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The Fourth Article of Faith of the LDS Church declares, "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Repentance is the next crucial principle. Without repentance we could not enter the presence of our God. In 1 Nephi 15:33-34 we learn, "Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also. But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy." It is only after repentance that we may be made clean again through the atonement of Jesus Christ. As we repent of our sins we become humble and submissive to the will of God. A penitent person is one who will admit he has done wrong and who earnestly strives to change his behavior and pattern his life after that of the Savior. "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins-behold, he will confess them and forsake them," (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42-43). We believe that the first ordinance that must be performed is baptism. Just as the Savior was baptized by John the Baptist, "And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan," (Mark 1:9), we must follow His example. Jesus Christ was perfect in every respect and had no need of baptism or repentance, but He set the example for us to follow. In Matthew 1:16 we learn that Christ "went up straightway out of the water." He baptized by immersion to symbolize entering a grave and then coming forth from that grave. The symbolism represents putting off the old self, or burying it, and coming forth, or being born again, with a new self. "Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life," (Romans 6:4). When we are baptized we are washed free of our sins and we are clean. It is our duty thereafter to live a new life patterned after Christ's example and leave our old sinful ways behind. This is what it means to be "born again." Go To Page: 1 2
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