1 Ne 20:1 are
come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism
As
one studies Isaiah, it is useful to compare the Old Testament version to the
Book of Mormon version. In this verse, the Old Testament version lacks the
phrase, ¡°or out of the waters of baptism.¡± McConkie and Millett explain the origin of this clause:
¡°This
clause first appeared in the 1840 and 1842 editions of the Book of Mormon. It did not appear again until the 1920
edition, and it has been in all editions since that time. It appears to be a prophetic commentary by
Joseph Smith to explain the meaning of the phrase ¡®out of the waters of
Judah.¡¯.¡¦If this phrase were a restoration of the original text as found in the
more pure version on the brass plates from which it comes, it would have
appeared in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, and we would also expect to
find it in the Joseph Smith Translation of Isaiah 48:1, but we do not.
¡°Through
the use of this phrase, Joseph Smith is calling our attention to the fact that
the ordinance of baptism was as common to the people of the Old Testament as it
was to the people of the Book of Mormon.¡± (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal
Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 152)
Baptism
was practiced by in Old Testament times as this scripture attests. Other
evidence that it was known among the Jews is found in the Dead Sea scrolls:
¡°¡¦we
come upon a series of fragments relating to baptism. By baptism, of course, the
reader should realize that the proponents of this literature did not
necessarily mean anything different from traditional Jewish ritual immersion.
The terminologies are synonymous, though the emphasis on baptismal procedures
at Qumran is extraordinary. This can be seen not only in texts such as the one
represented by these fragments and the well-known Community Rule,iii,1-4, which
in describing baptism makes reference to ¡®the Holy Spirit¡¯, but also the sheer
number of ritual immersion facilities at the actual ruins of Qumran.¡± (Robert
Eisenman & Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered, p. 230-1)
Further
evidence can be inferred from the ministry of John the Baptist. When the
scribes and Pharisees came out to see John, none of them ever questioned him
about the ordinance of baptism. This must be because the ordinance was familiar
to them.
Some
have thought that baptism for the dead was performed in the lavers of the
tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon. The latter was founded on the
backs of 12 oxen representing the 12 tribes of Israel and is similar to
baptismal fonts found in today¡¯s temples. However, no ordinances for the dead
were performed before the coming of Christ. His ministry in the world of
spirits was a necessary prerequisite. Also, the tabernacle of Moses and the
Temple of Solomon were temples under the administration of the Aaronic
priesthood. All vicarious ordinances are a function of the Melchizedek
priesthood and no Melchizedek priesthood ordinances were performed in these
temples. There is no evidence that baptisms for the living were performed in
these lavers, either. Exodus explains that these were used by the priests as a
place to wash their hands and feet prior to entering the tabernacle of the
congregation (inner court). See Exodus 30:17-21 and 1 Kings 7:23-6.