Baptism for the dead is an ordinance performed today in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for those who have died without having been baptized by one having authority. Baptism in early Christian art. ... The Salt Lake Temple is the most well-known Mormon Temple. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... In Mormonism, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority to act in the name of God, including the performance of sacred rites and ordinances, and the performance of miracles. ...

Overview

The ordinances are performed by proxy, and is also known as vicarious baptism, proxy baptism or temple baptism. It is an ordinance practiced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and its schism churches). In addition, similar ordinances are also practiced by the Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran, by some of the Neo-Apostolic congregations of Europe, and by some Native American religions. Although all the mentioned religious groups practice baptism for the dead to some extent, the term "baptism for the dead" is used almost exclusively in reference to the ordinance practiced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement which began in the early 19th century and is generally considered to be founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mandaeism. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... A Hupa man, 1923 The term Indigenous peoples of the Americas encompasses the inhabitants of the Americas before the European discovery of the Americas in the late 15th century, as well as many present-day ethnic groups who identify themselves with those historical peoples. ...

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a living person, acting as proxy, is baptized by immersion in typical Latter-day Saint fashion. The ordinance is performed only in dedicated temples. The prayer accompanying the baptism differs from typical wording in that it states that the baptism is being performed for and in behalf of a deceased person whose name has been submitted for that ordinance. Any member of the Church, in good standing, who is at least 12 years old may be baptized for the dead. Young men must also hold the priesthood. This is a list of temples in chronological order: Footnotes ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rededication Date ^ The renovation is expected to continue until June 29, 2006, instead of 3 April 2006 as originally forecast. ... Maria Magdalene in prayer. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... In Mormonism, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority to act in the name of God, including the performance of sacred rites and ordinances, and the performance of miracles. ...

Doctrine

The Latter-day Saints' view of Baptism for the Dead is based upon their view of baptism for the living. In John 3:5 (KJV), Jesus states: Baptism in early Christian art. ... This articles subsection called Criticism is missing references or citation of sources. ...

"Except that a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

Latter-Day Saints believe that baptism is an essential ordinance or prerequisite for entry into the kingdom of God. Baptism for the Dead allows this saving ordinance to be offered to those who have died without accepting Jesus Christ or his gospel during their mortal lives. If baptism is a required ordinance, as Mormons believe is evidenced by Jesus's own desire to receive it from John the Baptist, then inviting others to receive this ordinance becomes a natural obligation for all who have received the Gospel in this life. Further, LDS believe that Baptism for Dead is a method God has instituted so that all will have the opportunity to receive this ordinance in order to enter the Kingdom of God. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, their practice of baptism for the dead is based on a revelation received by the prophet Joseph Smith. Smith first taught the doctrine at the funeral sermon of a deceased member of the Church, Seymour Brunson. In a letter written on October 19, 1840, to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church (who were on a mission in the United Kingdom at the time), Smith refers to the passage in 1 Corinthians 15:29 (KJV): Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Underwater funeral in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea A funeral is a ceremony marking a persons death. ... October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... In Mormonism, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Quorum of the Twelve, the Council of the Twelve, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies of church hierarchy in many Latter Day Saint denominations. ...

I presume the doctrine of "baptism for the dead" has ere this reached your ears, and may have raised some inquiries in your minds respecting the same. I cannot in this letter give you all the information you may desire on the subject; but aside from knowledge independent of the Bible, I would say that it was certainly practiced by the ancient churches; and Saint Paul endeavors to prove the doctrine of the resurrection from the same, and says, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 4:231)

Other scriptures of the LDS Church (Doctrine and Covenants Covenant 124:29, Covenant 127:5-10 and Covenant 128) expand upon this doctrine and command that such baptisms are to be performed in temples. (As of April 2006, there are 122 operating LDS temples worldwide and many more under construction.) Vicarious baptism is performed in connection with other vicarious ordinances in Latter-day Saints' temples. Image File history File links Cquote1. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Paul of Tarsus, also known as Paul the Apostle or Saint Paul (AD 3–14 — 62–69),[1] is widely considered to be central to the early development and spread of Christianity, particularly westward from Jerusalem. ... Image File history File links Cquote2. ... Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes referred to as the D&C) is a part of the open scriptural canon of Mormonism. ... The Salt Lake Temple is the most well-known Mormon Temple. ...

