One of the news stories this past week was about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints randomly performing proxy baptisms for the dead for Holocaust victims. (As the linked Newsroom article notes, this practice is “strictly prohibited.”)

Stories like this likely raise questions about why Mormons perform baptisms for the dead.

It may help first to understand that Mormons believe that baptism by immersion and the proper priesthood authority is essential for salvation. Just as Jesus Christ was baptized, by immersion, by one who had authority, we believe in following His example in receiving this ordinance. We also believe God is a just God and allows all to have the opportunity to receive this ordinance, even if they didn’t have that chance in their mortal lifetime.

From lds.org on baptisms for the dead:

“Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5). Many people, however, have died without being baptized. Others were baptized without proper authority. Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism. By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors. Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf.”

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The following statement by Elder D. Todd Christofferson really sums up why baptisms for the dead are significant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

“By identifying our ancestors and performing for them the saving ordinances they could not themselves perform, we are testifying of the infinite reach of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” –“The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus”

“‘Because all on the earth do not have the opportunity to accept the gospel during mortality, the Lord has authorized baptisms performed by proxy for the dead. Therefore, those who accept the gospel in the spirit world may qualify for entrance into God’s kingdom’ (See Guide to the Scriptures). One thing that should be made perfectly clear about Mormon baptisms for the dead is that each deceased soul has the personal choice to accept or reject it. There is nothing in Mormonism that states that the person who is being baptized by proxy must accept this ordinance; he or she is simply given the opportunity to choose.” – from LDSChurchTemples article on baptisms for the dead (unofficial site)

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“Through genealogical research Mormons indentify the names of deceased family members, who never had the chance to be baptize in this life, and then serve as proxy on their behalf to have them baptized.  Baptisms for the dead are performed in LDS temples. This process does not then make the deceased Mormon. We believe that once a proxy ordinance is done for a person who has died they are given the opportunity to either accept or reject the baptism. Although some members have had spiritual experiences confirming to them that a proxy baptism was accepted, most of the time the end result is not known.”  -from Well-behaved Mormon Woman, Kathryn

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“How are baptisms for the dead performed?

“The ordinances take place in small, ornately decorated pools called “baptismal fonts,” located in Mormon temples. The person acting as the proxy—an observant Mormon as young as 12—enters the font, where a man in the priesthood raises his right hand and utters a short prayer including the name of the dead ancestor, which appears on a screen the baptizer reads from. Then, the proxy is briefly submerged in water, and the ordinance is repeated, this time using a new ancestor’s name.

“Despite claims by the morbid and uninformed, there are no corpses involved in the practice, and the whole thing closely resembles convert baptisms performed every week in LDS chapels [church buildings].” from this BuzzFeed article explaining baptisms for the dead

Here is a list of several articles at lds.org that explain more about proxy baptisms for the dead and Mormon temple work. (Taken from the index entry at lds.org)

• “The Redemption of the Dead”Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov. 1975, 97–99
  We must not shirk our responsibility to provide gospel ordinances to both the living and the dead.
• “The Spirit of Elijah”Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, Nov. 1994, 84–87
  Service in the temple together is a sublime activity for a family. It provides its own sustaining motivation and verification of the truth of this unique work.
• “Comparing LDS Beliefs with First-Century Christianity”Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks, Ensign, Mar. 1988, 7–11
  Is it true that because Latter-day Saints practice baptism for the dead, they are not Christian?
• “I Have a Question”Robert L. Millet, Ensign, Aug. 1987, 19–21
  Was baptism for the dead a non-Christian practice in New Testament times, or was it a practice of the Church of Jesus Christ, as it is today?
• “Proxy Baptism”John A. Tvedtnes, Ensign, Feb. 1977, 86
  In his epistle to the Corinthians, Paul cited the early Christian practice of proxy baptism for the dead as evidence of a future resurrection and judgment.

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Mormon Newsroom article about baptisms for the dead

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Proxy baptisms for the dead take place in Mormon temples. (Baptisms for the living take place in baptismal fonts in church buildings.) A simple way to think about it is that a temple is a place where we believe earth and heaven can be symbolically connected. Christ bridged the gap between earth and heaven through His Atoning sacrifice. “What Jesus did during the hours between His death and Resurrection provides the doctrinal foundation for building temples.” – Spencer J. Condie, “The Savior’s Visit to the Spirit World”

Learn more about why Mormons build temples in the video below.

