Sometimes Latter-day Saints express the wish that they could be baptized again—and thereby become as clean and worthy as the day on which they received their first saving gospel ordinance. May I respectfully suggest that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son do not intend for us to experience such a feeling of spiritual renewal, refreshment, and restoration just once in our lives. The blessings of obtaining and always retaining a remission of our sins through gospel ordinances help us understand that baptism is a point of departure in our mortal spiritual journey; it is not a destination we should yearn to revisit over and over again.
~David A Bednar
The revelation pertains to the Sacrament. We are taught that the sacrament performs the same function as the baptismal covenant.
“When we are baptized, we take upon ourselves the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Taking upon us His name is one of the most significant experiences we have in life. … “Each week in sacrament meeting we promise to remember the atoning sacrifice of our Savior as we renew our baptismal covenant. We promise to do as the Savior did—to be obedient to the Father and always keep His commandments. The blessing we receive in return is to always have His Spirit to be with us.”
When we partake of the sacrament, we are renewing our baptismal covenant. So then why is the sacrament rarely accompanied by as much spiritual joy as the initial baptism?
I believe it has to do with the amount of repentance involved. Prior to baptism, most people perform an exacting spiritual account of themselves, searching their conduct and behavior for every misplaced thought and deed. They bring them before the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit of the sincerest type. Prior to the ordinance, they prepare.
Rarely do we approach the sacrament with similar gravity. A quick prayer prior to church is a good start but insufficient. If we expect the same sweet outpouring of the spirit and the same burning conviction that our sins are forgiven us, we must prepare with as much fervor as the sincere baptismal candidate. We must truly have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
One thought is so important it bears repeating. PRIOR TO THE ORDINANCE, THEY PREPARE.
This is true not only for the sacrament, but for temple worship, scripture study, nightly prayers, and indeed, any real attempt at bringing heaven's power into our lives. For the Spirit to truly descend and dwell in our hearts, we must not treat these opportunities casually.
Thomas Paine expressed this truth succinctly. I will quote him, and replace the word "freedom" with the word "forgiveness."
“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as [forgiveness] should not be highly rated.”
So, if you want an inner fire of the spirit to bring you to tears, you must work for it. If you want an absolute assurance of God's love for you, then empty your heart so that He may fill it. No man who has done this has ever said, "it is easy!" But neither has any man so doing ever said, "it was not worth it."
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