Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Lowell Bennion Affirming Baptismal Regeneration


In his An Introduction to the Gospel, Lowell Bennion affirmed that, while the mere water in baptism, in and of itself, does not remit sins, God uses the instrumental means of water baptism to bring about initial remission of sins (“baptismal regeneration”):

When a person is baptized worthily and according to the will of God, he receives three wonderful gifts and blessings from the Father and Son: (1) remission of sins, (2) acceptance into the Church and Kingdom of God, and (3) the right to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost . . . Baptism brings remission or forgiveness of sins to the true believer in Jesus Christ. This was the promise made by Peter on the day of Pentecost, when he told his believing listeners, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . .” (Acts 2:38) This does not mean, of course, that the water washes away a man’s sins. It does mean that baptism by water is a witness to the believer that God forgives him of his sins, of which he has truly repented.

The sins, for which man has been forgiven, will never be mentioned to him again if he continues to live in righteousness. The baptized believer enters a new birth, a new life, one that is acceptable unto the Father and Son. He is born again of the water and spirit and is a “new creature in Christ Jesus” . . . Baptism is man’s witness to both Deity and men that he has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that he desires to take upon him his name, and that he earnestly seeks to become his true disciple. Baptism is, therefore, the fruit of a man’s faith in Jesus Christ, the witness of his acceptance of him as his Ideal and Savior. (Lowell L. Bennion, An Introduction to the Gospel [Salt Lake City: Deseret Sunday School Union Board, 1955], 170, 171, emphasis in bold added)

On Acts 2:38, see:


Refuting Douglas Wilson on Water Baptism and Salvation