Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel. (2 Nephi 31:13)
After real repentance and being baptized by water, then we are promised the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost. Does this happen automatically? Does it happen when we are confirmed or at some other time? Is confirmation the same thing as the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost? Why is it by FIRE and by the Holy Ghost? Why not just baptism by the Holy Ghost? Is it the same thing? Have you received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost?
Fire is often associated with the opening of the heavens or with heavenly manifestations (e.g. Lehi and the pillar of fire on the rock, pillar of fire in Joseph’s First Vision, tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost, Moses and the burning bush, Kirtland temple, etc.). God dwells on a globe like a sea of glass and fire (D&C 130:7).
Fire is also used as a metaphor to describe the justice of God and especially its operation upon the wicked. (see 1 Nephi 15:30, Jacob 6:10, 2 Nephi 9:26). Indeed, the earth will be baptized by fire at the Lord’s return.
Christ said, “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.” (3 Nephi 9:20).
How is it possible that the Lamanites were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost and didn’t know it? Were they unaware of the experience? Or were they aware but not recognize or understand what it was? Did they just not know what to call it?
Which group of Lamanite converts is Christ referring to? Is it the Lamanites who were in the prison with Nephi and Lehi who were each literally encircled about by a pillar of fire (Hel. 5:43) about 60 years prior to Christ’s statement? Was it the other Lamanites who were subsequently converted through their testimonies? Or yet another group of Lamanites?
When Christ visited the Nephites, he called twelve disciples and gave them power to baptize. He then promised the multitude that after they were baptized by water, that He (Christ) would baptize them with fire and the Holy Ghost (3 Nephi 12:1). Undoubtedly, most if not all of the audience had previously been baptized (3 Nephi 7:23-26). Why the need for re-baptism? Was it to renew their covenants and re-dedicate themselves to the Lord? Was it to cleanse them once again? Why were some of the early Saints re-baptized after reaching Utah?
After Christ departs on the first day, the disciples follow his instructions. They first pray for “that which they most desired” which was the Holy Ghost. Following this prayer, they enter the water and are baptized. “And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And behold, they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven.” (3 Nephi 19:13-14)
Why is fire literally present on some of these occasions? Can there be a baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost without it? Why or why not?
These are really cool ideas to think about.
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