The following are some excerpts from Joseph Smith’s Commentary on the Bible (comp. Kent P. Jackson; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994)
Why Jesus had to be baptised by John the Baptist (and why he waited until he was 30 to be baptised)
“John, I must be baptized by you. Why? To answer my decrees.” John refuses. Jesus had no legal administrator before John. [There is] no salvation between the two lids of the Bible without a legal administrator. (Discourse of 23 July, recorded by Willard Richards; W[ords of] J[oseph] S[mith], 235) (p. 79)
How is it John was considered one of the greatest prophets? Three things:
First, he was trusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. [Who ever received such] trust, before or since? No man. Second, He was trusted, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Who ever did that? Who had so great a privilege and glory [to lead the] Son of God into the waters of baptism, beholding the Holy Ghost in the sign of a dove? . . . Third, John at the time was the only legal administrator, holding the keys of power, there was on earth. The keys, the kingdom, the power, and the glory [had gone] from the Jews [to the] sons of Zacharias, by the holy anointing [and] decree of heaven. These three constituted him the greatest born of woman.
[How is it that] he that is least in the kingdom is greater than he? Who did Jesus have reference to? Jesus was looked upon as having the least claim in all God’s kingdom. “He that is considered the least among you is greater than John, that is, myself.” (Discourse of 29 January 1843, record by Willard Richards; WJS, 160) (pp. 87-88)
Affirmation of Baptismal Regeneration
The Baptism of John the Baptist:
It was the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins for the receiving of the Holy Ghost, and it was the gospel baptism. (Discourse of 17 June 1843, recorded by Wilford Woodruff; WJS, 155) (p. 116)
John preached the gospel and must have preached the first principles. If so he must have preached the doctrine of baptism for the remission of sins, for that is the first principle of the gospel and was ordained before the foundation of the world. (Discourse of 22 January 1843, recorded by William Clayton; WJS, 159) (p. 116)
John came preaching the gospel for the remission of sins. He had his authority from God, and the oracles of God were with him. The kingdom of [God] for a season seemed to be with John alone . . . He preached the same gospel and baptism that Jesus and the apostles preached after him. (Discourse of 22 January 1843, recorded by Wilford Woodruff; WJS, 156-58) (p. 116)
On John 3:3-5
Baptism is a sign ordained of God for the believer in Christ to take upon himself in order to enter into the kingdom of God. For “except you are born of the water and the Spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of God,” saith the Savior, as it is a sign of command which God hath set for man to enter into his kingdom. Those who seek to enter in any other way will seek in vain, for God will not receive them, neither will the angels acknowledge their works as accepted. For they have not taken upon themselves those ordinances and signs which God ordained for man to receive in order to receive a celestial glory. And God has decreed that all who will not obey his voice shall not escape the damnation of hell. What is the damnation of hell? To go with that society who have not obeyed his commands.
Baptism is a sign to God, to angels, and to heaven, that we do the will of God, and there is no other way beneath the heavens whereby God hath ordained for man to come. Any other course is in vain. God hath decreed and ordained that man should repent of all his sins and be baptized for the remission of his sins. Then he can come to God in the name of Jesus Christ, in faith. Then we have the promise of the Holy Ghost . . . It mattereth not whether we live long or short after we come to a knowledge of these principles and obey them. I know that all men will be damned if they do not come in the way which God has appointed. (Discourse of 20 March 1842, recorded by Wilford Woodruff; WJS, 107-9) (pp. 129-30; cf. D&C 55:1)
This strong and positive answer of Jesus, as to water baptism, settles the question. If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, it is no wonder he is so positive in the great declaration: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believes not shall be damned” [Mark 16:16]. There was no other name given under heaven, nor any other ordinance admitted, whereby men could be saved. No wonder the apostle said, “being buried with him in baptism,” ye shall rise from the dead [Rom. 6:4]. (Times and Seasons, 1 September 1842, 905) (p. 130)
On Acts 2:38-39
By this we learn that the promise of the Holy Ghost is unto as many as the doctrine of repentance was to be preached, which was unto all nations. And we discover also that the promise was to extend by lineage, for Peter says, “not only unto you, but unto your children and unto all that are afar off.” From this we infer that it was to continue unto their children’s children, and even unto as many generations as should come after, even as many as the Lord their God should call . . .
