Baptism and Faithfulness

Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles ¶

My dear brethren and sisters, I seek your faith and prayers as I stand here to speak to you, for I desire to say nothing but that which the Spirit of the Lord would lead me to say. I have no set theme. ¶

The theme of this Conference seems to be obedience. I know of ¶

nothing that is of greater importance to members of the Church, and if I may be so led I would like to add a few words in regard to this important topic. ¶

Those Who May Be Baptized

A few months ago, when I was in one of the mission fields, meeting with a group of missionaries, one of them asked me this question: ¶

Shall we baptize men into this Church when they say they believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and they believe that the Lord appeared to him, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints is indeed the Church of Christ upon the earth, and yet they have not forsaken all of their sins? ¶

He stated that this question had been discussed among the Elders. Some took one view, some another. Some held that if we accepted a man who so expressed himself, that eventually he would repent of all his sins. I said in answer to him: "I shall read to you what the Lord Himself has said, and we will see if that will not answer your question." I am going to read those words here this afternoon: ¶

And again, by way of commandment to the Church concerning the manner of baptism. -- All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the Church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve Him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into His Church. ¶

Then I asked if that did not answer the question. The missionaries concluded that it did. But yet this question arose: We keep the man out who has not forsaken all his sins and yet confesses that this is the Church of Christ; but think of the great many who are in the Church, the great number who violate the commandments of the Lord, and yet we do nothing about it. ¶

Church Membership Will Not Escape Judgment

I answered: "True, unless it is a grievous sin we do not excommunicate people from the Church. We try to teach them their duty. We try to bring them to repentance. We try to make them understand the truth. But after they are in the Church, if they will not do these things and will not hearken to our counsels, you may be assured that they are going to be judged according to their works." ¶

The fact that they are members of the Church will not save them. Every man and every woman will have to answer for the deeds done in the body. ¶

Then again an ancient prophet said: ¶

Wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state. ¶

Now, when people come into this Church they should, by all means, subscribe to the regulations which the Lord Himself has laid down by commandment. But does that mean that after we are in the Church, after we have confessed our sins and have forsaken them, that we can return to them after membership has been secured? That would not be consistent. Woe unto all those who are disobedient after they have made the preparation which is expressed in this commandment which I have read to you -- woe unto them. Mark you, the Lord says before a man comes into the Church he must have a desire; he must come with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. ¶

What is a broken heart? One that is humble, one that is touched by the Spirit of the Lord, and which is willing to abide in all the covenants and the obligations which the Gospel entails. ¶

Baptism a Covenant to Continue Faithful

Further we read that he must forsake all of his sins. Does that mean merely until he gets into the Church, and then he may return to them again? I call your attention to the words of Paul, speaking himself in regard to baptism and membership, and rather rebuking some of the members of the church when he said: ¶

How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ¶

Every baptized person who has fully repented, who comes into the Church with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, has made a covenant to continue with that broken heart, with that contrite spirit, which means a repentant spirit. He makes a covenant that he will do that. ¶

Then again we read here, in this admonition and commandment, that he is to endure to the end. It is essential that we endure to the end. In the revelation that was given to the Church, this same revelation, at the time the Church was organized, the Lord said this: ¶

And we know that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in His name, and endure in faith on His name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. ¶

Now, I believe the Lord meant what He said. I think this is true. Baptism is not merely a door into the kingdom, which entitles us to enter, bringing with us a trail of sins unrepented of. It is not that at all. We must not enter that door until our hearts are humble, our spirits contrite, and we give the assurance that we will serve, the Lord in faithfulness and righteousness to the end. ¶

Again: ¶

And we know that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true; ¶

That is, if we come into this Church with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, with a determination to forsake all our sins and live faith- ¶

fully to the end, then we are justified, and the sanctification of the blood of Jesus Christ is efficacious, and we receive the blessings. ¶

We know also that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength. ¶

Again here we are involved: it is our duty, as members of the Church, to serve the Lord our God with all our mights, with all our minds, with all our strength, and as it is stated in another revelation, with all our hearts. That is our duty, -- not to serve Him half-heartedly, not to accept a portion of the commandments only, not to receive only those things which appeal to us, and refuse to accept those principles which do not appeal to us. We should be converted in full to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ¶

"take heed and pray always" ¶

But there is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God; ¶

Therefore let the Church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation -- ¶

Not only the Church collectively, but you and me; let us take heed. ¶

Never in the history of the world, that is, in the history of the Church, have there been so many temptations, so many pitfalls, so many dangers, to lure away the members of the Church from the path of duty and from righteousness, as we find today. Every day of our lives we come in contact with these temptations, these dangers. We should continue in the spirit of prayer and faith, remembering that there is this possibility that we may turn from the grace of the living God, and fall, unless we continue in that humility, in the exercise of faith and obedience to every principle of truth. ¶

The Word of the Lord Should Be Revered

In another of these revelations the Lord says- -- I think I will read it, instead of attempting to quote it: ¶

And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life. ¶

For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God. ¶

For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. ¶

And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every' man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. ¶

So we are commanded here to give heed concerning ourselves, each of us individually, as to the words of eternal life, how we hold them. We should hold them sacred. It is just as much my obligation, and yours, after baptism, to be humble, to have that contrite spirit, that broken heart, and the desire to forsake all sin, as it was before we came into this Church through the waters of baptism. ¶