In 2 Nephi 9:23, Jacob declares that the Lord "commandeth all men that they must repent and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. It is interesting that one will not find the word "baptize," "baptism," nor any form of the word in the Old Testament (see Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). Nevertheless according to Adam Clarke, at the time of Christ in the Old World, baptism was a very common ceremony among the Jews, who never received a proselyte into the full enjoyment of a Jew's privileges till he was both baptized and circumcised. But such baptisms were never performed except by an ordinance of the Sanhedrin, or in the presence of three magistrates: besides, they never baptized any Jew or Jews, nor even those who were the children of their proselytes; for, as all these were considered as born in the covenant, they had no need of baptism, which was used only as an introductory rite. Now, as John [the Baptist] had, in this respect, altered the common custom so very essentially, admitting to his baptism the Jews in general, the Sanhedrin took it for granted that no man had authority to make such changes, unless especially commissioned from on high; and that only the prophet, or Elijah, or the Messiah himself, could have authority to act as John did. [Adam Clarke, Clark's Commentary: The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, p. 517]