Not only that, but he has to explain how, since infant baptism became the norm for nearly a thousand years and you have to be baptized by a Christian (despite what the Vatican says), how can he or anyone validly baptize now.
Do I now? I am reminded of when some came to our Lord and questioned His authorization to d the things he did. he agreed to answer if they would first answer His question. Do you recall that event? In like fashion to John, and to Christ, so it is of other Evangelical or non-Orthodox Christian ministers. Our authorization is from Heaven. We need not the permission of any ecclesiastical seat such as the Jews attempted to use as a barrier to the ministries of both the Baptist and the Lord.
Even Christ admitted that the Pharisees sat in Moses seat, and even St. Paul apologized for speaking rudely to the High Priest Ananias (Acts 23:1-5). How do you get to sit on the thrones of the Apostles, especially when those seats are presently occupied by their rightful successors?
It is not a question of permission. It is a question of authority. As Hebrews notes, no one takes this authority upon himself, he is given it. Who gave it to you? As no one was validly baptised for at least 500 years, according to you, who was around to baptize you to baptize? Or do you side with the Vatican, that Jews, Muslims, Atheists, etc. can validly baptize?
And of course, we are not talking about the baptism of John, and Holy Writ makes it adundately clear that there was a difference between John's baptism and baptism into the Lord. It seems however, that your theology abolishes this distinction. Am I reading it correctly?
Joseph Smith Jr., an Evangelical from upstate New York, saw the problem. He claimed that St. John, now a resurrrected being (a god, or not yet?) and baptized Joe in the Susquehanna River in PA and ordained him to the aaronic priesthood. When I was in Utah and Mormon Illlinois this past year, they had the images of the "event."
Making mormon theology rational. That's a VERY scary place to be.