Some point
to a comment by Joseph Smith wherein he stated that baptism by water is but
half a baptism in an effort to downplay the salvific efficacy of water baptism.
In his diary, as recorded by Willard Richards on 9 July 1843, we read:
Holy Ghost by laying on of hands. Evidence.
Peter on days of Pentecost. might as well be baptize a bag of sand as a man if
not done in view of the getting of the Holy Ghost.--baptism by water is but 1/2
a baptism--& is good for nothing with the other, the Holy Ghost. (The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary
Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, eds. Andrew F.
Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook [Orem, Utah: Grandin Book Company, 1991], 230)
In a
previous post (Does
Acts 19:3-6 teach "rebaptism"?), I reproduced comments from
Joseph Smith explicitly asserting baptismal regeneration and even using John 3:3-5 and Acts 2:38 in support thereof, so clearly this is a case of letting the
totality of Joseph Smith's teachings speak for themselves: water baptism brings
about the remission of sins, but must be complemented with the receipt of the
Holy Ghost to allow a believer to have the constant companionship of the Holy
Spirit and to grow in righteousness and holiness. Furthermore, water baptism
does not act as a guarantee of salvation--one can have their past and
then-present sins remitted and yet can fall away; the gift of the Holy Ghost
greatly aids one to persevere. I will let interested readers pursue the aforementioned blog post and examine the references from Joseph affirming baptismal regeneration.
Where does repentance prior to baptism come into this? Yes, we are to be repentant, but that repentance itself does not result in our initial remission of sins--it is a repentant faith coupled with water baptism (e.g., Acts 2:38-39; Alma 5:62). As Moroni 8:11 puts it: "baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins." Furthermore, in our theology, even if one is not truly repentant for whatever reason (e.g., a child "born into the covenant" being baptised who is simply doing it to appease his parents) still receives this remission of sins, so the concept of ex opere operato comes into play here (after all, if this child suddenly become a true-believing member, we would not expect him to be rebaptised, showing that we do believe, for baptism, such a concept exists).
Furthermore,
if one reads the comments before this statement, Joseph affirms baptismal
regeneration, so this interpretation is the correct way to harmonise this lone
statement with all of Joseph Smith's other teachings on the topic:
"Do you believe in the baptism of
infants"? says the Presbyterians.--No.--"Why. because it is no where
written in the book. communion is not Baptism. Baptism is for the remission of
sins, children have no sins.--He Jesus blessed them--do what you have seen me
do--all made alive in christ. (Ibid., 229-30)
It should be
noted that early Latter-day Saints who knew Joseph did not understand him to
downplay the salvific efficacy of water baptism. Indeed, many assumed baptismal regeneration. One
example can be seen with how early LDS answered the question of how Joseph
could receive a remission of sins in the First Vision prior to his water baptism—they argued, not that water baptism brought
about a remission of sins, but instead, such was God allowing for an exception
to the ordinary means of one receiving an initial remission of sins.
Elder Orson Pratt made a few opening remarks, and enquired if the members of the school had any special subject on their minds, they wished investigated, if not, he proposed the reading of Revelations, as suggested by Prest. Brigham Young. Section 2nd. Paragraph 1st [of the Doctrine and Covenants]. Several interesting remarks were made by Elders Orson Pratt & John Taylor on Chronology. The time of the organization of the Church was, according to the Vulgar [common calendar] or Incorrect Era—1830 years [and four months] since the birth of Christ. But according to the true Era it was exactly 1830 years.
Paragraph 2nd. The Prophet Joseph [Smith’]s sins were remitted before baptism—and the enemies of this kingdom sometimes uses that fact against the doctrine of Baptism for the remission of sins, but God has a right when he sees fit, to depart from any fixed rule or order, but this does not invalidate the general doctrine as taught in the Testament & Book of Mormon that Man is required to observe water baptism as the only means of securing of a forgiveness ^remission^ of sins. (Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883 [ed. Devery S. Anderson; Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2018], 321-22)
Heber C.
Kimball, another friend and associate of Joseph Smith, affirmed baptismal
regeneration in a sermon from 1857:
Can you change these ordinances? No. They are
eternal; they always were and always will be; and no man or woman upon earth
can be saved without them. You may get a Methodist priest to pour water on you,
or sprinkle it on you, and baptize you face foremost, or lay you down the other
way, and whatever mode you please, and you will be damned with your priest. There is but one way, and that is to be
buried in water, buried with Christ by baptizing in water, that your sins may
be blotted out by one having authority, or else it will do you no good.
