21 And the Lord said unto him: I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven.
22 And again the Lord called others, and said unto them likewise; and he gave unto them power to baptize. And he said unto them: On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be no disputations among you.
When the Savior appeared on the American continent immediately following His resurrection, the first thing He did was to introduce Himself and declare His roles (3 Nephi 11:10-11):
- “I am the light and the life of the world.”
- “[I have taken] upon me the sins of the world.”
- “I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.”
Next, He invited them to come forward and touch His wounds, so that each person could witness the evidence of who He was and of what He had done (3 Nephi 11:14).
Immediately afterward, He called Nephi and others forward and publicly gave them power to baptize. He explained the following principles to the people:
- We must all be baptized to be saved.
- Baptism must be performed in His way.
- We must not argue with each other, but should be united, even as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are united.
By assigning specific people to serve as His representatives, the Savior established order in His church. He ensured that baptism would be administered according to His instructions. Members of His church could have confidence that His representatives were acting in harmony with His will and could therefore be unified with one another.
I’m grateful for the ordering role of the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ. I’m grateful for priesthood leaders who ensure that the procedures of the Church are conducted in harmony with the will of God. I’m also grateful for the unity that members of the Church experience as we collectively follow the guidance of the Lord’s chosen leaders.
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