You may have wondered about the
Mormon practice called baptism
for the dead, something that
may be new to some of you.
So what is baptism for the dead?
Where is it done, and why
is it important to Mormons?
First, let's talk a little bit
about baptism for the living.
2,000 years ago, Jesus
went to the Jordan River,
where He was baptized
by immersion,
lowered fully under the
water by John the Baptist.
By doing this, Jesus
showed us two things:
one, that everyone needs to
be baptized, even He, being
perfect; and two, a baptism
must be performed by someone
with authority from God.
The Bible refers to
this as priesthood.
Why did Jesus go to
John to be baptized?
Because John had
this priesthood.
Jesus set the example
for all of us.
But here's the problem.
What about those millions of
people who died without baptism
or were baptized, but
without proper authority?
How is that problem solved?
God has a way to provide
an opportunity for all
His children to
accept the gospel.
This is where Mormon temples
and the practice of baptism
for the dead come in.
Mormons don't
baptize dead people.
They use proxies,
living stand-ins,
to represent those
who have passed away
without proper baptism.
Let's explain proxy a bit.
Your math teacher
couldn't make it to class
because she was out sick, so
she arranged for a substitute,
a proxy, to fill in for her.
And you'll remember
from the Bible
that Jesus suffered
for our sins.
He also acted as a proxy.
In the same way, male and
female Mormons in good standing,
age 12 and up, act as proxies.
They stand in for their
deceased relatives
and are baptized
in their behalf.
A baptism for the living can
take place in a river, a pond,
or really any place large
enough for a person to become
completely immersed--even in
the font found in many Mormon
chapels.
But a baptism for
the dead can only
take place in Mormon temples,
which they consider sacred.
Like baptisms for the
living, these proxy baptisms
are also by immersion and
with priesthood authority.
And each one is
witnessed and recorded.
And that's why Mormons are
so interested in finding
their ancestors--so they can
do a proxy baptism for them.
You may be asking yourself,
isn't it a little presumptuous
for Mormons to perform a baptism
for the dead, who may not even
want it?
Well, the Bible teaches
us that individuals
have the right to choose.
Mormons believe that right
continues after death
and that spirits of
the dead can be taught
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
They can then choose
to accept or reject
it and the corresponding
proxy baptism.
And to be clear,
deceased individuals
for whom a baptism for
the dead is performed
are not counted on the
membership rolls of the Mormon
church.
Baptism for the living
and for the dead
is another important
way God shows
His love for His children.
So when you hear the term
"baptism for the dead,"
remember, it refers to
Mormons using proxies, living
stand-ins, to provide baptism by
immersion with proper authority
for those who have died
without that opportunity.
Now you know.
