Baptism

This is a picture of me the day of my baptism back in 1982. We talked about baptism and what it means to us at church today. I started pondering and realized how grateful I am for this ordinance. I know that their are some people out there that don't believe that it is necessary that it is an insignificant ordinance as long as they are keeping the commandments and that they  believe in Christ. But I believe a loving Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves. In the old testament it talks about how Heavenly Father wants us to be a covenant keeping people. Why would that be important? We could just keep the commandments, right? But I think it was important to show us the importance of integrity and also to show us that Heavenly Father always holds up his end of his promises. Baptism is essential. It shows us that narrow way that we must travel to get back to Heavenly Father with our Brother and Savior Jesus Christ. Christ himself was baptized to show us this. I don't think we realize the magnitude of the blessings that come from making and keeping sacred covenants. Baptism teaches us from the age of eight when we reach the age of accountability that we need to be responsible for our choices that they have eternal significance. It teaches us who to follow. Our Savior. And it teaches us who we can look to for guidance, the holy spirit. I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and his perfect plan for us. I know sometimes that it may not seem so perfect as we pass through sorrows and heartache, but I know that we agreed to it, with this knowledge. It is just as necessary for us to go through the sorrow to be able to know happiness. And that the atonement helps to heal all those sorrows and pains and turn them to our good. I know because I've experienced it in my own life.
I remember feeling so special and being so excited at the prospect of being 'perfectly clean' the day of my baptism. I was baptized in our new chapel in Magnolia. There were three other kids from my primary class getting baptized that day and one of them, a boy named John, had to be dunked a handful of times because his toe kept coming up, so he wasn't completely submerged. Again, some would be say, 'well so what?'. We teach that just as Jesus was submerged in baptism that we need to be too. This has symbolic symbolism for us. "Immersion is symbolic of the death of a person’s sinful life and the rebirth into a spiritual life, dedicated to the service of God and His children. It is also symbolic of death and resurrection. " Mormon.org
I am thankful for the opportunity that baptism gives us to show Heavenly Father our willingness to keep his commandments. To be a committed person, makes me more focused on goals that bring happiness in my life and the will eventually lead me to life eternal with my Heavenly Father.
Just a few more memories that were fun ones of that day. I remember being nervous that my Mom would forget my extra dry underwear to change into because she did that to my older sister, and I remember that afterwards we went to eat at this 50's hamburger joint afterwards because I wanted to celebrate with a chocolate malt, which I love above shakes :) Yep Eight is great!