The Church holds that deceased persons who have not accepted or had the opportunity to accept the gospel of Christ in this life will have the opportunity to accept the gospel in the afterlife. But in order to do so they must receive all the ordinances that a living person is expected to receive, including baptism. For this reason, genealogy forms an important basis of research in the Church's efforts to perform temple ordinances for as many deceased persons as possible. As a part of these efforts, a number of high profile people have had temple ordinances performed on their behalf. Of particular interest are: the Founding Fathers of the U.S., Presidents of the U.S., John Wesley, Christopher Columbus, and others. Vicarious baptism does not mean that the decedent actually accepts the ordinance performed for him or her or that the deceased becomes a member of the LDS church; it merely means that the decedent may accept the ordinance and the benefits which the Latter-day Saints claim it provides. However, Church leaders have stated that the people in the afterlife for whom these ordinances have been performed will rarely reject it. (See Exaltation (Mormonism).) Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ... Founding Fathers are persons instrumental in the establishment of an institution, usually a political institution, especially those connected to the origination of its ideals. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... John Wesley (June 17, 1703–March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... Christopher Columbus is depicted here in his only state-sponsored (albeit non-authenticated) portrait, painted by Alejo Fernández between 1505 and 1536. ... Exaltation or Eternal Progression is a seminal doctrinal belief among devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church or Mormons) that mankind, as spirit children of their Father in Heaven, can become like, not equivalent to, Him. ...

While members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider it a great service to perform vicarious ordinances for the deceased, some non-members have taken offense. To be sensitive to the issue of vicariously baptizing non-Mormons that are not related to Church members, the Church in recent years has publicized a policy of generally only performing temple ordinances for direct ancestors of Church members. For example, the Church is in the process of removing sensitive names (such as Jewish Holocaust victims) from its International Genealogical Index. D. Todd Christofferson of the Church's Presidency of the Seventy stated that removing the names is an "ongoing, labor intensive process requiring name-by-name research ... When the Church is made aware of documented concerns, action is taken ... Plans are underway to refine this process." The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is a database of genealogical records, compiled from a variety of different sources, and maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... In Mormonism, a Quorum of the Seventy is one of a group of up to seventy traveling ministers charged with the mission of preaching to the entire world, under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. ...

History

Baptism for the dead was also practiced by some Christian groups in the late fourth century. John A. Tvedtnes, a Hebrew and early Christian scholar at Brigham Young University, Utah writes: Brigham Young University, often referred to as BYU or, incorrectly, as BYU-Provo, is the flagship university of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). ...

That baptism for the dead was indeed practiced in some orthodox Christian circles is indicated by the decisions of two late fourth century councils. The fourth canon of the Synod of Hippo, held in 393, declares, "The Eucharist shall not be given to dead bodies, nor baptism conferred upon them." The ruling was confirmed four years later in the sixth canon of the Third Council of Carthage.

Some argue that the fact that these two councils felt it necessary to explicitly forbid baptism for the dead shows that there must have been a significant group of people practicing it, accompanied by opposition to it by the church's leadership. Others disagree with the classification of such groups as "orthodox", since the councils concluded that they were in fact unorthodox, at least with respect to that practice. Image File history File links Cquote1. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Events Gao Zu succeeds Tai Zu as Emperor of the Later Qin Empire in China. ... Synods of Carthage During the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries the town of Carthage in Africa served as the meeting-place of a large number of church synods, of which, however, only the most important can be treated here. ... Image File history File links Cquote2. ...

Some members of the LDS church see significant parallels between the Baptism for the Dead and the prayers and requiem masses read for the dead in some churches (e.g. Roman Catholic), both historical and modern. Others see similarities to other doctrines associated with Purgatory. However, these parallels are disputed by non-Mormons and Mormons. Maria Magdalene in prayer. ... The Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Catholic Church and its Eastern Rite. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... Purgatory commonly refers to a doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church, which posits that those who die in a state of grace undergo a purification in order to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. ...

