snow themed baptism talk

Snowflakes & Baptism

Introduction to Baptism

I am so excited to be here for [child’s] baptism and we’re so thankful that all of you could make it today to celebrate her decision to follow Jesus Christ. 

When Jesus Christ was 30 years old, he went to the Jordan River and was baptized by John the Baptist. Not because he had sinned and needed to repent, but because he needed to set an example for us.

When we make the choice to be baptized, we make the choice to begin following in the footsteps of the Savior.

Baptism is the first promise we make on the path that leads us back to Heavenly Father and being with our families forever.

Today I want to share some ways that snowflakes are like the ordinance of baptism.

Snow Makes Everything Clean

When you see snow, what do you think? [wait for answers] When snow falls it covers everything in a fresh layer of clean white. 

Isaiah 1:18 tells us that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow”. We are all going to make a lot of mistakes in life, but that’s okay! I have made a LOT of mistakes in the past couple of days alone. 

With faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, baptism does allow us to be clean again, just like a layer of fresh snow covers everything. And luckily, you can “renew” your baptismal covenants every week when you take the sacrament. That means when we take the sacrament, we can think about the promises we make when we’re baptized and make them all over again!

Each Snowflake is Unique

Now, did you know that each snowflake is different? If you put it under a microscope, you would see that instead of just being a wet glob, each individual snowflake is actually a completely unique piece of art–just like you!

When we are baptized we make a covenant, or two-way promise, with Heavenly Father.

We promise Him that we will do certain things, and in return He promises to bless us.

Every Sunday when we take the Sacrament we hear these promises. We promise to remember Jesus Christ, to keep His commandments, and to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. This means that we put Him first in our lives. We do what He wants instead of what the world wants us to do.

Although these promises are technically “the same”, because we’re each unique individuals, how we keep these promises, and the blessings we receive for keeping them, will be unique also–just like a snowflake! As you get older I want you to think about how you can best follow Jesus Christ. Our loving Savior knows who you are, and He cares about your heart, your choices, and your efforts.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

After we make these promises the Lord in return promises us that we can have the gift of the companionship of the Holy Ghost and we can be forgiven.The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead and testifies of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He also comforts us, and helps us know what is true. He helps us be spiritually strong, warns us of danger, and helps us learn.

Anyone can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost as a comforter and guide, but because you’re going to be given the gift of the Holy Ghost you can have him in your life as a constant companion as long as you are choosing the right like you promised at baptism. You’re going to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost in a little bit and it’s such a wonderful gift!

There are also ways that snow is like the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit.

Snow (and the Holy Ghost) Needs the Right Conditions

Just like snow needs the right conditions to stick around, so does the Holy Ghost. In life you might find yourself in a bad situation. Having the Spirit with us as our constant companion helps us to feel peace and know what’s right. So if you are somewhere and are feeling uncomfortable, that might be the Spirit telling you to leave because it doesn’t want to stick around.

The Spirit Speaks Quietly

There’s another way that the Holy Ghost is kind of like snow.

Who has ever been outside when snow is falling? I don’t mean a big loud blizzard, I mean a gentle snowfall. [wait for answers, then speak very softly] Have you ever noticed how quietly snow falls? The Holy Ghost usually doesn’t shout to communicate with us. Usually, when the Spirit is speaking to us, it’s very quiet. Like a feeling or a thought that we will have. We have to learn to listen for the Spirit in our lives.

Conclusion

I hope that after today when you see snow you will always remember your special baptism day and what we talked about here. 

One–With faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, baptism allows us to be clean again when we make mistakes in life, just like a layer of fresh snow covers everything.

Two–You are as unique as a snowflake, our loving Savior cares about your heart, your choices, and your efforts to follow Him and keep His commandments.

Three–Snow needs the right conditions to stick around, and so does the Spirit. He will be your constant companion in life as long as you are making good choices.

Four–Just like snow falls quietly, the Spirit will usually communicate with us through quiet ways. We need to learn to recognize promptings from the Holy Ghost.

[Close with your testimony]