Becoming Peculiar

Our Baptism Traditions start at age 7 when the child begins to create a baptism binder. I have gathers a few books and workbooks from Deseret Book with activities and lessons about baptism. During the year the child is encouraged to teach FHE lessons on baptism, to choose recitation scriptures about baptism, and to gather all material into a scrapbook called simply, MY BAPTISM BINDER. The primary theme for 2000 was "I will make and keep my baptismal covenants" so the Friends for that year are a great resource for stories, activities, and lesson ideas. I am so thankful for the many people who have taken time to create such great projects and then place them on the internet to share them. I love to be able to pick and choose and use only the pages that I like to create my own books. http://www.theideadoor.com/Bhandouts.html

One of our favorite things that we did was I took my daughter to the temple (we only live a mile away) about a month before her baptism and did a photo shoot. I just used my digital camera and took a bunch of pictures of her. We then worked together on the computer to create an invitation to her baptism to send to her friends and family.

I feel that it is important for them to be interviewed not only by the Bishop, but also by their direct priesthood authority, their father. So before their scheduled interview with the Bishop my husband has a special interview with them. This is time for them to discuss details of what will happen, and to determine worthiness and testimony. I think that this is very important relationship to build, Bishops will come and go, but Dad's will be around forever. This also helps to lesson the nervousness of the Bishop's interview. We allow our children to take their Baptism binder to show to the Bishop.

I also wanted to have a grand tradition like a huge party with the whole family, highlighting this child, but the timing never worked out, I didn't want to do it before, and get everyone dirty before the baptism, afterwards everyone should be fasting, and I love having the confirmation the evening of the baptism so family members can attend their own sacrament meetings the following day and not disrupt to many schedules. I didn't have the parties because of the stress levels involved, but as I spoke at my daughters baptism I was inspired to point out how many people had gathered (we had a full chapel) to witness the baptism of seven children. The ordinance takes just seconds, yet the preparation, gathering, and waiting takes time. I pointed out how important this step onto the straight and narrow path is, that so many people would STOP what they are doing and get dressed up and travel great distances just to witness a simple ordinance. I now believe that having a grand party would detract from the sacredness of the ordinance.

We also let our children choose a baptism scrapbook that Deseret Book carries and try to help them fill it out. We make sure that they have their guest sign the book. I hope that they will always remember how many people love them and are watching them, and cheering them on as they move down the straight and narrow path and hold to the iron rod.

So far I have only had two girls turn eight and I made a white dress for the oldest one, and then remodeled it for the second one. In our family the dress is extra special because it is made from the same type of fabric that I used in my wedding dress. Actually, they both wore the same blessing dress and it was made from the leftover scraps from my wedding dress. They get to wear their baptism dress for about 6 months following their baptism and then it is put up. Little girls love to feel beautiful and clean and that wearing their white dress reminds them of their baptism, yet it is also a special dress. It is the only white dress that they will wear in public for any length of time here in our telestial world. Later they will be married, and then will have another white dress, their temple dress, which I hope that they will also wear often.

Baptism is just one of many steps along the pathway of Rightousness that leads to the Celstial Kingdom, it should be a sacred occasion that is well planned for and the preparation work is what takes the most time, we can't cram and have a truly prepared child, we must begin preparing out children early. Preparation could be considered the best Baptism Tradition.