Who baptized Adam?

Question

Dear Gramps,

I read the part about Adam being commanded to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. So WHO baptized Adam, by immersion, in the name of the Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, and bestowed upon him the Holy Ghost? I understand that an angel appeared to bestow the Holy Ghost AFTER Adam showed his obedience to God. Certainly Adam didn’t baptize himself, and I doubt that Eve held those keys either. I am a Mormon believer, but some answers leave me confused.

Mormon in Florida

Answer

Dear Mormon in Florida,

Why do you think that Adam couldn’t baptize himself? That is exactly what Alma did, as we read in Mosiah 18:12-15.

And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart.

And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world.

 

And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit.

 

And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury himself again in the water.

However, we learn from the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible, in JST Genesis 6:64, that Adam was indeed baptized by the Holy Ghost:

And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water; and thus he was baptized.

Gramps