Just recently we had a man baptized and confirmed into the church just on the 11th of november. He is an interesting man. Essentially a reformed gang member, he's all about his family and loving god. He has always felt a strong connection to the church of Jesus christ of Latter Day saints. Another missionary baptized him, and my companion confirmed him a member of the church and gave him the gift of the holy ghost. Missionaries had been teaching him for months. He was baptized because he finally started living the word of wisdom. Specifically the word of wisedom is a set of guidelines that mormons live by. It's a health code, it tells you not to smoke/vape, drink alchohol, take illegal drugs, drink coffee or tea. It also tells you that you need to eat well, and to try to exercise. It's not that you specifically break the word of wisdom by being obese, but you do break it by eating/consuming/drinking those substances listed above.
Personally I really like the word of wisdom. It's no secret that nicotine and smoke and alchohol are health issues. It is essentially what we really should do to stay healthy. Coffee and tea I'm not entirely sure why they are banned. I enjoy the smell of coffee but I'm not a fan of the taste, neither tea. I also enjoyed vaping far more than one would imagine. I gave that up to serve a mission which I am still not sure why I a serving.
Either way, he wanted to be baptized. We taught him everything about the church that he needed to know. Which in all honestly we are told he really only needs to know very little. Our job as missionaries is to baptize and get people to repent and join the church. The active church members are supposed to teach them everything else. But I think that it is likely that he will not know everything that someone whose grown up in the church like I have. I hope he knows what he is doing, because I sure as hell don't. They don't teach us church history, or the serious deep stuff that people think about.
The event I remember well. Myself and my companion missionary arrived at the church around two hours early. We had brought milk and brownies, because we couldn't find anyone else to provide any refreshments after the event. When we arrived we began filling the baptisimal font wit water. A font is really just a very big bathtub if you don't know what it is. During the entire time we were there before the meeting I sat on my tablet and my companion sat on the piano.
Once everyone showed up we took pictures. And the program began. It only took about an hour if that for the whole things to runs it's course. I gave a small little speech on the concept of baptism and then we dunked the man. Both the baptiser and baptizee stand in the water. The baptizee grabs the baptiser's left wrist with their left hand, baptiser grabs the baptizee's right wrist with his left hand. The baptiser then raises his right arm to the square and says: (individuals name) By the authority of the priesthood which I hold, I baptize you in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit amen. And then he dunks them. Kinda like a limbo player would go backwards, and then he pulls him up.
The man was so happy to finally be baptized, and then on Sunday he received the holy ghost which is pretty similar in prayer and confirmed a member. I think he's happy with his decision. Atleast I hope...
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