For those baptized as a JW/minor, how did you feel on your baptism day? (page 2)

blondie

My father was an abusive non-JW...getting baptized was making sure he knew I was not on his side. I was close to 18 so it wasn't a baby getting baptized. The meetings and the WTS was a protection for me at that time from the abuse.

Blondie

truthsetsonefree

"Prior to becoming submerged, I was expecting to have a feeling of elevated consciousness -- any feeling that would run through my body as evidence that jah's holy shit spirit was now upon me. Imagine my surprise when I came out of the pool and walked back to the changing room to get dressed again that I didn't feel any different.

The only thing that happened was when my parents and another family got together for lunch, guess who got to say prayer for the first time?"

Same here.

tsof

Effervescent

I was so starved for love and approval from my father, I would have done anything to get it. Getting baptised was a very happy day for me, my Dad was finally so proud of me. Little did I know it was just the start of even more guilt and falling short of every expectation.

I remember being so suprised to get gifts and cards... some with cash in them even. I remember wishing I could get dunked every year so I could have what would almost amount to a birthday.

I think I was around the 12-13 year old area when I took the plunge.... way too young!

Mystery

I had been trying my hardest to be a good "little JW". FS, getting pioneer hours etc.... I was either 13 or 14. I thought that everything would become totally clear to me after my baptism. I KNEW it was all true. I KNEW my father would not lie to me. I KNEW my life depended on IT!!

I did not have the "realization of knowing all things" (which i thought i would!) after i was dunked.

I remember one time i was in FS and we were in a convenience store and the sister i was in service with ask me and several other young teenagers "what was the first day of your life?" One answered the date of her birth. The sister said "No, that's not right." I answered "... (i have now forgotten the date)... I have been alive 1 1/2 yrs! (it had been 1.5 yrs since my baptism)! Then everyone else "got the hint" and said how long they had been "alive!". Thinking back on it, that convenience clerk must have thought we were all a but of nut cases!

Years later, when a friend of mine was disfellowshipped (he attended a different congeration) and i saw him at an assembly, he looked so miserable. Walking around by himself, no one speaking to him. I felt so.... bad for him. (that isn't the right word) It really broke my heart to see how he was being treated. He looked so depressed and miserable. I couldn't handle it. HOW on earth could turning your back on someone HELP him? HOW?

My doubting began.

jayhawk1

I knew of a JW girl who got baptized at 16. She was the daughter of an Elder and her Uncle is an Elder at the local Cong. When the morning arrived, she was so scared or nervous, she cried for an hour before the Convention day started. She had to be talked into doing it. It was not a pretty site.

I wonder whatever happened to her...

Crumpet

I was 13 and I felt excited and nervous - I really thought that now I would be accepted and make friends and most of all that my parents would loosen up that leash and let me associate with people my own age in the congregation. How wrong was I! It made no difference - only one sister ( a new one we had studied with) even bothered to say congratulations out of a congregation of over a 100. The actual baptism event was traumatic -which I have posted about elsewhere on here - I had only just started my periods and didnt know how to make sure I didnt bleed in the pool (couldnt figure out where Tampons went) and so I prayed all the way from the changing room where I was herded out last of all by some pool attendant (a non JW) to the pool and got dunked. I just felt guilty afterwards because I hadnt had a spiritual experience at all and never felt like I had had a true baptism.

jwfacts

I was disappointed as I didn't feel anything. I expected some feeling of Holy Spirit or something, but nothing.

lisavegas420

My mom sat with me during the Baptizism talk. She asked me a couple times if, I was "sure". Oh why or why did'nt she just tell me I was too young? I couldn't talk to boys on the phone, but I could dedicate my life for something I wasn't even old enough to understand.

I also remember a complete stranger walking up and while I was expecting a "congrats" she said. "Now you will really have to be careful..Satan will put all his power into getting to you"

Interesting side note...I got baptized twice. The first time, my foot flew up and I had to be dunked again.

weird the way life repeats it's self. Years earlier my mom was rebaptized. Not sure what exactly why...other than that the first time she wasn't old enough to understand. (*cough*feelin'guilty*cough*)

lisa

Narkissos

I was 13 and the only thing I remember is suddenly wondering, during the talk, whether I had repented from my sins or not. This kept me pretty anxious for a while, until the speaker said something to the effect that "what we all have to repent from is living for ourselves". At last something I could relate with.

Otherwise, a very prosaic and mundane (non-)experience... It was Christmas eve, 1972.

mzliz

I was 12 years old. I did it because my cousins and friends were. Also my father about 3 times a week (usually coinciding with our studying) would tell us that we would die at armageddon if we weren't baptized. He would say that I would never see my 18th birthday in this system, the end was so close.

So baptized I was!! It was wet, i was nervous, i felt nothing besides worrying about what people were thinking of my chubby little 12 yr. old body.

I recieved a few presents afterwards and remember someone taking issue with gift giving at baptisms, so i was told not to show anyone my presents as I could stumble someone (the persons point was that this was to be expected of me, why make a big deal out of it).

I remember wondering why everthing had to be so hard.

For those baptized as a JW/minor, how did you feel on your baptism day?

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