“Of All Things,” New Era, Mar. 2004, 40
Of All Things
Be Fearless
“You can be a leader. You must be a leader, as a member of this Church, in those causes for which this Church stands. Do not let fear overcome your efforts, for as Paul wrote to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind’ (2 Tim. 1:7). Fear comes not from God but from the evil one. The adversary of all truth would put into your heart a reluctance to make an effort. Cast that fear aside and be valiant in the cause of truth and righteousness and faith. If you now decide that this will become the pattern of your life, you will not have to make that decision again. You will put on the ‘armour of God’ and raise your voice in defense of truth, whatever the circumstances now and in all the years that lie ahead (see Eph. 6:11).”
—President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Be a Leader in Honorable Causes,” Ensign, Jan. 1998, 72.
Baptisms of Latter-day Prophets
Did you know that President Gordon B. Hinckley was the first latter-day prophet to be baptized in a baptismal font in a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse? It’s true. He was baptized on 28 April 1919 in the First Ward chapel, Salt Lake Liberty Stake. Here are some facts about the baptisms of the other 14 Church Presidents.
|
Prophet |
Baptism Date |
Baptism Location |
|---|---|---|
|
Joseph Smith |
15 May 1829 |
Susquehanna River, near Harmony, Pennsylvania |
|
Brigham Young |
14 April 1832 |
A millpond near Mendon, New York |
|
John Taylor |
9 May 1836 |
A stream near Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|
Wilford Woodruff |
31 December 1833 |
An icy stream near Richland, New York |
|
Lorenzo Snow |
3 June 1836 |
Chagrin River, near Kirtland, Ohio |
|
Joseph F. Smith |
21 May 1852 |
City Creek, Salt Lake City, Utah |
|
Heber J. Grant |
2 June 1864 |
A wagon box near City Creek, Salt Lake City, Utah |
|
George Albert Smith |
6 June 1878 |
City Creek, Salt Lake City, Utah |
|
David O. McKay |
8 September 1881 |
Spring Creek, near Huntsville, Utah |
|
Joseph Fielding Smith |
19 July 1884 |
Probably in City Creek, Salt Lake City, Utah |
|
Harold B. Lee |
9 June 1907 |
Bybee Pond, near Clifton, Idaho |
|
Spencer W. Kimball |
28 March 1903 5 October 1907 |
Hog-scalding tub, Thatcher, Arizona Union Canal, Thatcher, Arizona (rebaptized because of concerns about the appropriateness of the tub baptism) |
|
Ezra Taft Benson |
4 August 1907 |
Logan River Canal, Whitney, Idaho |
|
Howard W. Hunter |
4 April 1920 |
An indoor swimming pool, Boise, Idaho |
(Information on baptisms courtesy of Michael D. Taylor, “The Baptisms of Latter-day Prophets,” Religious Educator, vol. 3, no. 3, 2002.)
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