“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17
A voice in the wilderness, a humble prophet, the sinless Son walking into the Jordan, and the heavens opened. Walk the map, look closer, and ask John’s question for yourself.
Before Jesus began teaching publicly, a prophet named John, known as John the Baptist, preached in the wilderness near the Jordan River. He called people to repent, to turn their hearts back to God, and he baptized those who were ready, preparing them for the Messiah.
When Jesus was about thirty, He came from Galilee and asked John to baptize Him. John felt unworthy, because Jesus had no sins, but Jesus said it was right “to fulfil all righteousness.” As Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened, the Holy Ghost descended like a dove, and Heavenly Father’s voice declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Who’s who
John the Baptist: son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, a prophet with authority to baptize
Jesus: about thirty years old, beginning His ministry
The crowds: people from Jerusalem, Judea and the Jordan region
The Father and the Holy Ghost: present through His voice and the sign of the dove
Where and when
The wilderness of Judea and the Jordan River.
Watch for the Savior
Jesus had no sins, yet He was baptized, to obey His Father and show us the way (2 Nephi 31:7–9).
Eight stops, from the wilderness to the opened heavens. Scroll, or tap a number on the map.
Part 2 of 7
The story, plainly
Four scenes: the wilderness, the riverbank, the water and the opened heavens. Look for the Savior in each one.
Read it plainly
The words that trip people up
Tap any dotted word for its meaning. The scripture stays exactly as written.1
Matthew 1:2 “the kingdom of heaven Meaning: is near, almost here.”
Matthew 1:4 “his Meaning: clothing. of camel’s hair, and a Meaning: leather belt. about his loins; and his Meaning: food. was locusts and wild honey”
Matthew 1:8 “Bring forth therefore fruits Meaning: fitting for, worthy of. repentance”
Matthew 1:12 “Whose Meaning: a winnowing fork for tossing grain. (See Part 3.) is in his hand, and he will Meaning: thoroughly clean. his floor, and gather his wheat into the Meaning: storehouse.”
Matthew 1:14 “But John Meaning: tried to stop. him”
Matthew 1:15 “Meaning: allow it. to be so now: for thus it Meaning: is fitting for. us to Meaning: fill full, complete. (See Part 5.) all righteousness”
Matthew 1:16 “went up Meaning: right away. out of the water”
Part 3 of 7
Look closer
This is a true account, not a parable. Some cards are details in the text; others share insights from prophets and Church resources, and each card says which.
0 of 9 turned
All nine. A river, a prophet’s robe, desert food, the axe and the fan, humble sandals, rising water, the dove and the opened heavens. Matthew 3
Part 4 of 7
Where are you by the river?
People came to the Jordan preparing, doubting themselves, ready to covenant, or longing to be loved. Which feels most like you right now?
A next step for you
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Try it
What shall we do?
Different people asked John the same question and each got an answer that fit their life. Then John had a question for Jesus. Tap each card to see the answer.
“Follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.” 2 Nephi 31:12
Part 5 of 7
Their world, their words
A little background helps us see John’s authority and the world he preached in. Outside sources are labeled.
Church manual · Joseph Smith
Authority from God
The Prophet Joseph Smith: “John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power.”7
Jesus came “from Galilee to Jordan unto John”: to the one who held authority.
Church manual
A troubled priesthood
“For years, Herod and other Roman officials had appointed high priests based on political convenience or bribery.”7 So “the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”2
God called His prophet in the wilderness, not the palace.
Apostle · Talmage
Cousins
Elder Talmage: “John and Jesus were second cousins; as to whether there had existed any close companionship between the two as boys or men we are not told.”6
Still, John knew at once that Jesus needed no repentance.
Scripture
About thirty
“And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age.”2 After the quiet years in Nazareth, His public ministry began at the water.
Jesus “went up straightway out of the water.”1 Nephi described it as “following your Lord and your Savior down into the water.”3
Word study · Greek
plēroō πληρόω · “fulfil” (Matthew 3:15)
Bible Hub: “to make full, to complete.”10Outside · lexicon
Nephi asked “wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?” His answer: Jesus showed He “would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments,” and set “the example before them.”3
What the text does not say
Scripture doesn’t say the Holy Ghost turned into a dove. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the Holy Ghost “cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John.”7 The Gospels don’t give the exact place on the Jordan, and we aren’t told how well John and Jesus knew each other growing up.6
Part 6 of 7
Look to Him
He didn’t need baptism for Himself. He was baptized to show us the way, and the Father bore witness of Him.
Centuries earlier, Nephi saw this baptism and drew the lesson for us: “if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we.”
“Water baptism is not alone the means provided for gaining remission of sins, but is also an indispensable ordinance established in righteousness and required of all mankind.”
“Notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father.” 2 Nephi 31:7
Another Testament
Follow thou me
“And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me.” And the Son’s voice: “follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.” 2 Nephi 31:10, 12
Part 7 of 7
Seek Him today
The Father’s words
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17
The Father testified of His Son, and the Son invites us: “follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.”3 What is one thing you’ve seen Him do that you can do this week?
Try it today
Each thing you do prepares the way. It saves on this device, one day at a time.
0 of 6 today
This week:0 of 7 days
Six steps on the straight path. Come again tomorrow.
A quiet moment
“Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened.”
Read Luke 3:21–22 slowly. Jesus prayed, and heaven opened. Pray now, and listen for what Heavenly Father wants you to know about who you are. Luke 3:21–22
A verse to hold
Talk about it
Why do you think John felt he should be baptized by Jesus instead?
Jesus was perfect. Why was He baptized?
John gave different answers to the people, the publicans and the soldiers. What answer might he give you?
What did the Father say about His Son? How do you think Jesus felt hearing it?
Open
For adults and deeper study
Go deeper
Longer readings, harder questions, and where to study next. Each one says what it is before you click.
Scripture
2 Nephi 31: the doctrine of Christ
Nephi’s vision of the Savior’s baptism, why the Holy One was baptized, and the gate and path that follow: faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.3
Everything on this page as a 11-page letter-size PDF: the map, scenes, cards, activity, word studies, tracker, Go deeper and sources. For home, class or a quiet Sunday.
The Baptism of Jesus is part of the Scripture Story Sketch Notes for the New Testament, set alongside Come, Follow Me for January 18–24, 2027 (Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3).
Independent study notes from Weak Things, not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. This is a true account, not a parable; the insights in “Look closer” are labeled by source.
