Baptism is a Covenant

Heavenly Father is pleased you are thinking about baptism. He has asked all of his children, young and old, to be baptized.

And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel…. 2 Nephi 9:23

When you get baptized, you are making a promise with Heavenly Father. He will also be making promises with you. This two-way promise has a special name: a covenant. Your part of the covenant with the Lord is to obey the commandments. Read more about it in Alma 7:15.

Heavenly Father’s part of the covenant is to forgive your sins when you repent, to give you the gift of the Holy Ghost, and to give you eternal life. Read more about it in Mosiah 18:10.

Just like Jesus Christ, you will also be baptized by immersion by someone who has priesthood authority. The man who baptizes you has been given the priesthood authority, or a special permission, to give you this blessing.

Being baptized by immersion means you will be completely covered with water, just like Jesus was in the Jordan River. We have special small pools call “fonts” where you can be baptized. The font will be about half way full of water and if you are lucky the water will be warm.

It is not scary to be baptized under the water, but you and the man who will be baptizing you might want to practice holding your arms in the right place and bending at your knees.

Two witnesses will be standing near the water to watch that the prayer is said correctly and that you are completely covered by the water. Usually you or your parents ask someone you care about to be the witnesses. Any baptized member can serve as a witness.

After you walk into the water together, the man who baptizes you will take a firm grip on your hands and arm with his left hand, and raise his right hand and say the prayer.

[Your Full Name], having been commissioned of Jesus Christ I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.

Then he puts his right hand on your back and holding you firmly he slowly lowers you into the water until it comes up over your head. If you bend your knees it is easier to be completely “immersed.” He holds you under the water for about the time it takes to say “baptism” and then he lifts you gently out of the water.

Try your best to think about the words of the prayer and the feelings you are having during your baptism. You can read more about this in D&C 20:73.

After your baptism, you’ll get changed out of your wet clothes and have time to dry your hair. Then you will be confirmed and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. You will sit on a chair and men who hold the priesthood will stand in a circle around you and place their hands softly on your head. They will give you a blessing and part of the blessing will be the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is kind of like a special prayer. You should close your eyes and bow your head and try to think about the words and the feelings you are having.

After the blessing you can stand up and shake hands (or give a hug!) to the men who were part of your blessing. They will be happy and smiling at you. You might feel the Holy Ghost right away or you might have to learn to understand your feelings.

Your Baptism

Your Confirmation

“… The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine. We have three members of the Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost—helping us because of the covenants we have made.”

Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, Oct 2006

The Covenant Path

Baptism is the first step on the covenant path. The covenant of baptism is followed by covenantsmade in the temple, including initiatories, endowments and marriage. Covenants are a blessing from Heavenly Father.

Jean A. Stevens said, “Covenants with God help us to know who we really are. They connect us to Him in a personal way through which we come to feel our value in His sight and our place in His kingdom. In a way we can’t fully comprehend, we are known and loved individually by Him. Think of it—each of us holds such a place in His heart. His desire is that we will choose the path that will bring us home to Him.” (Ensign, Nov 2014)

Every week as you take the sacrament, you are renewing your covenant.

Stay on the Covenant Path from your home to the temple.

Covenant Path Maze

As you work on keeping your baptismal covenant with Heavenly Father every Sunday, you could also think about preparing yourself to go to the temple to make further covenants. If you are worthy, you will have the opportunity to do baptisms for the dead at the temple after you turn 12. Later, as you prepare yourself for a mission and marriage, you will have a chance to go to the temple for yourself. This will be one of the greatest blessings of your life if you are worthy and prepared.

“Beginning with our baptism, we make covenants as we follow this path to eternal life, and we stay on the path by keeping them. …

“To remind us of those covenants, we partake of the sacrament each week. In the prayer offered on the bread, we ‘witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that [we] are willing to take upon [us] the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us]; that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us]’ [D&C 20:77].”

Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, Oct 2006

Further Covenants

Here are a few other things you could do to prepare to begin your journey on the covenant path.

Get in the habit of saying personal prayers every day! It is great to pray with your family, but you can pray to your Heavenly Father on your own any time. Heavenly Father loves you. The more time you spend talking to him in prayer, the more you will begin to understand Him.

Practice keeping the commandments and repenting when you want to do better.

Make it a habit to read scriptures every day. Even a few verses makes a big difference!

Read and underline these scriptures about covenants: 2 Nephi 11:5; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Alma 7:15-16 Mosiah 5:5-7; Moroni 10:33; D&C 82:10; 97:8; 98:13-15

Memorize the Articles of Faith

Make sure you understand what these words mean: ordinance, covenant, repentance, immersion, remission, and “laying on of hands.”

After your baptism, write down at least five special things you remember about your baptism day. You will love to read this when you are older!

Preparing forFuture Covenants

Draw a picture of your favorite temple.

The Temple is a Place for Covenants

“As we stand in the waters of baptism, we look to the temple. As we partake of the sacrament, we look to the temple. We pledge to always remember the Savior and to keep His commandments as preparation to participate in the sacred ordinances of the temple.” David A. Bednar, April 2009 Ensign

My Covenant PathMarvin K. Gardner

A covenant is an agreement,A promise I make with the Lord.He lovingly offers to bless meIf I will be true to His word.I promise to keep His commandments,And if in His light I abide,He promises infinite blessings—A fulness of joy by His side.

To honor my baptismal covenantI’ll take Jesus’s name upon me,Remember Him, keep His commandments.His faithful disciple I’ll be.I’ll gladly renew precious covenantsEach Sabbath through sacrament prayer,And someday I’ll enter the templeAnd make sacred covenants there.

I will remember my covenants.They show me the path to my Father above.I will be true to my covenantsAnd stay on the path, my covenant path,Secure in my Savior’s love.I’ll stay on the path, my covenant path,Secure in my Savior’s love.

I Love to see the Temple