Sunday, December 6, 2020

John Corrill (1839) and the Early Latter-day Saint Affirmation of Baptismal Regeneration

Writing in 1839, convert-turned-critic John Corrill wrote the following, showing the early Latter-day Saint belief in baptismal regeneration:

 

The morality and effects of the new religion.

 

I found that the Book of Mormon taught all the morality, piety, virtue, honesty, righteousness and Godliness that the Bible did, and even condemned the whoredoms of David, Solomon and others, and strictly enjoined family and secret prayer, and too, in great faith, that our prayers may be answered; and, in order to be admitted into the Church a person must manifest faith in Christ, and a hearty repentance of their sins. Baptism, by immersion, they believed was for the remission of sins; and the laying on of lands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, they think will be attended with signs following, just in proportion to the faith and righteousness of the believer. (John Corrill, A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints (Commonly Called Mormons Including an Account of Their Doctrine and Discipline, with the Reasons of the Author for Leaving the Church) [St. Louis, n.p., 1839], 16)

 

Notice how that repentance alone does not bring about one's initial justification and remission of sins, but the instrumental means is water baptism. 


For articles addressing this issue, see:


 Christ's baptism is NOT imputed to the believer










J. Paul Sampley on Baptismal Regeneration and Ephesians 5:25-27 


On the related issue of imputed righteousness (which informs a lot of the errant arguments against baptismal regeneration and other doctrines), see:

For a response to Rom 10:9-10, a text often used by Protestants as a "rag doll" for their biblical eisegesis, see:


Full Refutation of the Protestant Claim Romans 10:9-10 Teaches Sola Fide