Link the Two Together

“When parents are teaching their children and when missionaries are teaching investigators, preparing them for baptism by water, they must also think of the gift of the Holy Ghost—baptism by fire. Think of it as one sentence. First comes the baptism of water and then the baptism of fire.

Someone may ask the missionaries, “How are things going?” or “Are you teaching anyone?”
The missionaries automatically answer, “Yes, we have a family preparing for baptism and confirmation, for receiving the Holy Ghost.”

Or a father and mother might say to a child, “When you are eight years old, you will be ready to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.”

I repeat, to be baptized and to receive the Holy Ghost—link those two together.”
Boyd K. Packer, “The Gift of the Holy Ghost: What Every Member Should Know,” Ensign, Aug 2006, 46–52
I read this article a few weeks ago and realized that although in my mind baptism and confirmation are linked and are both important, I rarely, if ever, said it the way Elder Packer said to say it. My youngest is 6 so she has 2 more years before her baptism, so I can practice saying them together.

I remembered this on Saturday while attending a baptism of two adults who have been investigating the church for a while and the family has been baptized one or two at a time. The baptism was great, but they had to wait until sacrament meeting on Sunday to receive the Holy Ghost. I found myself anxious and even impatient for them. I’m sure there are reasons that converts’ confirmations are the next day, but I didn’t want them to have to wait a single day more before receiving this amazing blessing of having the presence of a member of the Godhead with them. The confirmations went fine on Sunday and I’m sure, like all of us, it will take them a while to realize what the promptings of the Holy Ghost feel like, but hopefully they can already feel a difference in their lives.