Introduction In the early years of the Restoration, doctrines and practices unfolded line upon line, including the wording used in sacred ordinances. This episode follows the historical journey of the baptismal prayer from the Book of Mormon text used in 1829 to the standardized wording adopted in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. Alongside this development … Read more
Introduction This episode addresses two doctrinal and historical questions submitted by a listener named Larry. The first concerns whether Joseph Smith had access to a Bible during the translation of the Book of Mormon. The second investigates how a Presbyterian minister could have declared that Joseph’s brother Alvin was damned for not being baptized, when … Read more
Baptism and Salvation A Modern Case That Revived an Ancient Debate In early 2022, international news reported that a Catholic priest in Arizona had performed thousands of baptisms incorrectly for more than 20 years. Instead of saying “I baptize you,” he used the phrase “We baptize you.” According to Catholic sacramental theology, altering the formula … Read more