“Maria’s Baptism Journal,” Friend, October 2025, 4–5.
Maria’s Baptism Journal
“What is a covenant?”
A true story from Argentina.
“I’m looking at a little person who will have a birthday soon! Who could she be?” Mamá asked.
“It’s me!” Maria said, jumping up and down. She was turning eight the next week.
Mamá nodded. “And it will be a special birthday. Do you know why?”
“Because I will be baptized!”
“Yes! Papá and I have a special gift to help you prepare for this important step.”
“A gift? But it’s not my birthday yet,” Maria said.
“It’s a special gift that will help you to remember the covenant you will make with Heavenly Father. You can open it after dinner.”
Maria kept thinking about the word covenant. She couldn’t wait for Papá to come home. She offered to set the table for dinner and felt her heart warm. Dinner seemed extra delicious that night.
Afterward, she sat on the couch between her parents.
“How do you feel about baptism?” Papá asked.
“I’m excited!” Maria was working hard to prepare for her baptism. She had started reading the Book of Mormon. She even made a poster to help her remember to pray every night.
“That is great! Do you have any questions?”
“Yes. What is a covenant?”
“That’s a good question,” Mamá said. “A covenant is a promise with God. When you are baptized, you promise that you are willing to take upon you Jesus Christ’s name, that you will keep God’s commandments, and that you’ll serve Him all your life.”
“That sounds like the sacrament prayer,” Maria said.
“You’re right,” said Papá. “Our Heavenly Father also promises the Holy Ghost will be with you, guiding and encouraging you.”
“And now your surprise.” Mamá handed Maria a shiny wrapped gift.
Maria opened it to find a beautiful pink journal and a pen. “Thank you! I love it!”
“This journal is for you to write the feelings and thoughts you receive from the Holy Ghost.”
“Baptism is a big decision,” Papá said. “You can pray and ask God about it.”
That night, Maria knelt by her bed. She prayed, “Heavenly Father, is it right for me to be baptized?” She paused, listening. A clear “yes” filled her mind, and her heart filled with joy.
She pulled out her journal and wrote about what she felt. The next morning she told her parents about her answer. She knew that getting baptized was the right thing to do.
At last it was her birthday, and Maria would be baptized. She and Papá dressed in white. Mamá hugged her. “You’ll feel warm in your heart.”
The water was cold, but Maria felt clean and pure—and warm inside.
That night, Maria opened her journal to a blank page and started writing.
“When Papá said, ‘Receive the Holy Ghost,’ I really could feel it,” she wrote.
She wanted to always remember her baptism day. She was ready to keep her covenant, knowing the Holy Ghost would always be there to help her.
Illustrations by Zoë Bennett