# A question about full immersion baptism. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2016, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-full-immersion-baptism/760104 "2016-07-17T05:34:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-full-immersion-baptism/760104/61 "2016-07-25T10:42:22Z")
There do seem to be a lot of mostly-lapsed Catholics who still get their kids baptized, though. My church has several baptisms a month with families that we never see again at any of the masses. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-full-immersion-baptism/760104/62 "2016-07-25T10:58:16Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > In 2011 We visited the site where John the Baptist did Jesus (of course, as asserted by locals in 1000AD or so to entertain visiting crusaders. The area had apparently recently re-opened, after John the Baptist had been relocated for many years further north on a less contested part of the Jordan River. ) > … > However, I suspect this was less a first-time baptism for them, and more likely a repeat performance because of the location. I visited the same site last year, and there were some groups who looked South Asian doing what were probably repeat baptisms. It would be very interesting if Christian denominations demanded full-immersion baptism in the Jordan River 🙂 (My own baptism was in the Anglican Communion. I remember it well, because it was adult baptism, at the age of 12, because I wanted to be confirmed, like my classmates in scripture class. And it wasn’t full immersion – just a little sprinkling of water.) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-full-immersion-baptism/760104/63 "2016-07-25T11:44:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There do seem to be a lot of mostly-lapsed Catholics who still get their kids baptized, though. My church has several baptisms a month with families that we never see again at any of the masses. The key point being that “mostly”. I know many of those, as well as many others who suddenly remember the kid is baptized come First Communion age or others who will go to Mass until the youngest has had Communion and the kids choose their own ways. ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-full-immersion-baptism/760104/64 "2016-07-25T16:20:40Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Less common for LDS than it used to be. In areas without a baptismal font people will be baptized any body of water that is convenient. At least for the local LDS congregations, the baptism is a semi-private ceremony by invitation. I have ended up as a “plus one” when a couple of my daughter’s friends invited her. The font is a pool in the floor, like a seatless hot tub, and with an angled mirror overhead for that viewpoint. The baptism is done by the father of the family, rather than an ordained minister (Well, OK, to them he is an ordained priest, but you know what I meant …). ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-full-immersion-baptism/760104/65 "2016-07-29T23:58:14Z")
> [@MacLir](#): > > At least for the local LDS congregations, the baptism is a semi-private ceremony by invitation. I have ended up as a “plus one” when a couple of my daughter’s friends invited her. The baptism isn’t semi-private; it’s completely public. The event is announced at a Sacrament Service before the baptismal service. Obviously, those folks who don’t happen to attend said service won’t be there to hear the announcement. This has led to the tradition of sending out invitations to people the family or the person getting baptized (why isn’t _baptizee_ in the dictionary?) wishes to witness the event but were not present for the announcement in church. > [@](#): > > The font is a pool in the floor, like a seatless hot tub, and with an angled mirror overhead for that viewpoint. I’ve seen quite the variety of fonts in LDS chapels around the world. Some are as you described; others are at one side of the room with cinema-style chairs on an inclined floor; while others are set in a room next to one of the classrooms and a large sliding door is opened so those observing can crowd the railing across the doorway and glimpse the event. > [@](#): > > The baptism is done by the father of the family, rather than an ordained minister (Well, OK, to them he is an ordained priest, but you know what I meant …). If the father has been ordained to the office of Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood or to any office in the Melchizedek Priesthood, then he can perform the ordinance. Otherwise, that honor goes to whomever the family/baptizee requests provided, of course, the person requested has received the appropriate ordination. For example, when my best friend converted years ago, he requested I perform the ceremony, which I did–at the mouth of the Carmel River in California. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-full-immersion-baptism/760104.md?page=3)