How to become a "Mormon" or baptized disciple of Jesus Christ

Whether you have a desire or not to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you might be curious about the steps. To become a member you must be baptized by someone who has priesthood authority or the Aaronic Priesthood and has been ordained a priest. Once you are baptized, you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and then are listed on the records of the church as a member. Simple.

Except you have to be ready to make covenants with God. You must have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent, and then be interviewed by a priesthood leader. The questions are designed to verify your ability to keep the covenants you make during baptism and to determine if you are worthy to be baptized. You can read the questions in Chapter 12 of Preach My Gospel under Baptismal Interview Questions. The questions cover your testimony of God the Father and Jesus Christ, your belief in Joseph Smith, your worthiness and commitment to being sexually clean, paying tithing, keeping the Sabbath Day holy and more. When you are baptized you covenant to always remember Christ, to live like Him, and to keep His commandments. You must be ready to make and keep these covenants.

These steps are the same for children who are eight and for those who are older. Our children are not members when they are born. They must wait until they are eight to be baptized. That's because a child has to be old enough to know right and wrong, choose between right and wrong, and be able to repent and keep the commandments.

My youngest child will be eight soon. To help prepare him for baptism we've been discussing topics related to baptism each week in Family Home Evening. Can a child who doesn't remember to brush his teeth in the morning be expected to commit to a life of keeping the commandments? I know that when I was baptized, I didn't comprehend the covenants I made. But afterwards I received the gift of the Holy Ghost and that guided me as a child and continues to guide me daily, even hourly. I also know that although the baptismal ordinance is short and simple, as each of my older four children have been immersed in the water, the Spirit witnesses to my heart that my child is making the right choice, that baptism is necessary and the first step in returning to our Heavenly Father. And then I've seen those same children become more aware of right and wrong as the Holy Ghost guides and directs them.