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