A Step Into the Gate

Reading: Mosiah 18-24

Chapter 18 in Mosiah is one that is referred to often within the LDS church, as it is a clear definition of what we commit to do when we are baptized.  For this reason I hesitate to hash it over again, but there are some new things I thought about today while in Sunday School.

A little background:  Alma has just listened to Abinadi testify of Jesus Christ, his sacrifice and atonement, prophecies about him from before his birth and events after his birth.  He also testified of commitments and commandments and covenants to make in order to follow Jesus Christ, including the 10 commandments given to Moses and the whole purpose of the law of Moses.  Alma, a priest of the wicked King Noah, was the only one in the court to believe Abinadi and when Alma stood up for the prophets, he was chased out of the city.  At this point, he wrote down everything that Abinadi said and started teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in secret. When Alma taught the people they wanted to be baptized to become part of the fold of God.  Alma lays out the commitments that come with the decision to be baptized.

Nephi refers to baptism as the gate to enter the strait and narrow path.  Thinking of baptism in terms as the gate, or the beginning of our journey to eternal life, the commitments we make at baptism become a little more serious.  Our Sunday School teacher listed out the commitments Alma said we make at baptism:

1. Come into the fold of God
2. Be called His people
3. Willing to bear one another's burdens
4. Willing to mourn with those that mourn
5. Comfort those that stand in need of comfort
6. Witness of God at all times
7. Serve him
8. Keep his commandments

It is interesting to me that most of those commitments have to do with how you treat/interact with other people.  It's like the Bible says (Matt 16:24-26)


24 ¶Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and dlose his own esoul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

And also Luke 22:32:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Essentially, at baptism, we commit to follow Jesus Christ's example in loving, helping, encouraging and supporting other people.  This can be done in many ways according to the needs of people you are serving and especially according to the direction of the Holy Ghost).  Will we be perfect at this? No. Double no. And that's just fine, even expected, seeing as we are human and no one understands that better than God.

And one other thing. It is my feeling that when you are baptized, you are committing to follow Christ, not only in deed, but in folly.  Committing to follow Christ means that WHEN you make mistakes, commit sins, omit commitments or in anyway act less than what you've committed to act like, you will use the atonement of Jesus Christ to straighten out!  When you are baptized you are committing that you will use the atonement.  You've committed to a law, a moral code and committed to use a specific way to repairs any infringements to the law or code.

To me that is the best news ever!  We are given direction on how to live AND we are given help with that - for assistance, correction, development, education, improvement and support.

If we can try to fulfill our commitments WITH Christ's help all along the way then we receive some promises from God at baptism:

1. Redeemed of God (not just a one time occurrence, but as you seek forgiveness at anytime, it is readily available to you - you just have to initiate the process)
2. Numbered with those of the first resurrection (attain celestial glory)
3. You will have eternal life (live with God again)
4. You will have his Spirit more abundantly upon you (receive and maintain the Gift of the Holy Ghost to continually help you stay on the straight and narrow path).

These blessings are lasting, important, powerful and more meaningful than I think I understand, but even the promise of them can guide my choices.  It is the trial of humankind to avoid the shortsightedness of trading the happiness that comes with a short current moment, for the happiness of eternity.  And even more of a trial to accept that even if you trade the happiness for now for the happiness of eternity, you are valuable enough to ask Christ for help in changing your perspective. But you are that valuable. Keep trying. And if you haven't asked Christ for help, you should.