According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "Tertullian believed that Paul referred to a custom of vicarious baptism (Res., 48c; Adv. Marc., 5.10). There is evidence that the early church knew such a practice. Epiphanius mentions a tradition that the custom obtained among the Cerinthians (Haer., 28 6). And Chrysostom states that it prevailed among the Marcionites." All of these supporters were considered heretics by the early Church: Tertullian died outside the church as a Montanist; the Cerinthians were a Gnostic group; and the Marcionites were yet another Gnostic group who were also excommunicated from the Church before forming his own sect." Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicized as Tertullian, (ca. ... Paul of Tarsus, also known as Paul the Apostle or Saint Paul (AD 3–14 — 62–69),[1] is widely considered to be central to the early development and spread of Christianity, particularly westward from Jerusalem. ... Cerinthus was the leader of a late first-century or early 2nd century sect, an offshot of the Ebionites yet similar to Gnosticism in some respects, interesting in that it demonstrates the wide range of conclusions that could be drawn from the life and teachings of Jesus. ... Saint John Chrysostom John Chrysostom (347 - 407) was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople. ... Marcionism is a sect founded in A.D. 144 at Rome by Marcion of Sinope. ... Montanism was an early Christian sectarian movement of the mid-2nd century AD, named after its founder Montanus. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Excommunication is religious censure which is used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ...

In this last paragraph, "early church" seems to refer to the church after the time of the apostles. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" In our language, that would be worded: "Why do they bother doing baptisms for the deceased if there is no such thing as the resurrection." Mormons assume this statement as approval of baptisms for the dead. The main point of 1 Corinthians 15: is to explain resurrection to the errant factions of the "early church" in Corinth (a primarily Greek city that had a difficult time accepting resurrection of the body, and in fact, some church leaders were already denying the resurrection as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:12), not to discuss baptism. 1 Corinthians 1:17 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel". It is well understood that Paul, along with all of the 12 apostles, believed in the resurrection. It is "historically" believed, that Paul was using an errant practice, of a factioned body of the church, to prove the gospel of resurrection, hence "Why do they bother doing baptisms for the deceased if there is no such thing as the resurrection." The practice is simply commented on in scripture, not taught or given implicit approval by any wording or context.

Christian opposition

Other Christian denominations generally do not accept the Latter-day Saint interpretation of baptism for the dead contemplated in 1 Corinthians 15:29, and no contemporary Christian church practices such an ordinance. These Christians interpret that in this chapter Paul is arguing, to Christians in Corinth, against those who do not believe in the bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12). While there are different approaches taken to interpreting the meaning of this scripture, some mainstream Christians believe Paul was merely demonstrating the logical contradiction between the practices of these local Christians and their lack of belief in the resurrection. Others believe that "the dead," though plural in the original Greek, refers to Christ (rendering the interpretation of the verse as "why are you baptized for [one of] the dead [, Jesus], if the dead rise not at all?"), or to the symbol of Baptism - the death, burial and resurrection of the individual as they begin their new life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Other scholars are not exactly sure about what Paul meant by the comments (see links below).

Another counter-argument to baptism for the dead is that there is little or no record (or incomplete, or disputed) of any mainstream Christian denomination historically practicing it, and therefore it fails the test set forth by Saint Vincent of Lerins, that Christians should believe that which "has been believed by all Christians in all places at all times." Saint Vincent of Lerins (in Latin, Vincentius) was a Gallic author of early writings on Christianity. ...

Among the major reasons many Christians dismiss this practice is that they do not believe salvation is dependent on baptism at all. Further, that Christ's example of being baptized by John the Baptist is irrelevant to one's own personal salvation. If Baptism is not important, then Baptism for the Dead is irrelavent and unneeded. The practice of Baptism for the Dead also appears to some Christians to abrogate the individual's personal responsibility. It is not, however, meant to change the standing of the dead in God's eyes, only to provide them the opportunity to do so themselves. God is the deity believed by monotheists to be the supreme reality. ...

