# Baptism

Explore baptism as a ritual of healing, renewal, and commitment—symbolizing the burial of sin, resurrection in Christ, and entrance into God’s kingdom.

[Image: The “first principles and ordinances” of the gospel place baptism after faith, treating it as a concrete next step that follows belief and trust in Christ toward a changed life.]

A ritual cleansing, reserved only for those old enough to be held morally accountable, that both heals and restores the baptized person and formally marks their entrance into God’s kingdom.

Latterday Saints believe in baptism by full immersion under water. Among other things, this symbolizes forsaking one‘s former sins by burying them (along with one‘s former self) in the water, and arising from the water as a new person committed to a life in Christ. It also symbolically reenacts the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[Image: In this tradition, developing faith includes expecting real improvement in both personal life and the surrounding world, so baptism is framed as a deliberate, embodied commitment to live in Christ’s role.]

Baptism is the second of the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel, coming after Faith in Christ. After developing faith in the possibility of improvement, both of ourselves and of the world around us, we signify our faith by immersing our entire body (our heart and mind) in the role of Christ. Thus baptism by immersion becomes a symbol for our commitment to assuming Christ’s role in the world.

*See also*: [Atonement](/topical-guide/atonement), [Baptism for the Dead](/topical-guide/baptism-for-the-dead), [Covenant](/topical-guide/covenant), [Ordinance](/topical-guide/ordinance), [Repent](/topical-guide/repent), [Salvation](/topical-guide/salvation)