D&C Section Twenty-two

The church is rapidly growing with new converts. Many of these converts were baptized by immersion in their previous churches and the question came up; did they need to be baptized again? The answer came in this revelation where the Lord compares the previous baptisms to dead works. I believe he calls them this because there is no life in them. What I mean is, the Holy Ghost does not ratify ordinances that are not done by the Lord's authority. There are many instances in the Old and New Testaments where serious consequences were had for doing an ordinance or work of the Lord without his sanction. Even transporting the Ark of the Covenant in Moses' time resulted in death if you were not authorized.

This is an important principle to me. If someone hasn't experienced the "life" that the Holy Ghost brings into the ordinances of the church, they will not know it is of the Lord. I was baptized twice in the Methodist Church. Once as child and again when I was about 18. I don't remember the first time, but I do the second because I had made the decision after conferring with my minister Rev. John McCormick, a man I had great respect for. His counsel was that baptism wasn't necessary, but if I desired to witness to the Lord my desire to follow him, then it was a good thing to do. It was strictly an intellectual decision. There was no relationship between baptism and repentance and the remission of sin as represented in the scriptures. I was simply telling the Lord I wanted to follow him. I was baptized during Sunday church services with my head being sprinkled with a few drops of water. I felt nothing before and I felt nothing afterward. This was far different then the days following my baptism into the restored gospel. After that baptism, and for weeks afterwards, my mind was filled with inspiration. Everything I read was witnessed by the Holy Ghost, whether it was a church book or the scriptures. I couldn't get enough of it. I read things as fast as I could because it seemed like the Lord was pouring pure knowledge into my soul. I don't know how else to describe it. I have experienced that many times since, but not as powerfully or for as long an extended period of time. The Holy Ghost literally brought life to me and opened my eyes to things I would not have understood before.

I have often wondered if Rev. McCormick ever somehow joined the church. More Methodist pastors join the church than any other protestant church. He would have made a wonderful Latter-day Saint. He was unselfish, kind and loving man, someone who was without guile. But he was also a man who was searching and told me so. There were many answers he wanted but had not been able to find.