Cleaned in the Water

On the sweetness of Mormon life.

Her hair dyed purple and half-shaved, her face splotched red with injuries or illness, she trembled at the edge of the baptismal font. She was afraid of the water. She was afraid of all the people watching.

Her missionary took her hand and talked to her. Finally she let him pull her down into the font. He spoke the words and put her under. She came up beaming, so bright.

My toddler hollered “BATH!”