![]() ![]() ![]() While the form of baptism recalls the symbolism of death and resurrection, the laying of hands on the head 5 that is used in confirmation suggests a retrospective regard toward the scriptural account of the creation of Adam wherein God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” 6 In this respect, recall also the account in John 20:22, when Jesus “breathed on, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”Īs Joseph Smith highlighted the importance of the manner in which baptism is performed, describing it as a “sign,” so did he refer to the symbolic evocation of the breath of life in “the laying on of hands,” by which the Holy Ghost is given, ordinations are performed, and the sick are healed, as a “sign.” He said pointedly that if such ordinances were not performed in the way God had appointed they “would fail.” 7 In this context, we might recall what Jesus said when Peter wanted him to wash his head and hands in addition to his feet: “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.” 8 The Lord’s reply to Peter suggests why, in similar fashion, the laying of hands on the head within various ordinances equates to a blessing for the entire body. Specific symbolic gestures have been divinely prescribed for the ordinance of confirmation as well as for subsequent ordinances of anointing. 180 Divinely Prescribed Symbolic Gestures in the Ordinances 3 The Book of Moses records that after Adam was baptized, having fulfilled the commandment, “the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man.” 4 Figure 2. In this article, we turn our attention to the second phrase in Moses 6:60: “by the Spirit ye are justified.” Simply put, individuals become “just”-in other words, innocent before God and ready for a covenant relationship with Him-when they demonstrate sufficient repentance to qualify for an “ initial cleansing from sin” 1 “by the Spirit,” 2 thus having had the demands of justice satisfied on their behalf through the Savior’s atoning blood. ![]()
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