Nephi’s mention that the Spirit stops him at this point provides further evidence that these two chapters were originally an oral sermon. More surprising—in fact, almost shocking—is that Nephi concludes his sermon on the baptism of water and of fire (the Holy Ghost) with near fatalism. Even while he explains this new rite of baptism, he despairs of its general effectiveness and seems to see that his people will not see it as important.
The Spirit probably stopped Nephi from explaining that Christ’s coming would fulfill and supersede the law of Moses, because his people still needed to be governed by that law. Furthermore, the reasons he cannot tell more are the “unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men.” Nephi seems to be talking about his audience, the people he has just told to look to the Spirit for guidance. Now he laments that “men” (presumably those before him at that moment) “will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness.” This is quite an indictment of his own people. Certainly some will enter into the way (baptism) and seek the Spirit’s guidance; however, Nephi can clearly see that others (probably many) will not.
As I interpret this passage, the law of Moses governed all members of the Nephite society, but baptism was a voluntary covenant above and beyond the Mosaic law. As a voluntary, “higher” ordinance, it was available to those who qualified themselves through repentance, but it was not attached to any specific social division nor to any rights or privileges in Nephite society. If it had involved privileges, then Nephi would have explained the instructions of what to do. Thus, this voluntary action that required a personal commitment was not reinforced by allowing membership in a specialized group. With so few obvious social benefits, baptism may not have been a significant part of Nephite religion until Alma1 associated baptism with the creation of “churches.”
We may want to assume that Nephi’s understanding of baptism and his teaching of its importance would have integrated it into Nephite religion immediately, but Nephi’s lament establishes that this was not the case. The Spirit’s constraint and Nephi’s characterization of his audience as unbelievers imply that, although the doctrine was universally available, only a few would benefit from it.
Indeed, baptism is not explicitly mentioned again until Alma1 baptizes at the Waters of Mormon. (See commentary accompanying Mosiah 18:11.) Alma was not part of the central Nephite community in Zarahemla but was part of a group that returned to the land of Nephi. He innovated baptism for all believers and also the creation of “churches,” both of which he implemented in Zarahemla when King Mosiah2 authorized his innovation (Mosiah 25:19).