Proxy Baptisms Initiated by Non-LDS members?

[Michael]

I am not a member of the Church, but have been reading about it, studying the BOM for about 25+ years now. This should be understandable since I am an avid genealogist and have been for about the same amount of time. I spent literally hundreds if not thousands of hours in our local Family History Center scouring books, Microfiche, microfilm, etc. I have traveled thousands of miles in this pursuit, spent countless hours in court house record areas, scouring church registries, corresponding with clergy, etc. in Europe, Eastern Europe and the list goes on. I did also tap into Ancestory in its early days and in fact uploaded GEDCOM files early on. It is virtually impossible to avoid encountering the Church in such a pursuit. At times I have felt mission driven almost as if being called upon by ancestors to record their lives so their memories are not lost. So, here is my question, silly as it may seem.

Unless things have changed I know it is/was possible to load ones data on a specially designated computer in the FHC locally and run down each ancestor to determine whether or not they have  had any or all possible ordinances completed. My major interest, and the basis for this enquiry, is whether it is possible for a non-member such as I to arrange for someone else (Church member with valid recommend) to actually do proxy baptisms for those ancestors eligible? Thinking maybe young missionaries in return for some assistance with their mission expenses? Also, would wonder if such activities are limited to simply direct line ancestors or are collateral line predecessors eligible as well.

You might find all of my interest rather odd. I don’t think so really. Although I have not been “moved” to attend the local stake, explore conversion, etc., after reading the BOM several times and researching quite a bit about the history, traditions, and  beliefs of the LDS Church, I think “why take a chance?” Proxy baptisms do seem sensible to me and would seem to offer “spiritual insurance” in a sense. An effort to look out for those who have gone before us.

So, is such a thing possible? If so, what would be the process to affect such temple work?

Michael

Edited November 8, 2017 by Michael

[zil]

@Michael,

Welcome!    Glad you dropped by.  Short answer: yes, there is a way to get their temple work done (it's possible some of it already has been).  I don't know the exact answer to your question, but I have some suggestions.

First, do you have an account on https://www.familysearch.org/?  You do NOT have to be a member of the Church to have such an account.  I think names need to be in there before temple work can be done.  So even though only members of the Church can request temple work on that site, you can get the names in / see if they're already there (entirely possible; more likely the farther you go back).

The part I'm not sure of is how you get someone else access to the records so they can request the work be done (or see if it's already been done).  But there are features on the website for working with other people, so I think it can be done.

It seems to me that the most logical place to start is either at a family history center (if you have one nearby), or with the members of your own ward (yes, you have a ward).  To find your ward, put your address in here: https://www.lds.org/maps/meetinghouses/.  It will tell you when and where they meet on Sunday and it will give you contact info for the bishop.  You can go a bit early on Sunday to ask someone, or you can just contact the bishop and ask him for the contact info for someone to help you.  Just be upfront about not being interested in joining / investigating the church, you just want help getting these ancestor's temple work done (they may think it odd that you want that, but it's OK)! 

The members of your ward would (should) be very happy to do the work for your ancestors, so there is no need at all to compensate anyone with more than your thanks.  (But no one is going to turn you down if you want to contribute to someone's missionary fund.)

I don't know if any of that seems unusual to you, but we're very serious about genealogy and proxy work, so everyone ought to be happy to help you figure this out.

As for the work actually getting done, there are two basic ways: (1) a specific person does the work - someone prints a card and this person takes it to the temple; (2) someone simply submits the names and they get added to a list of names ready for the work to be done by whoever comes to the temple (it's very common for folks to go to the temple without a name, and they just get one "at random" from the temple).

Note that there are restrictions to doing temple work, such as a person must have been dead for more than 100 years, or their nearest relative needs to request / approve of doing the work, and there may be others.  These are explained when someone requests the work be done, so whoever is helping you with this can explain it when the time comes.

Finally, though you may not know it, and may not even believe it, what you have done and are doing is bringing the blessings and power of heaven into your life.  I believe that as the temple work for your ancestors is done, those blessings and that power will increase.  You are laying "up for [yourself] treasures in heaven" (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/6.19-21?lang=eng&clang=eng#p18).  You and your ancestors will eventually meet and they will be very happy and grateful for what you're doing.

Edited November 8, 2017 by zil

[Jane_Doe]

8 hours ago, Michael said:

I am not a member of the Church, but have been reading about it, studying the BOM for about 25+ years now. This should be understandable since I am an avid genealogist and have been for about the same amount of time. I spent literally hundreds if not thousands of hours in our local Family History Center scouring books, Microfiche, microfilm, etc. I have traveled thousands of miles in this pursuit, spent countless hours in court house record areas, scouring church registries, corresponding with clergy, etc. in Europe, Eastern Europe and the list goes on. I did also tap into Ancestory in its early days and in fact uploaded GEDCOM files early on. It is virtually impossible to avoid encountering the Church in such a pursuit. At times I have felt mission driven almost as if being called upon by ancestors to record their lives so their memories are not lost. So, here is my question, silly as it may seem.

Well that is all COMPLETELY AWESOME!!!!!   Welcome, so happy to have you on the forum!

8 hours ago, Michael said:

My major interest, and the basis for this enquiry, is whether it is possible for a non-member such as I to arrange for someone else (Church member with valid recommend) to actually do proxy baptisms for those ancestors eligible?

Yes, if that is the person's wish and they give permission.  For ancestors who lived 1800's or earlier there's a chance some of it has already been done.  

8 hours ago, Michael said:

Thinking maybe young missionaries in return for some assistance with their mission expenses?

No payment accepted .  Ordinances for the dead is a service of love, not a bill.  

8 hours ago, Michael said:

 Also, would wonder if such activities are limited to simply direct line ancestors or are collateral line predecessors eligible as well.

The preference is to do direct line ancestry first, and then dependencies off of that, but that's totally flexible.  

8 hours ago, Michael said:

You might find all of my interest rather odd. I don’t think so really. Although I have not been “moved” to attend the local stake, explore conversion, etc., after reading the BOM several times and researching quite a bit about the history, traditions, and  beliefs of the LDS Church, I think “why take a chance?” Proxy baptisms do seem sensible to me and would seem to offer “spiritual insurance” in a sense. An effort to look out for those who have gone before us.

Makes sense.

8 hours ago, Michael said:

So, is such a thing possible? If so, what would be the process to affect such temple work?

Which ordinances have been done are listed on FamilySearch.Org, but you need to have an LDS account to view them.   If you go to your local FHC and express your desire, they'll link you up with one of there's and let you view what needs done (again there's a good chance some of it has already been done).  They then print a card for each ancestor which somebody takes to the temple for baptism.   As to who to take it, you got several options:

- The boring one: submit it to the larger temple "to-do" database.  They'll all get done by people around the world.

- The more fun one: ask somebody in your local stake.  It's a fantastic and exciting service opportunity!  If you got a ton of them, they could even make it a youth night activity!  (As a youth director, I would totally jump on that opportunity).

Note: guys are baptized for guys, gals for gals, so you'll need one person of each gender at least to help you out.   Baptisms are also really fast to do, so things shouldn't take long at all.

Edited November 8, 2017 by Jane_Doe

[Midwest LDS]

Such a thing is possible and I'm glad you want to get that work done for them! @zil and @Jane_Doe really explained how to do so well so I won't repeat them but your request is not odd. My grandmother, who has little interest in the church personally, has insisted I complete her work for her after she passes on. I think she's just covering her bases lol, but I told her I absolutely would and she was very happy about it.