"I don't feel ready to be baptized quite yet."

Maybe you've found yourself in the situation where you feel impressed to be baptized or the missionaries have invited you to do so, but you don't feel quite ready yet. Maybe you don't feel worthy enough, or you're not quite sure you really have the desire. Maybe you haven't received all the answers you're searching for, or maybe you feel you will have another opportunity to be baptized.

I feel that maybe I have found your response in one of my favorite scriptures. In Moroni chapter 10: 32

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

 When does Christ tell us to come unto Him? Now. Does he say we need to wait until we feel like we know everything about all church doctrine? No. Does he ask that we become perfect people? No. He asks us to come unto Him now, so that he can help us and help perfect us. I promise you that the blessings of baptism will always out way your doubts. Elder Holland  describes perfectly what we must do in them midst of doubt. 

"I wish to encourage every one of you today regarding opposition that so often comes after enlightened decisions have been made, after moments of revelation and conviction have given us a peace and an assurance we thought we would never lose. In his letter to the Hebrews, the Apostle Paul was trying to encourage new members who had just joined the Church, who undoubtedly had had spiritual experiences and had received the pure light of testimony, only to discover that not only had their troubles not ended, but that some of them had only begun.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. . . .
. . . If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. . . .
. . . We are not of them who draw back unto perdition. [Hebrews 10:35–36, 38–39; emphasis added]

In LDS talk that is to say, “Sure it is tough—before you join the Church, while you are trying to join, and after you have joined.” That is the way it has always been, Paul said, but don’t “draw back,” he warned. Don’t panic and retreat. Don’t lose your confidence. Don’t forget how you once felt. Don’t distrust the experience you had."  

Why is baptism worth it? What blessings are in store for you? Elder Robert D Hales, an apostle of the Lord said,

"The gift of the Holy Ghost, given to us when we are confirmed, gives us the ability to discern the difference between the giving ways of the kingdom of God and the taking practices of the world. The Holy Ghost gives us the strength and courage to conduct our lives in the ways of the kingdom of God and is the source of our testimony of the Father and the Son. As we obey the will of our Father in Heaven, this priceless gift of the Holy Ghost will be with us continually.

We will receive “a mighty change … in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” We will keep our “covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things … all the remainder of our days”" (Mosiah 5:2, 5).

We literally are given a member of the Godhead to lead and guide us. All of our sins are washed away. Every single one. We are allowed on the path to the Celestial Kingdom, the highest kingdom of Heaven where our Heavenly Father lives. We become members of Christ's church. And lastly, you will have the reassurance that you are doing what your Heavenly Father expects of you .



My baptism has shaped the course of my entire life. Has it been easy? No. But has it been worth it? Absolutely. I promise you that you will never regret making this covenant with our Heavenly Father. If you have felt your Heavenly Father's love as you have been taught about baptism, and if you have desires to follow Jesus Christ and become better. You are ready for baptism. "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him." The Savior is waiting for you and He will patiently  wait until you make your first step in the waters of baptism.