TRAVIS’ BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION

By: Norberto Betita

Travis Betita Preciosa with father Fraodel R. Preciosa

He now turns 8 years old and was baptized by his father---Fraodel Cuartero Preciosa---who is at the same time his branch president. As his grandfather, I was privileged to confirm him a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and bestowed upon him the Gift of the Holy Ghost. These are his second and third Priesthood ordinance since birth. Through these saving ordinances, He is now ushered into the straight and narrow way to the ever open door of the Celestial Kingdom of God. From this day and forward, he will be nurtured and guided by his parents towards receiving other required priesthood ordinances necessary for his eventual service in God’s earthly kingdom, to receive the glory promised to the faithful.

I am grateful that during the past eight years, he had grown strong and healthy and vigorous despite his earlier physical challenge of having been born with only one kidney. He already had the privilege of being checked by a Pediatric Nephrologist and found to be just as physically normal as other children although there are restrictions as regards physical activities that requires more body contacts.

With family

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He is now in his second grade and is doing fine, although getting his hard times of adjusting to the mother tongue language which is used as principal instructional language for 2nd graders. His mother has had the hardest time to teach him the mother tongue because prior to the start of his formal school, he had been speaking in the English language. Such a language had seemed to be his first and original lingua franca. At home he converse with her cousins in the English language. Somehow, at least after his formal schooling, he can now readily understand our native dialect.

Birthday celebration after baptism

As a grandfather, I am truly grateful to witness his father baptizing him as a worthy Priesthood Holder. It is also one great privilege for me to perform the very important ordinance of Confirmation and bestowal of the Holy Ghost upon him. I am grateful that this had become a tradition in the family. As a father and grandfather, it doesn’t matter to me if we live in poverty and destitution, for as long as our family remains to be active participants in the Kingdom of God and not just spectators. After all, I know and believe that when the day that we will be summoned before the judgment bar of the great Jehovah, the righteous judge of all the living and the dead, we will not be asked about our degrees, attainments, accomplishments and our bank accounts. The most important thing that the Lord will ask of us and which will be the ultimate basis for His righteous judgment centers on our family life and our participation in His work upon the earth in accordance with the Priesthood covenants and promises we make with Him and Heavenly Father. We will not be going back to our heavenly home as individuals, but as families to receive the "power, might, and dominion" he promised as we attain the glory of the exalted celestial sphere of Heavenly Fathers Kingdom, there to live as kings and queens, prince and princesses.

With friends, visitors and guests

After baptism---which lead him at the gate of the Celestial Kingdom---Travis will now walk the covenant path taking always with him the name of Jesus Christ and to always remember Him. He is to always keep the commandments and served his fellowmen, enduring well to the end. He is promised the Spirit to be with him always as he lives his life worthy of its influence. He is now accountable for his personal sins and therefore should start to learn and know many more about the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ and the gift of repentance for forgiveness of sins and as a condition for the great sacrifice of the Lord to have an effect in his life and salvation. His parents will be his nurturing and caring hands that will help him walk the straight and narrow way to his eternal journey. The Lord warned parents, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). “And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents. And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands. And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25, 27–28).

“…I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:40).

In due time and proper age, Travis will also receive the Holy Priesthood ---The power and authority of God given to man to act in all things pertaining to salvation---by ordination to be performed by his father. I wish I will still have that opportunity to participate and witness such a holy ordinance which will eventually launch him to greater callings and service in Heavenly Father’s Kingdom.

It is my ardent hope and most sincere prayer that Travis will continue to grow in righteousness and virtue. That he will always take to himself this counsel of Alma to his son Helaman, “O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.

“Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

“Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 37:35-37).

May these words be a constant reminder for him in his growing up years. My days are becoming shorter, but of my remaining days in mortality, Travis can always trust that I will be supporting him in all his efforts to spiritual progress and maturity.