We learn from Peter that remission of sins is obtained by baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Ghost follows inevitably. For, as Peter says, “you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Therefore, we believe in preaching the doctrine of repentance in all the world, both to old and young rich and poor, bond and free . . . In order to be benefitted by the doctrine of repentance, we must believe in obtaining the remission of sins. And in order to obtain the remission of sins, we must believe in the doctrine of baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if we believe in baptism for the remission of sins, we may expect a fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Ghost, for the promise extends to all whom the Lord our God shall call. (Messenger and Advocate, September 1835, 181) (pp. 144-45)
Here you see the doctrine of repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, connected by the promise inseparably. Now I want you to consider the high standing of Peter. He was now being endowed with power from on high and held the keys of the kingdom of heaven . . . This was the character that made the glorious promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost, predicated upon the baptism for the remission of sins. And he did not say that it was confined to that generation, but see further: “or the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Then, if the callings of God extend unto us, we come within the purview of Peter’s promise. (Letter to Isaac Galland, from Liberty Jail, Missouri, 22 March 1839; Times and Seasons, February 1840, 55) (p. 145)
On 1 Pet 1:23
Being born again comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances. (Discourse of summer of 1839, recorded in Willard Richards’s “Pocket Companion”; WJS, 12) (p. 200)
On Acts 10:44-48 and the Holy Ghost
There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius received the Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which was the convincing power of God unto him of the truth of the gospel. But he could not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized. And had he not taken this sign [or] ordinances upon him, the Holy Ghost, which convinced him of the truth of God, would have left him until he obeyed those ordinances and received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, according to the order of God. (Discourse of 20 March 1842, recorded by Wilford Woodruff; WJS, 108) (p. 150)
The identity of the “beasts” in Rev 5:11-14 (cf. D&C 77:3-4)
John saw the actual beast itself. It was to let Jon know that the beasts existed there and not to represent figures of things on the earth.
The prophets always had interpretations of their visions, and God always holds himself responsible to give revelations of his visions. If he does not, we are not responsible . . .
John saw all the beasts in heaven, for I expect he saw the beasts of one thousand forms from ten thousand worlds like this. The grand secret was to tell what was in heaven. God will glorify himself with all these animals. Says one, “I cannot believe in salvation of beasts.” I suppose God could understand the beasts in certain worlds. The four beasts were angels there. [I] don’t know where they come from. They were intelligent . . . There is no revelation anywhere to show that the beasts meant ay thing but beasts . . .
O ye elders of Israel, hearken to my voice. When ye are sent into the world to preach, tell them things you are sent to tell. Declare the first principles and let mysteries alone, lest you be overthrown. (Discourse of 8 April 1843, recorded by Willard Richards; WJS, 188-89) (p. 223)
About the whereabouts of John the Revelator (cf. D&C 7)
John the Revelator [is] among the ten tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion, to again possess the land of their fathers. (Discourse of 3 June 1831) (p. 142)
Christ called sinners to Repentance; he did not accept them “as they were”
Christ said he came to call sinners to repentance and save them. Christ was condemned by the righteous Jews because he took sinners into his society. He took them upon the principle that they repented of their sins. (Discourse of 9 June 1842, recorded by Eliza R. Snow; WJS, 123) (p. 117) (this one stood out for the simple reason that many abuse such events in the New Testament as “proof” that homosexuality and other sins are not condemned by Jesus; in reality, he calls homosexuals and other sinners to repentance—in answer to the question “would Jesus bake the [gay wedding] cake?” the only answer is “no, he would do the only loving thing—call the gay couple to repent” Cf. my article Some thoughts based on Elder Oaks' Recent Talk at Conference)
