Caitlyn Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 What if the dead person would have objected? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 If he doesnt want to accept the baptism then its null. No one has to accept a baptism done for them after their death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 If he doesnt want to accept the baptism then its null. No one has to accept a baptism done for them after their death.Ok, but why do it anyway? What difference does it make? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Because they need a chance to accept the Gospel if they did not get the chance in this life. I believe most will accept the work for the dead but even if none did we have given them a chance to have that ordinance done for them that cant be done after death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Because they need a chance to accept the Gospel if they did not get the chance in this life. I believe most will accept the work for the dead but even if none did we have given them a chance to have that ordinance done for them that cant be done after death.Does everyone have to be done individually, by name? What about the ones whose names aren't recorded at all, anywhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dravin Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Does everyone have to be done individually, by name? What about the ones whose names aren't recorded at all, anywhere?During the Millennium (after Christ comes) the names will be revealed to us. So for now we do everything that we are able given the records available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonicsonicboom Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Very good question! Yes, the work has to be done for every person who has ever lived. As you can imagine, that's a lot of names! The work is done in temples throughout the world as best that can be done with the resources we have (the LDS Family Search website is one of the biggest in the world for Family History Research) and the rest of the names are left to the Lord in a period of 1000 years called the Millennium, during which work will continue in the temples until all the work has been done for those who have died without a knowledge of baptism and the Gospel. This means the Lord is mindful of every person and those who did not have a chance to receive the Gospel on this earth will have an opportunity to receive after death. They will still be judged according to their own conscience of what they knew was right and wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Very good question! Yes, the work has to be done for every person who has ever lived. As you can imagine, that's a lot of names!The work is done in temples throughout the world as best that can be done with the resources we have (the LDS Family Search website is one of the biggest in the world for Family History Research) and the rest of the names are left to the Lord in a period of 1000 years called the Millennium, during which work will continue in the temples until all the work has been done for those who have died without a knowledge of baptism and the Gospel.This means the Lord is mindful of every person and those who did not have a chance to receive the Gospel on this earth will have an opportunity to receive after death. They will still be judged according to their own conscience of what they knew was right and wrong.How does receiving the Gospel help them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 How can a person progress without knowledge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 How can a person progress without knowledge?Why can't it just be made available to them wherever they are? Why does it need someone on earth to do a baptism for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 We need certain ordinances to progress. Baptism is one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 We need certain ordinances to progress. Baptism is one of them.Can't it be done wherever they are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 How do you baptise a spirit? No that is an orinance that has to be done here and it does give us a chance to do a service for those that died without the gospel so we are both blessed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 How do you baptise a spirit? No that is an orinance that has to be done here and it does give us a chance to do a service for those that died without the gospel so we are both blessed.Are they spirits? Don't the dead have bodies, like God? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 (There is no "a" in "Mormon". ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 (edited) To answer your question, our spirits and our bodies are separated at death. This is part of what Christ conquered when He died and was resurrected. Because of that, we will all be resurrected; the great majority of us after He returns. Until then, most of those who have died (with only a few specific exceptions of people who have already been resurrected) are still solely spirit beings. We believe that those who have died are in a period of probation. A waiting area, metaphorically speaking. Those who don't know about the full gospel of Christ are being taught by those who do. They will have full knowledge of what they do or do not accept. And to be clear, we're not baptising dead people. We are baptised in proxy for the dead. There's a little difference. :) Edited November 20, 2011 by Eowyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonicsonicboom Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 It's all to do with the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Christ atoned for the sins of the world, he atoned for every living person who has ever lived and will ever live on this earth. There were two main effects of His Atonement, first, because He was resurrected, everyone would be resurrected, and second, because He suffered for our sins, we could be free from the effects of sin if we follow certain steps to follow him, which are faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.Check out True to the Faith for a good reading on the Atonement. It is the most important event in man's history.So receiving the Gospel would mean they can benefit from the Atonement, meaning they can be cleansed from sin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Work for the dead shows in part how God can be a god of Law/Justice and Mercy.... God has made a Law that one must be born again of the Water and Spirit (ie baptised) in order to enter into the Highest Degree of Heaven. It is a physical ordinance requiring a physical body and proper authority. Without this by the Law of God the way is blocked, the door is shut. It doesn't take much to realize that this Law/Decree of God cuts of a lot of people whose only fault is that they didn't know or that it simply wasn't possible... Even in our day there are places where it is not allowed (like China and some Islamic countries) Work for the dead allows for this to be dealt with. The goal of the Church is to do work for everyone in the human family (yes it is a big job and we will need things to be revealed on ones we don't have records for) Each individual will have someone living stand in for them as a proxy. This allows the way to open and Law to be fulfilled for everyone. Opening of the way however compels no one to go through. That will always be the individuals choice. So people that didn't have a chance while alive will get as fair of a chance as anyone who is a member of the church in this life. Thus Justice, Mercy, and Fairness are available to all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 There is a simple reason for this. God loves us and we love Him. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Ok, but why do it anyway? What difference does it make?We believe that we are to be obbedient to the Lords commandments in order to enter into his kingdom. We believe one of those commandments is being baptised by water by immersion... This presents a problem for those who have not had the opportunity to accept the gospel before they passed on. Baptism for the dead allows the reicpients to be obedient to Christs commandment of being baptised by immersion, if they so choose to accept it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Why do Mormans baptise the dead?... because they move to fast to catch em when they're alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytebear Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 I was thinking about this the other night. Why do we baptize for the dead if we know they will all eventually be baptized in the millennium? Imagine if we know someone is in prison for a crime they did not commit. They have a limited sentence and will be freed eventually. Should we not free them now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 (There is no "a" in "Mormon". )Sorry, yes I know. It was a typo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Surely though after death, these people will have discovered that Mormon beliefs are true (for the sake of this discussion, let's assume this), so none of them will reject baptism. Whereas those still alive don't know this, so have an unfair disadvantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartan117 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Surely though after death, these people will have discovered that Mormon beliefs are true (for the sake of this discussion, let's assume this), so none of them will reject baptism. Whereas those still alive don't know this, so have an unfair disadvantage.Why do you think they will automatically accept baptism? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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