Gail Haika and her 12-year-old daughter Dayzen had a surprise visitor at their baptismal service on 22 February in Adelaide, Australia.
Elder Ian S. Ardern with Gail and Daysen Haika, and family and friends. 22 February 2020.
Left to Right: Tepapaka Haika, Dayzen Haika, Gail Haika, Elder Ian S. Ardern, Leilani Croft, Osharn Brown, Shelley Brown, Zavier Brown.© 2020 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.The mother and daughter have been learning about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for some time, and recently made the decision to be baptised and to join the Church.
One day before the baptism service, Gail expressed a concern about how she could sustain and support Church leaders, such as President Russell M. Nelson, the worldwide president of the Church, without meeting them in person.
Full-time missionaries Sister Ciara Fuller and Sister Jessica Combrink shared with Gail and Daysen that even though they had not met President Nelson either, they knew from experience and through the power of the Holy Ghost that he was a Prophet of God.
They also shared with Gail and Dayzen that there were many Church leaders throughout the world, such as in local congregations and at a regional level, such as Elder Ian S. Ardern, who is currently serving as the Pacific Area President of the Church, overseeing Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the island nations and territories of the South Pacific.
Gail expressed her faith in Jesus Christ and her belief in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and acknowledged that her knowledge and faith would increase over time.
The next day, at her and her daughter’s baptismal service, they were surprised when some guests she hadn’t met before arrived and sat down on the stand in the chapel. One of the visitors was Elder Ardern, who spoke during the meeting, sharing his witness that President Russell M. Nelson was a Prophet of God.
The Church’s Newsroom website states that “Baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires full immersion in water by a person who holds the priesthood authority to baptize. It is the means by which people join the Church. Those who are baptized into the Church are cleansed of their previous sins and placed under covenant to live the principles of the gospel. A person becomes a member of the Church only after they are both baptized and confirmed. A person is confirmed a member of the Church after baptism by a priesthood holder who puts his hands on the head of the person and blesses him or her to ‘receive the Holy Ghost.’”
Read more about baptism at ComeUntoChrist.org.
Watch a short video depicting the baptism of Jesus Christ.