Mercedes' Baptism

My beautiful niece, Mercedes, got baptized on June 30th, 2012.  I am so proud of that girl.  My Mother asked me to give a talk that day on baptism.  I thought I would share it.  I found the concept for the talk online and then tweaked it a little.

Baptism Talk

Mercedes, today is a very special day that you will remember for the rest of your life.  Today is the day that you will become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Baptism is such an important step in this life, that even Jesus Christ was baptized to show us the way.  The 4^th Article of Faith states four major principles that we need to understand to make it back to our Heavenly Father.  Let me recite this article of faith for you and you see if you can tell me what the principles are:

“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Two of these principles are things that we feel or do in our hearts and two of them are things we physically do.

1. Faith – Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  This means that we trust Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness, and know that Jesus is our Redeemer.  That he died for us and we understand that it is only through him that we can make it back to Heavenly Father.

2. Repentance – None of us are perfect.  We all make mistakes.  But just like in the first principle we put our trust in Jesus to wash away our sins through the process of repentance.  After understanding what we did wrong, we make amends by apologizing to any person we may’ve hurt (including Heavenly Father) and then we promise not to repeat that sin.  We must continually work at trying to be the very best we can be.

3. Baptism – Baptism is a physical symbol of our faith in Jesus Christ.  This is how we prove to him that we trust in his commandments and are trying to do what is right.  Baptism is a covenant which means it is a promise we make with our Heavenly Father.  What is it that we are promising?  Do you know?

To help you remember what it is you are promising to Heavenly Father today I have brought my little panda friend here.  Do you know the story of The Three Little Bears?  Well this is The Three “Bears” of Baptism.

1. We should “bear” his name.  We become Christians!  We take His name upon us and stand as His disciples.  Mosiah 26:18 reads:

“Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.”

We devote ourselves to him and we become his.

2. “Bear” your testimony.  By going to church, we are able to let our testimony of Jesus Christ grow so that we can share it with those around us.  We learn to know that Jesus is the son of God and our Redeemer.  And that the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ is the true church.

3. We “bear” one another’s burdens.  We help each other in times of need.  We do the things that Jesus Christ would do if he were here on Earth.  Like, for example, being a friend, helping someone in need, or by loving one another.

When we keep these covenants made here today our Heavenly Father promises us something in return.  Do you know what it is?  It is a special gift given to those who are baptized and it comes directly from our Heavenly Father.  It is the fourth ordinance of the Gospel…

4. The Gift of the Holy Ghost – Heavenly Father has promised us that if we keep our covenants with him that he will bless us with the ever present Holy Ghost to keep us going on the right path.  The Holy Ghost is a comfort to us when we are sad, a light when we feel we are in dark places, a compass that shows us the right way, and a voice of peace when we feel that we are in a world of chaos.  The Holy Ghost will be a great comfort to you and I hope that you will listen to his promptings.

Mercedes, I am so proud of you and the decision you have made today to be baptized.  I love you and I hope you will continue to make good decisions in your life and remember that your family is here for you.  We are here for you to help you and to guide you.  Always.

Love your Aunt Tara

She LOVED her panda bear!  It was a little panda purse that zippers up the back.  I wanted her to have something that she would cherish and always remember she received it on her baptism day.

I also found her a panda bookmark for her scriptures to help her remember the story of the three "bears" of baptism (perfect!) and some scripture markers.

Then we all went to Leatherby's for some ice cream.  That is a little tradition in our family.

I love you Mercedes!