(JOD 5:90| July 26 1857)
Erastus Snow and Benjamin Winchester, in "An address to the citizens of Salem (Mass.) and the Vicinity," wrote the following in The Times and Seasons when Joseph Smith was still alive and involved in the publication of this newspaper, about baptism and its efficacy:
The human family in their sins, are foreigners and strangers to God; consequently they must be adopted in order to become citizens of his kingdom. Baptism of course then is the ordinance of adoption. Christ said, "Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This birth is a transition from our sinful state into the kingdom of God. To be baptized, is to follow Christ in the work of the regeneration, hence Cornelius, notwithstanding all his good works and piety, was commanded to be baptized, as being necessary that he might obtain salvation. (see Acts, x. chap.) Now that baptism is for the remission of sins, is evident from what Peter said to those who were convicted on the day of Pentecost. "Repent every one of you, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." &c. Ananias, said to Paul, "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins." (Acts xxii, 16.) The above is the doctrine the apostles taught to sinners the principles of it, that Christ commanded the apostles to preach in all the world. "Go teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (see Matt. xxviii. 24.) Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned," &c. (See Mark, xvi, 16.) Not that there is virtue in water to remit sins; but by obeying the command, we have a right to claim the promise. The apostles introduced the ordinance of baptism on every occasion where they preached the gospel: for instance, Peter on the day of Pentecost, as before mentioned, (See Acts, ii, 38.) Philip to the Samaritans, and also to the Eunuch, (See Acts, viii. chap.) Ananias to Saul. (See Acts, xxii. 16) Peter to Cornelius and his household, (See Acts, x. chap.) Paul to the Jailor and Lydia, and their households, (See Acts, x, chapter)Paul to the Corinthians (See Acts, xviii. 8.) Paul to the disciples of John at Ephesus, (See Acts, xix. chap.) Some one of the disciples to the Romans, (See Rom. vi 4.) The several passages of scripture above referred to show the importance of this ordinance, and certainly the ancients esteemed it as a commandment of God not to be justly rejected. (Times and Seasons, vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 578-79 [15 November, 1841])
In a catechism for Latter-day Saint children from 1877, under chapter XI (Baptism), we find the following question and answer on the relationship between water baptism and our adoption as (covenant) sons and daughters of God, an important facet of baptism in Latter-day Saint theology:
13. Q. What is baptism sometimes called?
A. The law of adoption, or the door of the kingdom of God.
14. Q. Why is baptism so called?
A. Because mankind having become, through sin, strangers and aliens to God, they, by obeying the ordinance of baptism, become his adopted children, and members of his kingdom. (Elder John Jaques, Catechism for Children Exhibiting the Prominent Doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Salt Lake City: 1877; repr., Mormon Heritage Publishers, 1976], 38)
Every act has its results. The first and glorious effect of baptism is the remission of sins. Those who are baptized are, as it were, washed clean of their past mistakes. That may not mean that no price is to be paid for evil acts that have been committed; but it does mean, that the past will not stand as a hindrance to future progress. Coming out of the waters of baptism, all will have an equal start on the eternal, progressive journey that constitutes the basis of life in the Church of Christ. (“Baptism” in John A. Widtsoe, Man and the Dragon and Other Essays [Salt Lake City: The Bookcraft Company, 1945], 147)
You Can become Clean
I am sure that within the sound of my voice there is more than one young person who already has fallen into transgression. Some of you young people, I am sure, almost innocent of any intent but persuaded by the enticements and the temptations, already have misused this power.
Know then, my young friends, that there is a great cleansing power. And know that you can be clean.
If you are outside the Church the covenant of baptism itself represents, among other things, a washing and a cleansing. (Boyd K. Packer, “Why Stay Morally Clean” in “That All May Be Edified”: Talks, Sermons and commentary by Boyd K. Packer [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998], 183)
Repent and be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the holy commandment, for
the remission of sins; and whoso doeth this shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost, by the laying on of the hands of the elders of the church. (D&C
49:13-14)
In this text, one is baptised, has their sins remitted, and only after
such, receives the gift of the Holy Ghost. Indeed, this text in the Doctrine and
Covenants is dependent upon Acts 2:38-39, a text that explicitly teaches
baptismal regeneration, as explained in my article:
In the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, speaking of Adam’s baptism, we read the following:
In this one verse, we have one of, if not the, most explicit witness to baptismal regeneration in uniquely Latter-day Saint works—here, in this passage, through the instrumentality of water baptism, the Holy Spirit quickens (makes alive) the inner man, and thus one is “born of the Spirit” (i.e., regenerated).
One final text we will look at is D&C 55:1:
And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man. (Moses 6:65)
The Book of Mormon is a great witness to the truth of this doctrine. In the following, we read of how, at baptism, one is infused with God’s grace (and therefore, serving, not just as a witness of baptismal regeneration, but also of the transformative [not merely declarative] nature of justification):
And after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two hundred and four souls; yea, and they were baptized in the waters of Mormon, and were filled with the grace of God. (Mosiah 18:16)
One final text we will look at is D&C 55:1:
Behold, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant William, yea, even the Lord of the whole earth, thou art called and chosen; and after thou hast been baptized by water, which if you do with an eye single to my glory, you shall have a remission of your sins and a reception of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands
So, did Joseph Smith deny the salvific efficacy of water baptism? Clearly, he did not and none of his contemporaries understood him to teach anything but baptismal regeneration.