Holocaust victim controversy

It is asserted that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made it a long term practice to vicariously baptize for all people regardless of race, sex, or creed. This would include Jewish victims of the the Holocaust and other prominent individuals. Current Church policy states that members submit only the names of their own ancestors for these type of ordinances. Further, it is required that if a direct descendant is not submitting the names then a surviving family member's permission must be obtained for any Baptism that is to be performed for deceased individuals that have died within a certain time period (usually 50-75 years). This article describes some ethnic, historic, and cultural aspects of the Jewish identity; for a consideration of the Jewish religion, refer to the article Judaism. ... Selection procedure of Hungarian Jews at the Auschwitz camp on 26 May 1944, where the Nazis chose whom to kill immediately and whom to use as slave labor or for medical experimentation. ...

The LDS Church has historically made efforts to have respect for the wishes of living descendants of the deceased person's records. The following is a quote from Boyd K. Packer, an apostle and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

For a number of years the Church had negotiated with the government of Israel for permission to microfilm the archives of that nation. These records, including many carefully kept genealogies, are priceless records of the human family and have a tie to great events in the history of the world. The officials had learned all they wanted to know about the Church storage procedures and were impressed. They insisted however that someone be sent to talk to them about the doctrine relating to our desire for their records. They wanted to know why we wanted their records. In 1977 I received the assignment to go to Israel and meet with their official archivists and scholars on the matter. I went in company with Brother Ted Powell, the director of acquisitions of records for the Genealogical Department of the Church. A meeting was held in the Peace Building at Hebrew University on Mount Scorpius. Nine archivists and scholars represented the Israelis. I explained to them our great interest in the Old Testament and our kinship with Israel. We talked of family, of patriarchal lineage and blessings. We talked of the doctrine of agency. But all of these things were not central to the point. It might seem that in order to obtain a favorable decision we would have to be "diplomatic" and not mention ordinances-especially baptism. But we were on the Lord's errand, and so I told them-plainly, bluntly-that we desired their records in order to provide baptism, Christian baptism, for their forebears and for ours. The reaction was immediate and intense. The meeting thereafter was most interesting! We came away uncertain as to the outcome. But we were on the Lord's errand. We were serving the work of redemption for the dead. We had told the truth without any shade of misrepresentation. In due time the answer came. We received approval to microfilm and preserve those records which were sanctified by the suffering of our brethren of the house of Israel. The Holy Temple, Boyd K. Packer, 1980, p.266 Image File history File links Cquote1. ...

Some members of the church though, performed baptisms for Holocaust Victims, without proper approval or permission. When this information became public, it generated vocal criticism of the LDS Church by some Jewish groups who found this ritual to be insulting and insensitive. They viewed these ordinances as a personal affront on the religion of those who died because they were Jews. Partly as a result of public pressure, Church leaders in 1995 promised to put into place new policies that would help stop the practice, unless specifically requested or approved by relatives of the victims. Image File history File links Cquote2. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In late 2002, it was found that there were members of the Church had still not stopped this practice despite directives from the Church leadership to its members, and criticism from various Jewish groups began again. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los Angeles, is on record as opposing the vicarious baptism of Holocaust victims. Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Center holds: "If these people did not contact the Mormons themselves, the adage should be: Don't call me, I'll call you. With the greatest of respect to them, we do not think they are the exclusive arbitrators of who is saved." For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Simon Wiesenthal Center The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish organization that declares itself to be a human rights group dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust by fostering tolerance and understanding through community involvement, educational outreach and social action. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area    - City 1,290. ... Rabbi Marvin Hier (* 1939 in New York) is the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, its Museum of Tolerance and of Moriah, the Centers film division. ...

In a 2005 statement responding to such concerns, Marlin K. Jensen, executive director of the LDS Church Family and Church History Department said:

[I]t is important to stress that the freedom of choice remains a prevailing concept behind baptism for the dead. No ordinance is administered by compulsion. The freedom of the recipient to accept or reject the ordinance is an overarching principle. . . The result of a proxy baptism is not binding on the recipient, and no name is added to the membership rolls of the Church. There is no change in ethnic identity or heritage of the recipient or of the recipient's descendants.

