immediately the needs of our new untested physical body dominate every moment of our lives.

Many of us become so self absorbed with satisfying the desires of the flesh, that all other considerations are neglected or ignored.

Entering into the covenants of baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit, if sincerely done and maintained should give us the understanding that we came not into this world to saturate our days with satisfying the demands of the physical body, but the purpose was to teach the physical body how to come into harmony with our eternal spirit body.

The teachings of the Lord and all His prophets concerning baptism and the attending covenants we make with the promised blessings all are indicators of the mighty change we must undergo to help us put off the natural and put upon us the spiritual.

Most of us will make some headway into helping the body be less concerned with the physical (Telestial) and consider putting on the more spiritual (Terrestrial) during our mortal probationary period.

We should all have hope that the mercy of our Lord and Savior and His Father will be sufficient to accept our meager attempts when making these changes and allow us to continue the quest for the completion of the mighty change after our mortal probation has passed.

We should all have faith that without sincere adaptation and adherence to the principles attached to baptism and the covenants we make, it will be extremely difficult to put off the dominance of our physical bodies and put on spirituality.

My prayer is that we will forever be mindful in our supplications to the Lord to include pleadings for his constant influence in our quest to put off the physical and put on the spiritual.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY