Lesson 1, Unit 2, Choice 1: The Baptism of Jesus Christ

Read Matthew 3:13-17 and Institute Manual "What Is the Significance of the Holy Ghost Descending “like a Dove”?" Then write the answers to the following questions:

Why was John hesitant to baptize Jesus? - I believe John might have been hesitant to baptize Jesus because he didn't feel worthy to do so (because who would feel worthy enough to baptize the only person in mortality to be completely free of sin?). He said to Jesus, " I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" I imagine it must have felt somewhat like if a missionary told an investigator at his baptism that he was actually going to be doing the baptizing instead of being baptized. It's not a perfect analogy, of course, because John at least had the authority to baptize, but looking at it that way it is easier to imagine how John might have felt about the situation.

What is taught here about the Holy Ghost? - From these verses we learn about the Holy Ghost that he is a separate being from Heavenly Father and Jesus, and that his sign is the dove, an emblem or token of truth and innocence. He was also present at the baptism of Jesus Christ to bear testimony that he was the Son of God.

Jesus Christ said He must be baptized to "fulfill all righteousness." List three reasons why Jesus Christ was baptized (see 2 Nephi 31:6-11). - Even though Christ was pure, holy, and without sin, he was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He did this in order to show humility and willingness to be obedient to the Father in keeping his commandments, and also to set an example for all of us and show that baptism is a necessary ordinance for entering into the kingdom of heaven.

What evidence is found in Matthew 3:16-17 that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate personages in the Godhead? - Christ was a mortal man on earth being baptized in the Jordan River, the voice of God the Father was heard coming from the heavens, and the Holy Ghost appeared as a personage and with the sign of a dove. They were all present at the same time and place but in different forms, therefore they are three separate personages.