MISSIONARY MOMENT “My husband died (unbaptized) years ago, so there’s no hope for him…”

(D&C 128:3-4) D&C 128:6–7

Why are the Catholic bishops so concerned about Mormons baptising dead parishioners? The Mormons didn’t invent baptism of the dead. The practice has a significant history within mainstream Christianity. What’s the difference, anyway, between baptising the dead and baptising babies? A tiny infant will have as much understanding as a dead person — none at all. Indeed, given that all Christian Churches believe that the soul lives on after death, doesn’t it make more sense to baptise dead adults than live babies? Apart from which, if the Catholic bishops hold that the beliefs of the Mormons are pure baloney (as they must), and their rituals meaningless, how can it matter to them what mumbo-jumbo Mormons might mutter? Let’s look at the facts as understood by the early followers of Christ. For more than 300 years after the Crucifixion, baptism of the dead was widely accepted, its biblical basis located in 1 Corinthians 15, 29: “Otherwise, what shall they do who are baptised for the dead if the dead rise not again at all? Why are they then baptised for them.” In other words, a deceased person could be baptised by proxy: otherwise, how could such a person be included in the Resurrection? A good question.

The radical Cerinthians and the Marcionites were especially energetic baptisers of the dead. The Synods of Hippo (393AD) and Carthage (397AD) voted, after bitter debate, to condemn the practice. Interestingly, a clear trace of baptism of the dead has lingered in official practice to the present day, in the form of prayers for divine intercession on behalf of the unbaptised souls. Whether Hinduism, Presbyterian, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Catholicism or whatever is the true religion, what if it’s Mormonism? What if it’s an everyday occurrence on the other side that Catholics and Protestants are left standing dumbstruck at the Gates, gasping: “Mormons! Who’d have believed it?” And maybe a wife berating her husband: “There! I told you it would be the Mormons! But would you listen?! Now it’s eternal hellfire for the two of us, I hope you’re satisfied.” In that scenario, shouldn’t all members of all other religions be literally eternally grateful to the Mormons for sharing their saving grace even unto and after death? If, on the other hand, it isn’t the Mormons at all, those who turn out to have been right can wave a merry farewell to the followers of Brigham Young as they trundle downwards to their eternal comeuppance html

Baptismal Font Symbols:  The font and the water ◦ A receptacle of life-giving water.  The Font placed below ground ◦ The death and resurrection of the recipient of this ordinance.  The Ox ◦ The symbol of the tribe of Joseph.  The Font resting on the backs of Oxen ◦ The burden has been laid upon the birthright tribe of Joseph. ◦ D&C 128:12-13

D&C 128:(17)18

"In our preexistent state, in the day of the great council, we made a certain agreement with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan.  We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we became parties to the salvation of every person under that plan. We agreed, right then and there, to be not only saviors for ourselves but  saviors for the whole human family. We went into a partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father's work, and the Savior's work, but also our work" ("The Worth of Souls," The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Oct. 1934, 189). Elder John A. Widtsoe

for-the-dead?lang=eng VIDEO: Glad Tidings: The History of Baptisms for the Dead Joseph Smith's struggle with his brother Alvin's death led eventually to the introduction of baptisms for the dead. This new ordinance was embraced by saints in Nauvoo who did the first genealogical and family history research in Church history. (6:55)

for-the-dead?lang=eng VIDEO: Glad Tidings: The History of Baptisms for the Dead Joseph Smith's struggle with his brother Alvin's death led eventually to the introduction of baptisms for the dead. This new ordinance was embraced by saints in Nauvoo who did the first genealogical and family history research in Church history. (6:55)

"In September 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith was hiding in the house of Edward Hunter in Nauvoo... Yet it was in the cramped quarters of Edward Hunter's home that Joseph penned the most majestic hymn of praise of the Restoration. "Perhaps you have been to a symphony and listened to a piece of music that begins with a single, clear note played by a violin or a flute. The single instrument holds center stage for a time and then slowly, sometimes almost imperceptibly, is joined by other instruments. As the piece continues, the music swells as more and more instruments join in until all are playing and the whole hall is filled with the beauty of sound. "This is the structure of Joseph Smith's hymn of praise, only it is a hymn not of voice in song or note of violin but in words played upon the soul and recorded in the scriptures. Joseph's hymn, too, begins with a single voice, 'a voice of gladness.' Listen to the words and see if you can hear the other voices join in to sing one unified song of praise for the blessings of the Restoration…

D&C 128:22

Experiences with Baptisms for the Dead

“Elder Ballard contemplated on how great the temple ceremonies…and he wondered if the people there would accept the work we were doing for them. “Brother Ballard said: ‘All at once a vision opened to me, and I beheld a great congregation of people gathered in the east end of the font room. One by one, as each name was baptized for, one of these people climbed a stairway over the font to the west end of the room. Not one soul was missing, but there was a person for every one of the thousand names done that day.’ “Brother Ballard said that he had never seen such happy people in all his life, and the whole congregation rejoiced at what was [being] done for them.” (Nolan Porter Olsen, Logan Temple: The First 100 Years [1978], 170).

Some time ago my husband came home and told me that he met two young missionaries who said that the Lord had sent them to him. Three days later I had a dream. I dreamed that I was with my mother, who died thirty-five years ago. I have never before dreamed of my mother. The dream was vivid, just as if it was real. My mother said to me, “My child, I cannot rest.” I replied, “Why, Mom, why can’t you rest?” She answered, “Because you don’t belong to the right church.” I was surprised because I am in the church which my mother and father raised me in. Then the scene changed, and we were standing next to a beautiful clear pool of water that had three steps leading down into the water. My mother said, “My child, go down into the water, and I will follow.” I hesitated and said, “No, Mom, you go first and then I will follow.” Then my mother said, “No, my child, you must go first! Then I will come after.” When I stood before the steps of the baptismal font in the temple one year after my baptism, I remembered my dream. It was the same pool of water that I had seen in my dream.” LeBaron, E. Dale, “Elijah’s Mission: His Keys, Powers, and Blessings from the Old Testament to the Latter Days” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Provo and Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book 2005), 283–297.

My mother was called to be the stake genealogy secretary. Whenever a group assigned could not make it, a member of the temple presidency would call mother to ask if her sons could come to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. I often went to the temple to do baptisms. One summer’s day, I had cut my hand severely on an empty tin can. I begged Mother not to take me to the doctor to have the wound stitched together, so she cleaned my hand, applied a bandage, covered that with adhesive tape, and then wrapped everything in gauze. No sooner had she finished than the telephone rang. It was the brethren from the temple, wanting us boys to come over to do baptisms. I hurriedly bathed, dressed, and ran over to the temple.

Several hours and four hundred names later, Brother Edwards and I stopped for the night. As I returned home, exhausted, Mother spotted the dripping wet gauze on my hand and helped me into the bathroom to re-dress the wound. I was so tired and hungry I just wanted to eat and sleep. I wasn’t paying attention to my hand. I let her unwrap the bandage. The gauze came off first, then the adhesive tape, and finally the bandage. My mother looked shocked. I looked down. Not a trace of a cut remained—no scar, no redness, nothing! I remember my mother quietly hugging me. As we cried together, sharing that moment, the Spirit bore witness to me that I had been healed because of my service in the temple of the Lord. “After 400 Names” Jon B. Fish, Ensign, August 1986

 Whose started working on family history? How has that blessed your life?  How do you feel when you do baptisms for the dead?