Mormonism: Baptism for the Dead

Mormonism: Baptism for the Dead

Mormons baptizing the dead??? What's that all about?

This could sound kind of creepy, but the dead stay in the ground, buried! The names of people who have died are collected in genealogical libraries and Mormons do baptisms in behalf of those names who have already died, dying without baptism. 

Christ commanded all people to come unto Him and be baptized. Baptism is one of the first ordinances in a person's life-path back to God. The crucial ordinance of baptism to return back to God is the reason Mormonism takes time and effort to do baptisms for the dead. 

These baptisms are not done in any body of water as can be the case for a living person; baptisms for the dead are only performed in sacred temples. Each of the temples built and dedicated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints contains a baptismal font. The fonts are always 'mounted' on the backs of 12 oxen, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The oxen face north, south, east and west in sets of three. Worthy members as young as 14 years old can go to temples and be baptized in place of those who have died. 

The Church keeps meticulous records for each person (dead or alive) who is baptized. The Church supports the largest genealogical libraries in the world.

A little about temples in general.

More Mormons answer questions about baptism for the dead: www.mormontopics.org

Mormonism -- search baptism for the dead here: www.lds.org

Mormonism beliefs found here: www.mormon.org

Read the Book of Mormon yourself: www.mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon

CHAT live about Mormonism: www.mormon.org/chat?cid=sgo-csm-cm