Daily Thoughts

In the P of GP we read about how Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery inquired of the Lord regarding baptism, after having read about it in the book they were translating.  They were then visited by a heavenly messenger, John the Baptist, who conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon them and instructed them to baptize each other.  Joseph Smith History 1: 68-72 "We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying: Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.  He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and that afterwards he should baptize me.  Accordingly we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me—after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood—for so we were commanded. The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first Elder of the Church, and he (Oliver Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized."


In the New Testament we're told that God resists the proud but grants grace to the humble. If we're willing to humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up. James 4:6, 10 "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

Going right along with this, some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that he who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is someone who humbles himself as a little child.  This doesn't mean that we need to be childish and immature, but that we need to be childlike in our faith and humility--teachable and trusting, willing to submit to the will of the Lord.  Matthew 18: 3-4 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."