DS claims baptism validated by faith, authority not required.

Date
2011
Type
Book
Source
Denver Snuffer
LDS
Disaffected
Critic
Hearsay
Direct
Reference

Denver C. Snuffer, Jr., Passing the Heavenly Gift (Salt Lake City: Mill Creek Press, 2011), 418-419

Scribe/Publisher
Mill Creek Press
People
Denver Snuffer
Audience
Reading Public
Transcription

It would be good to have an authorized minister perform the ordinance, but the language of Section 20 is not contingent on authority. Rather, it is the faith of one recieving baptism which determines the ordinance's validity. The church offices described in Section 20 are not dependent on priesthood auhtority. Nor is authority given to the church dependent upon a man. The direction to organize the church is all that was required. After that, the presiding authoritites derive their right to preside from the common consent of church members.

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