Willard Richards baptized in the ice of Kirtland

On December 31, 1836, Willard Richards was baptized by his cousin, Brigham Young, in the icy waters of the Chagrin River in Kirtland, Ohio. Richards, who had spent the previous three months in Kirtland living with Brigham Young and conducting an intense investigation of the Church's doctrines, had finally declared his readiness for baptism on December 30. Despite the biting cold, physical comfort was not a priority; Heber C. Kimball and a group of friends spent the afternoon laboring to cut through the ice and kept the water from refreezing to prepare for the immersion. In the late afternoon, as soon as a sufficiently clear space was opened, Brigham Young led his cousin into the water and, between gasps for breath, pronounced the baptismal ordinance. Following Willard, his brother Levi Richards also entered the water for baptism. It is believed that both men were immediately confirmed members of the Church and ordained as elders as part of the ceremony.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in S. Dilworth Young, "One Investigator’s Story," Meridian Magazine, March 12, 2024.):

Brigham had taken a year or so to think things through. Under Brigham’s influence Willard was convinced in three months. On December 30 he told Brigham he was ready for baptism. Physical comfort was not considered. Heber C. Kimball with a few friends spent the afternoon cutting the ice on Chagrin Creek to prepare for the baptism and, once it was cleared, kept the water from freezing again. In the late afternoon as soon as a large enough place had been cleared, Brigham led his cousin into the water, and between gasps for breath pronounced the required words: “Willard Richards, having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”