Baptism is perhaps the most basic and fundamental of all the ordinances in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, the teachings on baptism in the New Testament must not be too clear, for wide diversities exist among Christian churches concerning such fundamentals as: (1) the necessity and purpose of baptism, (2) the age of baptism, (3) whether or not priesthood power is necessary to baptize, (4) the mode or method of baptism, and (5) the words to be used in the baptismal prayer.
However, the Savior clarifies many of the essential concepts on baptism in a few brief verses in the Book of Mormon. In chapter 11 of 3 Nephi, he indicates: (1) baptism is for the remission of sins (verse 23), (2) thus a person who is baptized should be old enough to repent of his sins (verse 23), (3) priesthood authority or power is needed in order for a person to baptize (verses 21-22), (4) baptism should be performed by immersion (verses 23-27), and (5) the person baptizing should say the words: “Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen” (verse 25).
Some students have raised the question as to why the words of the baptismal prayer in the Book of Mormon differ slightly from the prayer listed in the Doctrine and Covenants. In this dispensation the Lord has counseled us to use these words in baptizing a person, after calling the candidate by name: “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” (D&C 20:73.) The only difference in the two prayers is the introductory statement. In the Book of Mormon the disciples were counseled to say “having authority given me of Jesus Christ,” whereas in this dispensation we are told to say “having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.”
One possible explanation for this difference may be associated with the problem of translation. For example, it is not always possible to translate exact words into other languages; thus, the baptismal prayer is not exactly the same in all languages. Another possibility for explaining this difference is that the disciples in the Book of Mormon received their authority directly from Jesus Christ; therefore, they rightfully could say “having authority given me of Jesus Christ.” However, in this dispensation priesthood bearers have been given the power to baptize from John the Baptist, who was commissioned by Jesus Christ to come to earth and restore this authority. Therefore, in this dispensation we use the words “having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.”