Rikki Howard's Baptism

Rikki's baptism was awesome! The spirit was very strong and I am so grateful I was able to be part of the wonderful moment in Rikki's life.

 

The talk at Rikki's baptism was so good that I wanted to share it with everyone. The talk was given by Brother Buttars!

Before I start, I just wanted to thank you Rikki and your amazing family for letting me be a part of this awesome experience. Thank you so much for opening your home, feeding us, and helping my testimony grow just as much as yours. Through this journey I have become so excited watching you get excited about going to the temple and being sealed to your family forever. And what you have chosen to do today, by getting baptized, is the first step down the path to that eternal family. I read somewhere that when you rise out of that water, our Savior is at the end of that path, opening the doors to the Celestial Kingdom for you and your family. He is beckoning you down that path, and promises to help you every step of the way. In some instances even carrying us through the roughest parts.

But back to that first step. Baptism is a very sacred ordinance. It is our promise to our Heavenly Father that we will take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, follow His commandments to the best of our ability, and have faith in Him, knowing that He is our Savior. All the while, God is on the other side of the table, promising that if we would do so, He will forgive us of our sins through the mercy and Atonement of His Son.

In a short couple of moments, every sin and mistake you have ever made in your entire life will be washed away. Now, as you are baptized, and in the future as you repent, one very important thing to remember is to forget those sins. As you step out of the water leave them in it. Our Heavenly Father wants us to learn from our mistakes, but He also wants us to forgive ourselves and remember them no more. Recently I was working with the Elders and we were discussing self forgiveness. One of them had an amazing analogy that went like this;

“As we make mistakes and repent of them through the Atonement and Sacrement, it is like we are stuffing those sins into a bag and throwing them off the edge of a cliff to forget them. But, like many of us do, we tend to tie a rope around that bag and attach it to our foot. As time goes by, the weight of that bag tugging on our foot makes us pull it back up, reliving everything we put in the bag. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us to suffer through the same things over and over. We must learn to forgive ourselves, cut those ropes, and let our mistakes be washed away.”

God knows that after baptism we couldn’t stay perfect and that we would make mistakes. In His infinite wisdom, which is beyond my understanding, He created a way for us to continually be forgiven, and it is called the Sacrament. As we properly repent and come to take the Sacrament, we are renewing and remembering the promise we made to our Heavenly Father at our baptism. Through the mercy of His Son, He also renews His promise to us, and forgives us of those sins. Thus creating a way for us to progress, learn, and return to Him.

 Our Heavenly Father is so happy that you have come to this agreement, that He decides to throw an added gift into the deal. That gift is the Holy Ghost. It is such an amazing, beautiful, and useful gift! It is sad to know that many people throughout the world live without it and its amazing blessings. One of the many things that He is, is a comforter. When you are living a Christ like life, being charitable, and having spiritual experiences with your family, He is that warm peaceful feeling in your heart, telling you that what you are doing is right. He is also an amazing teacher. If you pray for His guidance, as you study the Gospel, scriptures, and teachings of modern prophets, He will open your understanding and help you pick up on things that you wouldn’t have before. Another great thing that He is, is a protector. If you live worthy of His presence, He will warn you when danger is headed your way, or when evil people and their designs are in your presence. 

As you are confirmed a member tomorrow morning, you will receive the Holy Ghost. If you keep your promise to your Heavenly Father and live worthy of this gift, He will be with you always.

I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ and that what you are doing is right. I know that this church was restored by Christ through the prophet Joseph Smith. I am so happy for you and the decision you have made. I know that you can have for family forever. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.