In ancient times Jesus himself taught that it was necessary for a person to be baptized in order to enter into the kingdom of God. He taught the importance of bapizm by his example. At the beginning of his ministry, he went to his cousin John whose birth and ministry were foretold by an angel. John had been given the authority to baptize people with water from an angel. But John told everyone that he was preparing the way for the messiah who would come and baptize them with fire and the Holy Ghost. Jesus acknowledged John's authority by traveling to where he was and accepting baptism from him as a way to fulfill all righteousness. After Jesus came up out of the water, John heard the voice of God from heaven saying, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." and the Holy Ghost descended upon Jesus.
Later Jesus gave his apostles, the power to give the Holy Ghost. With the priesthood given them by Jesus Christ they were able to do all of the miracles he did. After Christ's death and resurrection his apostles tried to establish churches. They knew that someday the gospel of Jesus Christ would be taught in all the world and Christ would return to reign on the earth as Lord and King. But first there would be a falling away. The apostles would be killed and the church would be taken over by men who did not have the priesthood of God. The dark ages were a difficult time in the history of the world. The Bible barely survived. Reformers protested and tried to fix the church.
Change came slowly. The Bible was translated into English and the printing press made it accessible to the people. America was established as a land with religious freedom where religious differences were openly debated. In the spring of 1820 Joseph Smith, a fourteen year old boy prayed earnestly and asked God to help him know which church to join. He was visited by God and Jesus Christ and told that he should join none of the the churches on the earth. Joseph Smith was told that he would in time help establish Christ's true Church.
Three years later an angel visited Joseph Smith and told him where to find an ancient record written by people who lived in America from 600 BC to about 400 AD. They had come from Jerusalem and knew about the Old Testament Prophets. They brought the Bible with them that contained the prophesies of Isaiah and Jeremiah. Their own prophets continued to write scripture in America. They lived the law of Moses, but they knew that Christ would come. Their record is another testament of Jesus Christ and it explains the gospel of Jesus Christ more clearly than the Bible does. It teaches the importance of baptism by water and the baptism by fire or the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It explains about priesthood authority and how Christ also gave that authority to his disciples in America when he visited them after his resurrection.
When Joseph Smith read this record and prayed about baptism, John the Baptist came to earth as an angel and gave Joseph Smith and his companion the authority to baptize with water. He told them that they would receive the power to give the Holy Ghost from Peter James and John, who would also come as angels. As disciples of Jesus they had received that authority directly from Jesus Christ.
When people believe that Jesus Christ restored his true church to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith they feel a kinship with others who believe the same. Even though many of them have already been baptized in another church, they want a baptism that will be recognized by Jesus Christ and they want to receive the Holy Ghost.
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