Living a baptized life

My reading for this week (2 Ne. 31-33) contained what was one of my favorite passages as a missionary: 31:9-10, about following Christ's example. When we'd go knocking doors, I'd explain that we were sharing a brief 5-minute message; we'd read and discuss this passage; and then I'd segue from there into an explanation of the Book of Mormon and try to arrange to return to teach the first discussion. It was a great passage for building on common beliefs, consistent with the Christ-centered, "let's-build-on-what-you-already-have" approach that characterized the first missionary discussion back in those days. (It could be awkward, though, when eventually we'd have to shift from that approach to talking about exclusive claims to priesthood authority.)

In chapters 31-32, Nephi lays out his vision for what it means to live a baptized life. This is a timely reading given that Easter is coming up soon. For the past several years, I've celebrated Easter by attending the Easter Vigil, held the night before, at a Catholic or Episcopal church. The vigil is a twentieth-century revival of an early Christian practice. Thematically, it links Christ's resurrection to the new life of baptism. The centerpiece of the service is a collective renewal of the baptismal covenant, and if it's a Catholic service especially, this is likely to be the occasion when adult converts are baptized. So this Book of Mormon reading on the life of the baptized is a nice opportunity for me to reflect on my own baptismal covenant in preparation for my participation in the Easter Vigil later this month.

Nephi teaches that in baptism we follow Christ down into the water as a token of our commitment to Christian discipleship—that is, our commitment to a lifetime of following Christ's example in response to his invitation, "Follow me." In this same vein, Nephi describes baptism as a sign of our willingness to take on Christ's name (which has resonances, of course, with the sacramental prayers). Like Christ, we receive the Holy Ghost in connection with our baptism. The Holy Ghost enables us to speak with the tongue of angels; in chapter 32, Nephi explains that this means the Holy Ghost conveys to us the words of Christ, which will teach us everything we need to do in our post-baptismal life. He specifically mentions that the Holy Ghost will teach us to pray that everything we do will be consecrated. Nephi's central image of the post-baptismal life is "pressing forward" steadfastly in Christ. Pressing forward is associated in turn with images of light and fellowship and abundance: a perfect brightness of hope, with love for God and all people, feasting on the words of Christ.

So: what does all that mean to me? As I've been thinking about that, I've been intrigued to realize that I actually think of myself more often as an endowed person (a consecrated person, a priestly person, a person commissioned and empowered to do God's work) than as a baptized person (a Christian, a follower of Christ). It boils down to the same thing, of course, but there's a difference in terms of which themes and symbols loom larger in my day-to-day life. Symbols of the temple matter more in my daily living (e.g., wearing the garment), but specifically Christian symbols (e.g., taking the sacrament) form the basis of my weekly worship and my participation in yearly observances such as Christmas and Easter. I renew my baptismal covenant weekly when I take the sacrament, which I bless for myself at home. In that sense, my identity as a baptized person is a constant touchstone to which I keep returning to renew my spiritual commitments and remind myself of the principles I'm supposed to be living by. And framing those principles as "following Christ" helps to keep me more mindful of the call to compassionate interpersonal relationships than would otherwise be my inclination

Living a baptized life is also important to me in the sense that living as a baptized person implies living under the tutelage of the Holy Ghost. Seeking the guidance of the Spirit—personal revelation—is absolutely fundamental to how I move through the world as a religious person.

Pressing forward with a perfect brightness of hope and love for all people—that's a challenge for me. I have strong tendencies toward criticism (of self as well as others), pessimism, anger, and militancy. 2 Ne. 31:20 tells me that a baptized life should probably look different. I feel moved to make that the focus of my Easter reflections this year.

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Heavenly Father—

I feel that I've heard your voice in the course of this reflection, and I give thanks for that.
I look forward to the upcoming Easter Vigil and other commemorations during Holy Week.
I pray that this can be a season of meaningful spiritual renewal for me.

I'm grateful for the care my parents took—my mother especially—to prepare me for baptism and to make that ritual a memorable one.
I'm grateful for the various occasions on which taking the sacrament has helped re-ground me, has given me renewed strength for service, and has made me aware of your love.
I'm grateful for the many ways your Spirit has guided me over the years, including those I didn't recognize until after the fact.

Help me to live a more fully baptized life.
Help me to have brighter hope.
Help me to be more compassionate in my relationships with others.
Help me to be a better disciple of your Son.

In Christ's name, amen.