Jesus Needed Baptism to Be Saved

I've heard the phrase, Jesus did not need to be baptized. This simply isn't true. If it had a qualifier, perhaps it could be true. But Nephi, in 2 Nephi 31:5, specifies that Jesus "should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness." Then he went on to show how He fulfilled all righteousness in doing so. In verse 7, "He showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh He humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that He would be obedient unto Him in keeping His commandments."

What would have happened if Jesus hadn't been baptized because He was righteous, without sin, and didn't need to repent? He would have broken the commandment of God to be baptized in order to be saved and return to live with God. By breaking that commandment, He would no longer have been righteous and would have had need to repent and be baptized, not just to obey the commandment, but also to be cleansed from sin; which cleansing could only come about through the atonement of a perfect lamb, which could no longer have been Him.

So when it says He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness, it was to be humble and obey the Father, remain the spotless lamb, and allow Him to fulfill His calling and return to God to be saved and dwell with Him. In doing so, He demonstrated what we must do to be saved in the kingdom of God. In order for anyone to receive any glory and thus enter any level of His kingdom, all who are accountable must be baptized and endured to the end and thus shall receive eternal life in a kingdom of glory.