Baptism for the dead question

[Trevor92]

If somebody wouldn't mind indulging me, I have a question regarding baptism for the dead. Please let me know if I have this straight (I'm relatively new to LDS theology): In the spirit world, those who have died without receiving the gospel are given the chance to receive the gospel, but cannot be baptized (or receive other ordinances). Therefore, in order to be baptized, someone on Earth must be baptized as a proxy for them.

Is that correct? Or is it that those in the spirit world cannot receive the gospel unless they are baptized by proxy on Earth?

At any rate, what if not everyone is baptized by proxy by the time of the resurrection? That seems extremely likely, given the number of people who have lived on the Earth and the likelihood that some of them will be overlooked even if there were enough time to do everybody.

Got this quote from a BYU source:

When the Twelve Apostles chosen in Joseph Smith's day were instructed to initiate these ordinances in Nauvoo in 1842, they soon recognized that it was the beginning of an immense work and that to administer all the ordinances of the gospel to the hosts of the dead was no easy task. They asked if there was some other way. The Prophet Joseph replied, "The laws of the Lord are immutable, we must act in perfect compliance with what is revealed to us. We need not expect to do this vast work for the dead in a short time. I expect it will take at least a thousand years" (Millennial Star 37:66).

So then the resurrection is at least 1000 years away?

Also, I read that the church stopped baptizing certain individuals such as Jews who died in the Holocaust. Is the intention to begin doing that again later, or do they just go without baptism?

Pardon my terrible ignorance, any help is much appreciated.

[J-DawgFluffy]

My understanding is that after the second coming, the temples will be open constantly so that all remaining ordnance can be completed. This is referred to as the millennium as it will be 100 years long. After this time period, all who have been born will be resurrected. The resurrection isn't an all-at-once process, but has already started and will end at the ending of the millennium.

The church does ask that only direct descendants of Holocaust victims and other well-known people do their work.

[THIRDpersonviewer]

Yes, one who has not received the Gospel will have an opportunity to receive it in the spirit world. They cannot receive the ordinances such as baptism in the spirit world and that is why it is done by proxy here on earth.

As regards to the resurrection, we will do as many baptisms and other ordianances as we can until the coming of Christ when there will be a resurrection for some people. The rest of the ordinances will be done in the millenium(around a 1000 years). at the end of the millenium when the work is done, then everyone who has not been resurrected yet, will be.

The Church stopped baptizing jewish people from the holocaust out of respect to the wishes of a group of people. I can't remember if it was the jewish community in general, or the family of those dead who are also jewish, or whether it was certain branches of judaism.

Everyone who accepts the gospel whether in this life or the next needs to be baptized.

[THIRDpersonviewer]

i said that the church stopped doing baptisms for people. I meant that as when you go to the temple, people who have done the genealogical work for a person will submit a the person's name to the temple. The work can be done for the person. This name can come from anywhere.

The church has stopped doing names in this situation.

If those names are to be done today, just like j-dawg said it needs to be direct descendants or other well known people.

[Vort]

Your understanding on the necessity of baptism for the departed spirits sounds right to me. They can hear the gospel preached, but must have the physical ordinances done in proxy for them.

Our first duty is to our family members. If we are faithful in doing their work, that will take care of much of the world's past population. It is assumed that during the Millennium (thousand-year reign of Christ after his Second Coming), much information that we cannot find here in mortality will be provided for us by miraculous or revelatory means.

To appease certain groups that took needless and pointless offense at the ordinances we offer, the Church did indeed agree to avoid doing proxy work for certain classes of individuals (e.g. Holocaust victims) unless the work was done by direct descendants or others who had the right or the permission to do the work. The Church instructed its members to avoid such work. Unfortunately, some members either did not understand or intentionally violated those instructions.

Edited July 9, 2021 by Vort

[tubaloth]

The Resurrection is going to be an ongoing process through out the Millenium. It will be through this thousand years that we not only learn and grow, but also finish up the Temple Work. Not only will we have all the records, the temple work will be constant.

[pam]

This is referred to as the millennium as it will be 100 years long.

I'm pretty sure you meant 1000 years long. :)