Baptism Old Testament Times?

[inquiringmind]

I'm reading a book called "Adam, Who is He," by Elder Mark E. Petersen.

He says that Adam isn't Deity, and (given the possibility of scribal errors and misunderstandings) Brigham Young may never have actually taught this.

I was glad to read that, and the book is interesting, but it raised another question for me.

He says that Adam received the Priesthood from God, passed it down to Enoch, Methusela, etc., and that baptism was instituted from the beginning.

No one would see that from reading the Old Testament.

The priests had to wash before entering the Temple, and anyone who became ceremonially unclean had to wash before being re-admitted to the community, but these were repeated.

There doesn't seem to be any initiation rite.

Over a thousand years after Moses, John the Baptist (as the forerunner of Christ) came baptizing in water, but the only place where Paul addresses the question of whether OT saints were baptized, he speaks of them being figuratively baptized by Moses when they followed the pilar of cloud, and crossed the Red Sea.

Is it official Church doctrine that all prophets, from Adam, baptized in water?

Why isn't this mentioned in the OT?

I don't know much about The Pearl of Great Price, but I know it contains "The Book Of Moses."

Is it possible that Paul didn't have the whole Old Testament?

Do non-Mormons have a reliable Old Testament?

Were things changed, lost, or forgotten before The New Testament was written?

What is The Book of Moses?

Did the Jews have it, and lose it before it was restored?

These are some questions I have, and I would very much appreciate any answers, or suggestions anyone can offer.

[Jason]

Is it official Church doctrine that all prophets, from Adam, baptized in water?

It is Church doctrine that Adam himself was baptized in water. And it is doctrine that all will require baptism. I don't think there is much about prophets between Adam and John the Baptist being baptized, but note that no one in the New Testament seems to think that John's work of baptizing needs explanation. That is evidence that baptism was known among the Jews before him.

Why isn't this mentioned in the OT?

Because the Old Testament doesn't mention everything of importance or significance to the gospel.

I don't know much about The Pearl of Great Price, but I know it contains "The Book Of Moses."

It's online at the Church's website, and well worth a read.

Is it possible that Paul didn't have the whole Old Testament?

He seems to have had everything we have.

Do non-Mormons have a reliable Old Testament?

It depends on your definition of "reliable". The Old Testament that we have, with the exception of the Song of Solomon, are held by the Church to be inspired writings. But we also believe that they have not been perfectly preserved or translated.

Were things changed, lost, or forgotten before The New Testament was written?

Yes. All three occurred (things were changed, things were lost, and things were forgotten). The New Testament has some passages that seem to be quoting from prior scripture that are not in our Old Testament (such as the prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem).

What is The Book of Moses?

Did the Jews have it, and lose it before it was restored?

The Book of Moses is Joseph Smith's "translation" of the first part of Genesis. I use translation with quotes because he wasn't working from an ancient text, but rather he sought the Spirit and revelation while reveiwing a modern King James Version bible. It is unknown whether the Jews had it at any time in the same form that Joseph gave it to us. In addition to restoring things that were once in the original Genesis, some of it appears to be commentary and some may be material that Moses never actually wrote down and passed on to anyone, but which was given to Joseph by the Lord through direct revelation.

[LDS Guy 1986]

Is it official Church doctrine that all prophets, from Adam, baptized in water?

Kind of, It is the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that baptism was established in the time of Adam, there is no clear support that all prophets were baptized. It is very well possible that this ordinance was lost due to apostasy at some time and restored by John the Baptist. The Scriptures are not that clear on this, all we know is that the Moses chapter 6 records the baptism and ordination of Adam to the Priesthood.

Why isn't this mentioned in the OT?

Technically it is, the Book of Moses is part of the Old Testament, it was received by revelation while giving his inspired translation of the Holy Bible. Adam's baptism is recorded in the Book of Moses.

Is it possible that Paul didn't have the whole Old Testament?

It is possible, I would think that Christ restored these truths to the Torah when he came and that they were lost again, but he could of choose to not restore these lost passages at that time because he know of the pending Great Apostasy.

Do non-Mormons have a reliable Old Testament?

We have the King James Version in the foot notes of the LDS KJV there is the Joseph Smith Translation of the Holy Bible, passages too big to fit into the footnotes are contained in an appendix in the back of the LDS KJV of the Holy Bible. We accept this as containing a fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also know that there are still lost scripture out there from the Old Testament, we have recovered the Book of Moses (mentioned in the Book of Ezra) but there is still many books referenced in the Old Testament that are still lost, The Book of the Covenant, The Book of the Prophet Nathan are two examples. We believe these books will be restored in due time, in the end all the lost scriptures will be restored.

Were things changed, lost, or forgotten before The New Testament was written?

Of course, we know that the Torah was lost of some periods during the OT times, one mention of this is the Story of Kind Josiah, he was the last righteous King of Judah before Nebakanezer conquered Judah. Unlike his fathers he sought after the will of the Lord, he rebuilt the temple and forsook the wicked ways of his fathers. He tore down the idols and high places and sought to restore righteousnesses to the Kingdom of Judah. The problem thought was that they had lost the Book of the Law, and with out it there was no way to follow the Lord. The Book of the Law (most likely the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) contained the laws of Moses and was found while they were rebuilding the temple.

What is The Book of Moses?

The Book of Moses is restored writings of Moses that cover the creation of the world and have more details about the life of Adam's posterity after he was forced from Eden. Excepts of the Book of Moses are found in the Pearl of Great Price, they were restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith as he was doing the Inspired Translation of the Holy Bible called the Joseph Smith Translation.

Did the Jews have it, and lose it before it was restored?

The Book is reference in 2 Chronicles 25:4, 2 Chronicles 35:12, Ezra 6:18, and Nehemiah 13:1. So I think it is established fact that the Jews had the Book of Moses, lost it, and excepts of it has been restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

These are some questions I have, and I would very much appreciate any answers, or suggestions anyone can offer.

Thanks for the questions and I hoped my answers helped!

[inquiringmind]

Thank you both.

Your comments were helpful.