Monday, May 23, 2011

Evan's Blessing

Greg gave Evan a beautiful blessing on Sunday. I'm so grateful that I'm married to a worthy Priesthood holder and Evan and all my future children have such a great example of what that means.

Evan in his blessing outfit/PJ's....I wasn't about to spend 50 bucks on an outfit that he would wear one time....








I've had people ask me why we don't baptize babies and here is why..

In our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) we do baby blessings and not baby baptisms because we believe that we will be punished for our own sins and not for Adam's transgression.

We commit sin when we knowingly make a wrong choice. Little children, however, know not what they do, and therefore cannot be judged for it. Because little children don't inherit Adam's sin and because aren't able to sin themselves until they are able to use reason, our church doesn't baptize them until they are older. It is important for the individual to make the choice to be baptized themselves because baptism is a covenant (or promise) between God and the individual, and therefore, should only be made by the individual once they understand and are willing to enter into that covenant with God.



Adam and Eve were created in the image of God with bodies of flesh and bone but not yet mortal. They could not grow old and die and they couldn't have children or trials of life. They were created in a sense of innocence (like children) and therefore had limited knowledge and understanding (which is why they hadn't even realized they were naked until AFTER they partook of the fruit).

That creation was a paradisaical creation and it required a huge change before they could fulfill the commandment to replenish the earth. The fall of Adam (and Eve) constituted the mortal creation and they had changes in their bodies and they were able to have children. They and their posterity had become subject to injury, disease, and death.

Because of their transgression Adam and Eve chose to leave their state of innocence and were banished from the presence of God. They were given the power to procreate so they could fulfill the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth.

Their posterity were also banished from the presence of God...However, the posterity of Adam and Eve were not responsible for Adam's transgression because they had no part in it. Therefore it's unfair for all humanity to suffer eternally for the transgressions of our first parents Adam and Eve. This injustice needed to be settled so we needed Jesus Christ's Atoning sacrifice. 

Because of the Transcendent act of the Atonement every soul is able to obtain forgiveness of sins to have them washed away and be forgotten with repentance and personal righteousness.                                                      

The Fall of Adam was part of Heavenly Father's plan.

Sin came into the world because of their transgression. The Lord knew they would do this and he included their partaking of the fruit in his plan.

If Adam hadn't partaken of the fruit...none of us would be here. We would be hanging out in heaven as spirits.

We do not baptize until the age of 8, the age of accountability. By that age they clearly know right from wrong and are able to choose their actions and are accountable for them.    
 19¶Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
 20The soul that asinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bbear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the crighteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:19-20)
                                                 

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