The Three Bears
Author Unknown
 

Baptism Bear Bookmark (Credit Unknown)
 

I'm sure all of you know the story of the 3 bears.  Sometime this year you will be baptized and I want to tell you about the 3 bears of baptism.  These bears remind us of the covenants we make with our Heavenly Father when we are baptized.  A covenant is a very special kind of promise.  The baptismal covenant is promises we make and the promise of great blessings our Heavenly Father makes to us.  He NEVER breaks HIS promises, but he knows that sometimes we might break  ours.  So he has given us a chance every week to renew our Baptismal Covenant or in other words start over to keep our promises to Him.  It is when we take the sacrament that we can renew the promises we made when we were baptized.

We don't hear these covenants or promises when we are being baptized but we find them in the scriptures.  The first promise or the first BEAR is in the Book of Mormon in the 26th chapter of Mosiah verse 18.  We promise that we are willing to bear, carry or be known by his name and we will be his children and belong to him.  Just as you bear your father's name and you belong to him.  In ancient times the followers of Jesus were called Christians.  Now we can be called Latter-day Saints or Christians.  Either one means we bear His name. 

Our second BEAR of baptism is to bear testimony, to offer or to bear witness that we know Jesus is the Son of God.  That we know he is our Savior and we know His gospel is true.  We must bear this testimony all the rest of our lives.  This is one way we show our love for Jesus and our Heavenly Father.

Our third BEAR of baptism is that we bear one another's burdens, that they may be light.  That means we help each other with the work that needs to be done and also we help others when they have trouble and sorrow so they won't suffer alone.  This is one way we can follow the Savior's commandment to love one another, the same way He loves us.

Alma taught these same baptism covenants to the people.  He was baptizing people at the waters of Mormon... (read Mosiah 18: 8-10) (as you read point out the bears -'called his people' -bear his name, 'stand as witness' -bear testimony and of course bear one another's burdens). 

Did you hear what Heavenly Father promises - that He will pour out His spirit upon us, I can think of nothing better than to always have his spirit with us. 

If you forget these covenants listen carefully to the priests as they bless the sacrament (you can re-read the Mosiah scripture one more time) And remember your bears... 

You bear his name.
You bear your testimony.
You bear one another's burdens.