D&C 20

Nephi writes -

"...my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 31:13)

It is the -

"...then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost..." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 31:13)

...to which I been thinking about today. In modern day the Lord has taught -

"..thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 19:31)

Moroni spoke of those that -

"...had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost..." (Book of Mormon Moroni 6:4)

I pondered a great deal concerning this "baptism of fire" which is associated with "even the Holy Ghost". I read this morning -

"...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." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 20:37)

It seems to me that this "baptism of fire" is a baptism of the "Spirit of Christ" or in other words, the "Light of Christ" which permeates the universe and is the medium that when a person is immersed in allows the power of the Holy Ghost to cleanse that person. Mormon taught that -

"...whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." (Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 9:20)

I think the experience of baptism of fire by the Lamanites teaches us a great thing about being in the immersed in the light or the "Light of Christ". This immersion may not be something that we readily recognize but yet is so encompassing that it provides the means whereby the Holy Ghost the power to teach, testify, and cleanse.