The post Why do Mormons do Baptisms for the Dead? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This was formerly a Frequently Asked Question, now filed under “Ask A Mormon Woman”

Edited to add: Para informacion en Espanol, vea Los Raíces Antiguas de los Templos Mormones

Many people are curious about LDS temples and the ordinances that take place therein. While we don’t talk specifically about the details of the ordinances, there are resources that can help you understand more about the temple and its purpose, as well as its ancient roots. Following are some of those resources.

For a general overview, see here.

This article, by Elder Boyd K. Packer may be of interest.

Elder Packer mentions washings, anointings, reception of the endowment, the garment, sealings, as well as baptisms for the dead. (See the above link for some explanation of these things as well.) He also explains the importance of these ordinances to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It is important to note that we believe that temple ordinances have ancient connections. Consider, for example, the following, which have some parallels in our temple worship:

• Moses’ tabernacle in the wilderness, which included rituals of washing, anointing, and symbolic garments/clothing.
• The architecture of the tabernacle reflected three levels or stages of spiritual progress and light and increasing nearness to God. (See more about that in this article and this article for more discussion about ancient temples.) For those who have been through an open house before one of our temples has been dedicated, they will note that there a similar element of progression (room organization and décor symbolize Telestial, Terrestrial, and Celestial kingdoms or glory. See also 1 Cor. 15:40-41 and Doctrine and Covenants 76.

While we realize not everyone will share our interpretation of ancient scripture, and while there are certainly distinct and important differences between our temple ordinances and those in ancient days (for example, the death of the Savior, Jesus Christ, ended sacrifice of animals and replaced it with the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit; also, it changed the role of the high priest in the law of Moses, who had symbolized the Savior’s role in helping us come back to the presence of God), a thoughtful reading of the Old Testament might help people understand at least some of the elements of our temple worship.

For more information and help studying the scriptures relevant to this question, see the following:

This talk by Elder Russell M. Nelson includes numerous references and notes that could help the interested reader focus his or her study of the roots of temple worship in the Old Testament.

Also, see this Old Testament study manual, used in the Church education system, which explores Old Testament tabernacle rituals. (See, in particular, ch. 13 on The Lord’s Tabernacle in the Wilderness.)

For more information, you can also search for articles, talks, lessons and scriptures at lds.org on topics such as the following:

temple
tabernacle Moses
law of sacrifice
baptism for the dead
temple endowment
temple sealings or temple marriage
temple garment
washing and anointing
law of moses
broken heart, contrite spirit

The post Ask A Mormon Woman: What can you tell me about Mormon temples? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Following are some links about the open house, both news stories and personal stories. (Have a story to share? Include the link in a comment or send us an email at ‘mormonwoman’ AT ‘gmail’ DOT ‘com’)

News Stories

• Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Quentin L. Cook in 30-second World News Tonight story

8+ minute segment on ABC’s Nightline (text of the Nightline story here)

(Proposition 8 was also discussed briefly in the story. More information about the Church’s involvement can be found here and here.)

People often wonder what goes on in temples. Temple worship begins by what we wear.

Elder Ballard explains: “When we come to the temple…we take off our street clothes and dress in white. I would have on a white shirt, white tie, white trousers, white socks and white slippers. … And everybody then is on a wonderful, equal basis.”

Elder Cook adds that as we enter the temple, we are reminded that “the workaday world isn’t nearly as important as your family.” Ordinances in the temples are both focused on our relationships with God, and on the eternal nature of family relationships in God’s plan for His children. For more information about the types of ordinances that occur in the temples, see here.

One of the ordinances for which the Church is fairly well-known is baptisms for the dead, where members of the Church are baptized for people (representing them, on their behalf) who have passed on. In the ABC story, Elder Cook explains that the ordinance “isn’t binding on them.” As we believe that life exists after this mortal life, we believe that people are able to hear the gospel message, and choose whether to receive it and the ordinances. “We, in a loving manner,” Elder Cook says, “make that available to them and they choose whether or not they want to have it.”

Although we are not official authorities of the Church, we loved how the news story ended, and echo Elder Ballard’s words: “Yes, it [the story of our faith] is a big story, it is a big message, but it’s true. We get beat up out there telling it, but so what? We’ll keep doing it the best we know how.”

Personal Stories

Some experiences from people who have attended the Draper Temple Open House:

Anna’s experience

Bethany’s experience

Mayne family’s experience

V H Family

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