What Jesus told Nicodemus.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." We have just learned what it means to be born of water. When a man has gained the gift of faith and believes sincerely in the saving mission of Jesus Christ; when he has added to his faith works, and has learned to walk in the way of the righteous—then he must be baptized by immersion in order to fulfill all righteousness. As we have learned, such a man is then born of water: for, by obeying the law, he has laid aside his sins, and comes forth out of the water spiritually a new man, reborn. There are some people in the world who hold that when a man has done all this, he has fulfilled all the requirements, and may therefore hope to gain admittance into the kingdom of God without observing any further ceremony. But Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit." Evidently, then, to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born not only of water, but also of the spirit. And to be born of the spirit means to be born of the Holy Ghost. But, by what means may one be born of the spirit?

The laying on of hands.

This question is a very important one, since a man may not hope to enter the kingdom of God if he has not been born—or quickened—by the spirit. In the preceding lesson, it was stated that the Prophet, Joseph Smith, once stated the principal doctrines of the Church of Jesus {138} Christ of Latter-day Saints in a sort of creed, known as the Articles of Faith; and that the fourth article, in enumerating the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel, names the ordinance of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost as the fourth essential step in becoming a member of the Church of Christ. According to this statement, then, one may be born, or quickened, of the spirit—after having been baptized—through the ordinance of the laying on of hands. But was this the teaching of the primitive church and of the Lord Jesus Himself?

The teaching and practice of Paul.

Anxious that the saints to whom he ministered should grow in the knowledge of God, and should not stand still merely rehearsing the first and practice principles of the Gospel, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews as follows: "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands." It is very interesting to note that Paul lists here as one of the first four principles the ordinance of the laying on of hands. But what use did Paul make of the ordinance? It happened once that Paul, in his missionary travels, came, to the city of Ephesus, and found there certain disciples who had been baptized, apparently, by the followers of John the Baptist. Paul asked of these disciples, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, {139} Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied." This use, then, did Paul make of the ordinance of the laying on of hands: Upon those who had been baptized unto Jesus, Paul laid his hands, and he confirmed them, and the Holy Ghost then came upon them, endowing them with spiritual gifts. Moreover, this practice was not limited to the missionary labors of Paul alone; all the apostles likewise confirmed those who had been baptized and conferred thus the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them.

The practice of the apostles.

Furthermore, it was understood that only such men as possessed the necessary delegated authority from God might presume to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. It is recorded in the history of the doings of the apostles that Philip, a deacon, went down to Samaria and preached the Gospel to the Samaritans. Many of the Samaritans believed, and were baptized by Philip, among them a certain man named Simon, "which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one." But Philip, apparently did not hold the necessary authority to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost, and he was too wise and righteous a man to attempt to do what he had no right to do. So, "when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard {140} that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: . . . . then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Naturally, Simon the sorcerer was very much interested in this wonderful ceremony. Such power he had never seen manifested before. He longed himself to possess such authority. Therefore, he offered money to the apostles, saying, "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him. Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." The lesson here is perfect. The authority to lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost may not be merely assumed—not even by a man of such enduring faith as Philip's—neither may it be purchased with wordly goods.

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