WARNING: All external links are either pro-Mormon, or anti-Mormon, but not necessarily pro-Catholic. Say a prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, put on a St. Benedict’s medal and cross yourself with Holy Water before dipping your feet in these filthy waters. Many have been led away with what started out as good intentions. Virgo potens, ora pro nobis.
Now back to the baptism issue. It was during the translation of the Book of Mormon (which, by they way, consisted of Joseph Smith putting a stone in a hat and dictating the “translation” of the text on the plates) in which the Aaronic priesthood was restored (again from the
Pearl of Great Price )
We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his dhands upon us, he ordained us, saying: Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness … Accordingly we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me—after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood—for so we were commanded.
***Parenthetical sidenote: ***
blacks were not allowed to hold the priesthood in any form until 1978. According to ‘
Mormon Doctrine’, written by General Authority Bruce R. McConkie in the 1960’s, “The Blacks are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty. The Negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality is not of man’s origin, it is the Lord’s doings.” My parents had this book in our home when I was growing up.
The Melchizedek Priesthood
was restored later in 1829, when apostles Peter, James, and John conferred it upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. "On the banks of the Susquehanna River, sometime shortly thereafter, Joseph and Oliver were visited by three more heavenly, resurrected beings: Peter, James, and John, who laid their hands upon them to ordain them to the higher, Melchizedek Priesthood and to call them as apostles and “especial witnesses”.
**
Parenthetical side note: **Oliver Cowdery, who was also one of the
Three Witnesses of the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, was excommunicated in 1838 (along with the other two witnesses) due to disagreements with Joseph Smith , but was rebaptized shortly before his death in 1845. Oliver Cowdery died not in Utah, but at the home of fellow witness David Whitmer, who had also left the Mormon church. Whitmer makes it clear that Cowdery “
died believing as I do to-day,” which included a belief that Joseph was a fallen prophet, and that the Doctrine and Covenants contained false revelations.
more like Mormons want everyone to agree with them, if not, the responses range from not discussing Mormonism at all while remaining friendly, or, accusations of being anti-Mormon or even a religious bigot.