Saturday, December 11, 2010

Lars Levi Laestadius on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism


Our Elder Laestadius writes in the New Postilla, "All parents prepare bath water for the newly born child and seek for one who performs baptisms so that the child would not die unbaptized. The heathen, however, do not heed this ordinace but permit their children to be without baptism for a long time."

Does not our Elder preach a strange word?

This is noteworthy, for Laestadius pointedly taught that the outward mechanism of baptism does not save, but faith must be present to receive the promise in Holy Baptism. Many among us stagger about, and as drunken sailors wave off the sacrament of Holy Baptism as not being necessary unto salvation, maintaining that the outward mechanism of baptism does not save. However, there appears to be a vast distance between our modern prophets and our Elder, for there is now no urgency in bringing an infant to baptism. It would appear we do not understand the teachings of our Elder. Are we of the same Spirit?

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