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Christ Visits Them Often
Philip
Stevenson - Facebook Post Sep 19th 2026
I love the LDS scriptures. Few LDS know what they teach.
Here's an example:
1) The Lord commanded the LDS church not to baptize anyone until AFTER they have received the remission of their sins and show it by their works.
D&C 20:37
37 And again, BY WAY OF COMMANDMENT to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly MANIFEST by their works that they HAVE RECEIVED of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.
This commandment has not been repealed or changed by revelation. In the Book of Mormon, they baptized people AFTER they received the remission of sins as a witness and a testimony that they had already received a remission of their sins.
3 Nephi 7:25
25 Therefore, there were ordained of Nephi, men unto this ministry, that all such as should come unto them should be baptized with water, and this as A WITNESS and A TESTIMONY before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and RECEIVED A REMISSION OF THEIR SINS.
There are more examples in the scriptures of people receiving the remission of sins, the baptism of fire, sealing power and other blessings without ordinances or priesthood, even when the church was organized and priesthood holders were present.
For example, Hel. 5. The entire chapter is about Nephi and Lehi's mission to the Lamanites. They were thrown in jail by the Lamanites. The story says the Lamanites had never been taught the gospel. Then because of Nephi and Lehi's faith, the prison walls shook and God spoke to the Lamanites and commanded them to repent 3 times, they were afraid. A Nephite decenter told them to pray to the voice for forgiveness. They did and received the remission of their sins and the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, (which we call the gift of the Holy Ghost today). This happened before Nephi and Lehi were released, before anyone was baptized and without the laying on of hands.
Mormon and Jesus both agreed that they received the baptism of fire (remission of sins) and the baptism of the Holy Ghost (gift of the Holy Ghost) at that moment. (3 Nephi 9:20, Ether 12:14).
In fact, they lived under the Law of Moses, administered by the Aaronic priesthood and from Lehi till Jesus visited and gave the power to lay hands on for the Holy Ghost in 3 Nephi 18:37. This means that every person who hand the Holy Ghost in the Book of Mormon before 3 Nephi 18:37, received it directly from God, without the laying on of hands. The same is true of all the prophets and people in the Bible from when Moses was taken till the New Testament in Acts 8:17.
Even after Jesus gave the disciples power to lay hands on for the Gift of the Holy Ghost in 3 Nephi 18:37, in the very next chapter, the disciples received the Holy Ghost without the laying on of hands as they came out of the waters of baptism, (3 Nephi 19:13-20).
3 Nephi 19:13
13 And it came to pass when they were all baptized AND HAD COME UP OUT OF THE WATER, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
Here's another modern example. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry receive the Aaronic priesthood but had not yet received the Melchizedek priesthood and so no one had authority to lay hands of to give the Holy Ghost. As soon as the were baptized and came out of the water, the Holy Ghost fell on them. This was not a temporary manifestation of the Holy Ghost, it was the gift of the Holy Ghost which stayed with them, enlightened their minds giving them prophecies and revelations.
Joseph Smith History 1:73-74
73 Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.
74 Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. In the meantime we were forced to keep secret the circumstances of having received the Priesthood and our having been baptized, owing to a spirit of persecution which had already manifested itself in the neighborhood.
It is essential to understand that the power of the Holy Ghost is a witness and does not include any of the Gifts of the spirit. The Gifts of the spirit only come by the gift of the Holy Ghost. So, speaking in tongues, healing, prophecy, and the other gifts are only experienced after a person receives the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This is why Peter recognized that Cornelius and the other gentiles had received "the gift of the Holy Ghost" "as well as we" meaning as much as we have, and not just felt its power or influence before they were baptized and confirmed.
Acts 10:44-47
44 ¶ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Want to play a game? I bet I can find two or more examples in the scriptures of people receiving the remission of sins or gift of the Holy Ghost without an ordinance for every one you can find with an ordinance. 
To start with the Holy Ghost, I'll reference every prophet and person from Moses to Christ in the Bible and every Prophet from Lehi to Christ in the Book of Mormon as examples of receiving the Holy Ghost without the laying on of hands. That includes Anna and Simeon who were led by the spirit to meet young Jesus at the temple when the church was corrupt and only had access to the Aaronic priesthood.