I teach the 8-11 year-olds in Primary in the Garrison Branch. I love my calling and enjoy getting to know the kids. The youngest member of our class just turned eight and was recently baptized and confirmed. He asked me to give a talk at his baptism. While preparing this talk, I was reminded of my baptism and the covenants I made with Heavenly Father. I want to share my talk, not because I thought it was great, but it helped me remember what I did when I was eight.
(The day I was confirmed)
Jesus is the perfect example of how we should live our life. One of the first things He did in His ministry was to go to John the Baptist. He went to John because he had the priesthood, just like your dad. This is the account of Jesus’ baptism found in Matthew 3:13-17. “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus didn’t need to be baptized because He is perfect. He was baptized to set an example. Jesus taught us be example to be baptized, but why?
When we are baptized, we make covenants. Heavenly Father wants us to make covenants with Him. A covenant is a promise between us and our Heavenly Father. Here are three promises we make to our Heavenly Father:
1. We promise to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. This means that we will become followers of Jesus and will become known as Christians.
2. We will always think of Jesus throughout our lives. When we have a decision to make, we will remember Jesus, and think of what He would want us to do.
3. We promise to serve Jesus by keeping His commandments and following Hi teachings throughout our lives. This means we will learn what is right and strive to live the example He has set for us.
Mosiah 18:10 sums up these promises. “Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?”
In a covenant, Heavenly Father promises us some blessings. Today you are making a very righteous choice. Once you are baptized, continue to make righteous decisions like receiving the priesthood, going on a mission, getting married in the temple, and enduring to the end. By doing these things, you are able to have eternal life and live with Heavenly Father and Jesus. Without baptism, we cannot do that.
After you are baptized, Heavenly Father also blesses you with a very special gift, the Gift of the Holy Ghost. You get this gift when you are confirmed a member of the church. The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead that helps you in many different ways. He can comfort you, like if you feel sad or lonely. He can help guide you to make righteous decisions, like choosing good friends of keeping the commandments. He testifies of truth, like if you want to know if the Book of Mormon is true or if Joseph Smith was a prophet. The wonderful thing about having the gift of the Holy Ghost is that He will be your constant companion as long as you choose the right. He will always guide and comfort you whenever you need Him.
When you cam to earth, you were like this shiny, new penny. You were perfect, you never sinned. But as time went on, you got some smudges and marks by making mistakes. They all add up and you look like this penny. Today, when you are baptized, all those sins will be washed away, and you will look like this new penny again. But you are going to live a lot longer today, and because you are human, you will make more mistakes. How can you keep yourself clean? Heavenly Father loves all of us very much and created a way where we can become as clean as this penny every week. It is called the sacrament. Because we all make mistakes, we can partake of the sacrament every Sunday and strive to do better.
We are all so proud of you for choosing to be baptized. Heavenly Father and Jesus are happy, too! You are obeying Heavenly Father and following Jesus’ example. You are making promises with Heavenly Father and you will receive great blessings. Now, you will have the Holy Ghost to help and comfort you. And whenever you make a mistake, you can take the sacrament. I hope you remember your covenants and feelings you have today.
