A Message from the Prophet about Baptism

And now a message from President Gordon B. Hinckley from the October Ensign of this year (2006).

"We congratulate you on your recent baptism and welcome you most warmly. What a wonderful step you have taken in joining the Church! We stand ready to assist you in any way that we can. What you are going through as a new member should be exhilarating. Your faith in the Savior is strong. Your excitement to learn more about the restored gospel is sincere. We rejoice with you in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many blessings in store for you. We know at times it can be terribly lonely. It can be disappointing. It can be frightening. We of this Church can be far more different from the world than we are prone to think we are. But the gospel is nothing to be ashamed of. It is something to be proud of. "Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of the Lord," wrote Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:8).

To those of you who are new, I plead with you to continue with us. We need you. We will put our arms around you and be friends with you. We will do our best to comfort you, to make you feel welcomed and accepted. We love you and we know the Lord loves you. Forgive our faults and our weaknesses. Come and work with us side by side as we learn together.

This is God's holy work. This is His Church and Kingdom. The vision that occured in the Sacred Grove was jsut as Joseph said it was. There is in my heart a true understanding of what happened there. The Book of Mormon is true. It testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. His priesthood has been restored and is among us. The keys of the priesthood, which have come from Heavenly beings, are exercised for our eternal blessings. Such is our testimony-yours and mine-a testimony which we must live up to and which we must share with others. I leave this testimony, my blessing, and my love with each of you and my invitation to continue to be a part of this great latter-day miracle that is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."