David Johnson rebaptized because he felt that he had faltered in his original baptismal committments, lived unworthy of the communion of the sacrament and because the man who had baptized him had been subsequently excommunicated. (1)
-- 24 March 1833
John Murdock rebaptizes Benjamin Bragg (1)
-- Jan 21, 1836
[Joseph Smith Diary] ... At early candlelight, I meet with the Presidency at the west school room in the Chapel [Kirtland Temple] to attend to the ordinance of annointing our heads with holy oil. Also the Councils of Kirtland and Zion meet in the two adjoining rooms, who waited in prayer while we attended to the ordinance.
I took the oil in my right /left/ hand, Father Smith being seated before me and the rest of the Presidency encircled him roundabout. We then stretched our right hands to heaven and blessed the oil and concecrated it in the name of Jesus Christ. We then laid our hands on our aged Fath[er] Smith and invoked the blessings of heaven. I then annointed his head with the concecrated oil and sealed many blessings upon his/m/[him] head.
The Presidency then in turn laid their hands upon his head, beginning at the eldest, untill they had all laid their hands on him and pronounced such blessings upon his head as the Lord put into their hearts. All blessing him to be our patraark [patriarch] and /to/ annoint our heads and attend to all duties that pertain to that office.
I then took the Seat and [my] Father annoint[ed] my head and sealed upon me the blessings of Moses to lead Israel in the latter days, even as Moses led him in days of old. Also the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All of the Presidency laid their hands upon me and pronounced upon my head many prophesies and blessings. Many of which I shall not notice at this time, but as Paul said, so say I, let us come to vissions and revelations.
The heavens were opened upon us and I beheld the Celestial Kingdom of God and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell. I saw the transcendant beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that Kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire. Also the blasing throne of God whereon was Seated the Father and the Son. I Saw the beautiful streets of that Kingdom which had the appearance of being paved with gold.
I saw Father Adam, Abraham, and Michael and my father and mother, [and] my brother Alvin that has long since slept. [I] marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance /in/ that Kingdom Seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord /had/ Set his hand to gather Israel /the second time/ and had not been baptised for the remission of sins.
Thus came the voice /of the Lord/ unto me saying: "All who have died with[out] a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it, if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the Celestial Kingdom of God.
"Also all that shall die henseforth, with/out/ a knowledge of it, who would have received it, with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that Kingdom, for I the Lord /will/ Judge all men according to their works according to the desires of their hearts." And again I also beheld the Terrestial Kingdom I also beheld that all children who die before they ar[r]ive to [at] the years of accountability are saved in the Celestial Kingdom of heaven.
I saw the 12 Apostles of the Lamb, who are now upon the earth who hold the keys of this last ministry, in foreign lands standing together in a circle much fatiegued, with their clothes tattered and feet swol[l]en, with their eyes cast downward, and Jesus /standing/ in their midst, and they did not behold him. The Saviour looked upon them and wept. I also beheld Elder McLellen in the South standing upon a hill surrounded with a vast multitude preaching to them and a lame man standing before him supported by his crutches. He threw them down at his word and leaped as an heart [hart] by the mighty power of God.
Also [I saw] Eld[e]r Brigham Young standing in a strange land in the far southwest, in a desert place, upon a rock in the midst of about a dozen men of colour who appeared hostile. He was preaching to them in their own toung [tongue] and the angel of God standing above his head with a drawn sword in his hand protec[t]ing him, but he did not see it.
And I finally saw the 12 [Apostles] in the Celestial Kingdom of God. I also beheld the redemption of Zion and many things which the toung [tongue] of man cannot discribe in full.
Many of my brethren who received this ordinance with me saw glorious visions also. Angels ministered unto them, as well as my self, and the power of the Highest rested upon us. The House [Kirtland Temple] was filled with the glory of God and we shouted Hosanah to the God and the Lamb.
I am mistaken concerning my receiving the holy anointing first after Father Smith. We received /it/ in turn according to our age (that is the Presidency). My scribe also recieved his anointing /with us/ and saw in a vision the armies of heaven protecting the Saints in their return to Zion /and many things that I saw/.
The Bishop of Kirtland with his counsellors and the Bishop of Zion with his counsellors were present with us and received their annointing under the hands of Father Smith and confirmed by the Presidency. The glories of heaven was unfolded to them also.
We then invited the [High] Counsellors of Kirtland and Zion into our room and President Hyrum Smith annointed the head of the President of the [High] Counsellors in Kirtland and President D[avid] Whitmer the head of the President of the [High] Counsellors of Zion. The President of each quorum then annointed the heads of his colleagues, each in his turn beginning at the eldest.
The vision of heaven was opened to these also. Some of them Saw the face of the Saviour and others were ministered unto by holy angels. The spirit of prop[h]esy and revelation was poured out in mighty power and loud hosan[n]ahs and glory to God in the highest saluted the heavens for we all communed with the h[e]avenly hosts. I saw in my vision all of the Presidency in the Celestial Kingdom of God and many others who were present.
Our meeting was opened by singing and prayer offered up by the head of each quorum and closed by singing and invoking the benediction of heaven with uplifted hands. Retired between one and 2 o'clock in the morning. (2)
Footnotes:
1 - Quinn, D. Michael, "The Practice of Rebaptism at Nauvoo," BYU Studies (1978), 18:2:226
2 - Faulring, Scott (ed.), An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith Diary, 1835-36, http://amzn.to/jsdiaries
LDS History Chronology: Unconventional Baptism
Mormon History Timeline: Forms of Rebaptism in LDS History
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
