King James Version of Matthew 3:15
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Joseph Smith Translation
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer me to be baptized of thee, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And John went down into the water and baptized him.
1. "Suffer" is the middle English version of the words "allow" or "permit". CHRIST is humbly asking John to permit this to happen. John humbly points out that he needs JESUS to baptize him (verse 14). The true GOD of this Earth asking John to baptize him! John is understandably confused.
2. CHRIST is emphatic that this needs to happen, regardless of the disparity between the holiness of the two individuals. Baptism is a requirement for entrance to the kingdom of the MOST HIGH GOD, or GOD the FATHER. Even a perfect being has to be baptized.
3. JESUS later calls John the greatest prophet in history. (Matthew 11:11) John himself recognized his own imperfections compared to CHRIST's perfection, but John was the most qualified person of all time to perform this sacred and vital ordinance.
4. John and CHRIST went down into the water, obviously to do this the correct way, by immersion.
5. CHRIST is probably 30 years old at this point. Joseph Smith called JESUS "the prototype of the saved man." This points to the possibility that people should not be baptized until their brains are fully developed. Better to make an independently based decision about whether to follow CHRIST or not.
