Baptism for the Dead

For those who don’t know, or maybe if you’ve forgotten (yeah, yeah, I only have 3 followers, and yeah, you guys all know, but let me pretend like I have lots of loving followers all over the world, k?) I’m a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have a friend at work that has lots of questions about my religion and I LOVE IT! So here goes a try at answering one of her questions today, and I hope I do a good job!

Baptism for the Dead.

I think that before we can discuss this important topic, we first need to understand baptism, and the importance of that ordinance. Baptism is a Covenant we make with God, and one of the first of the Laws and Ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are:
first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ;
second, Repentance;
third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins;
fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Articles of Faith 1:3-4)

By being baptized we show God that we are willing to be obedient to his commandments. Jesus himself set the example by being baptized to fulfill all righteousness, even though he was without sin. (Matt 3:13-17; 2 Nephi 31:5-12)

A covenant is a two-way promise we make with God. We promise to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, to keep His commandments, and to serve Him to the end. He covenants to send his Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) to be with us always. This is a big deal! Baptism is the entry gate to eternal life, and all who wish to enter therein must first pass by the waters of baptism. Baptism is essential for salvation in the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5; Mosiah 18:8-10; Doctrine and Covenants 20:37)

What about the people who never heard of Christ? Are they damned? They never got a chance to hear the gospel and accept Christ! That’s not very fair! What about those baptized without proper authority? This is where Heavenly Father’s great Plan of Salvation comes in, and the ordinance of Baptism for the dead. God’s mercy is manifest in the ordinances for the dead performed within his Holy Temples. We learn in 1 Corinthians 15:29 that baptism for the dead was even performed during the time of the New Testament Apostles.

Baptisms for the dead are performed by proxy, meaning a living person is baptized in behalf of a deceased person. The person acting as the proxy uses only the name of the deceased, and stands in for them. The Church keeps a record of all who have been baptized, living or deceased. Some think that after a baptism for the dead is performed, their names are added to the membership records of the church, this is not the case.

By performing these proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have passed away, the blessings and ordinances are offered to those individuals for whom the baptisms have been performed. These individuals in the next life can choose to accept or decline what has been done on their behalf. This isn’t about “forcing” people to become members of the church, merely offering to them the opportunity to either accept or refuse these saving ordinances themselves. Free Agency is also essential to salvation, and to take that from another person is against the plan of salvation. Coercion to obedience is not Heavenly Father’s way.

So there you have it, baptism for the dead in a bigger nutshell than I intended! Feel free to post comments and questions you may have. If you want, also feel free to email me your questions or comments, I would be happy to address any questions or concerns! (navarreval@gmail.com)



tl:dr edition courtesy Jeffrey Nicholas Carter:
"We have to be baptized to enter heaven. Read John 3:5 then read 1 Cor CH15.


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