Well, about a week before his baptism, he had a change of heart and decided that he would be baptized. We talked about what it meant, and helped him plan his program. Ephraim is a smart, thoughtful boy, and had really thought everything through.
His baptism day went off without a hitch. We were lucky enough to have a lot of support from afar and people, including Grandma and Grandpa, were able to participate digitally. Grandad and Grandma Vicki were able to come in person.
What follows is what Ephraim told me he wanted to remember about his baptism day:
His favorite thing about his baptism was going under the water. He said it felt good and the water was warm.
He remembers from the talks that Grandma Ison talked about the three "bears" of his baptismal covenant: Bear your testimony, bear the name of Jesus, and bear one another's burdens (help others).
He remembers Grandad Beckman used a radio to teach about hearing the spirit. Sometimes it can be hard to hear, and not very clear to you, but if you follow Heavenly Father, it's like using the tuner to get in tune on the radio and it can be easier to hear.
The last thing he told me he wanted to remember is that after the confirmation to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost he heard Jesus in his mind tell him that he was really proud of him for getting baptized even though he was really nervous.
We love this boy and are super proud of how thoughtful and good he is. We really enjoyed his baptism day.
