You don’t need to be baptized to be born again. You can and should fully submit to God before baptism, and if you do, you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, whether you are baptized or not. The gift of the Holy Ghost comes to those who are as aligned with God as they know how to be, whether they have had the opportunity to be baptized or not. Full submission to God is required in order for your baptism to be valid, and your spiritual rebirth is evidence of whether it is or isn’t.
There are multiple examples of people in the scriptures who were spiritually reborn independent of baptism. The Lamanite king was born again in the instant he proclaimed his willingness to give away all his sins to know Jesus.1 Alma was “redeemed of the Lord” and “born of the Spirit” after he “repented of [his] sins.” (Mosiah 27:24) King Benjamin’s people were born again as they responded to his sermon, independent of baptism.2 The Lamanite prisoners who witnessed angels ministering to Lehi and Nephi were born again as they cried to Jesus to save them.3 The disciples of the Lord in Jerusalem received the gift of the Holy Ghost after his resurrection when they repented, long after they were baptized.
Spiritual rebirth happens instantaneously in the moment you fully submit to God. If you have not experienced it, the only reason is that you have not yet fully submitted to God.
Footnotes
- 1. O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead. (Alma 22:18) ↩
- 2. And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them. And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men. And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them. (Mosiah 4:1-3) ↩
- 3. And behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words. (Helaman 5:45) ↩