In December 2002, independent researcher Helen Radkey published a report showing that the Church's 1995 promise to remove Jewish Nazi victims from its International Genealogical Index was not sufficient; her research of the Church's database uncovered the names of about 19,000 who had a 40 to 50 percent chance of having "the potential to be Holocaust victims...in Russia, Poland, France, and Austria." Image File history File links Cquote1. ... Image File history File links Cquote2. ...

Genealogist Bernard Kouchel conducted a search of the International Genealogical Index, and discovered that many well known Jews have been vicariously baptized, including Rashi, Maimonides, Albert Einstein, Menachem Begin, Irving Berlin, Marc Chagall, and Gilda Radner. Some permissions may have been obtained, but there is not currently a system in place to ensure that these permissions were obtained. Rashi Rashi רשי, an acronym for Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac (Hebrew: רבי שלמה בן יצחק) or Shlomo Yitzchaki, (February 22, 1040 – July 17, 1105) is one of Judaisms classic meforshim (Bible and Talmud commentators), and wrote the first comprehensive commentaries on the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) and Talmud. ... Commonly used image indicating one artists conception of Maimonidess appearance Maimonides (March 30, 1135–December 13, 1204) was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Spain and Egypt during the Middle Ages. ... Albert Einstein, photographed in 1947 by Oren J. Turner. ... (August 16, 1913 – March 9, 1992) (Hebrew: מְנַחֵם בּגִין) head of the Zionist underground group the Irgun, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the first right-wing Likud Prime Minister of Israel. ... Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989), born Israel Isidore Beilin (as per [1]), in Tyumen, Russia (or possibly Mogilev, now Belarus), was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. ... Marc Chagall as photographed in 1941 by Carl Van Vechten. ... Gilda Radners Live From New York LP cover Gilda Radner (28 June 1946 – 20 May 1989) was an American comedian and actress, best known for her five years as part of the original cast of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. ...

In 2004, Schelly Talalay Dardashti, Jewish genealogy columnist for The Jerusalem Post noted that Jews, even those with no recognized Mormon descendants, are being rebaptised after being removed from the rolls. In an interview, D. Todd Christofferson, a church official, told The New York Times that it was not feasible for church to continuously monitor the archives to ensure that no new Jewish names appear. The agreement referred to above did not place this type of responsibility on the centralized Church leadership. The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli newspaper in the English language. ...

It is particularly galling to many Jews that proxy baptisms are performed for their own ancestors alongside those for Nazi luminaries such as Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. ^[1] Hitler redirects here. ... Eva Braun and Adolf Hitler. ...

See also

• ancestor liberation
• celestial marriage
• sealing power

Ancestor liberation as practiced by the Unification Church is a rite in which dead people trapped in hell can be freed from their awful, tomb-like state and elevated to a blessed realm of ease and freedom. ... Celestial Marriage is a doctrine peculiar to the Mormon religious movement, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). ... The sealing power is the power referred to in the Gospel of Matthew 16:19 when Christ says to Peter: This power is believed to have been held in Old Testament times by the prophet Elijah, and that he restored this power in the Kirtland Temple of the Church of...

References

• Roberts, B.H. (editor); History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; The Deseret Book Company; ISBN 0-87579-490-4 (revised 2nd edition, softcover, 1975)
• Tvedtnes, John A.; Baptism for the Dead: The Coptic Rationale; Retrieved Aug 19, 2003, from http://www.fairlds.org/apol/misc/misc23.html

1. ^ Adolf Hitler was baptized on September 4, 1993, endowed on October 12, 1993, and sealed to his parents and to Eva Braun on June 14, 1994 in the Los Angeles Temple. [1]

External links

Links with a neutral viewpoint about baptism for the dead

• Baptism for the Dead The BBC's Religion and Ethics report
• Directions: Did Paul Baptize for the Dead? From Christianity Today
• Baptism for the Dead A philosophical consideration of paedobaptism and baptism for the dead.

Opposed to Mormon baptism for the dead

• Christian Classics Ethereal Library
• Christian Answers
• Cornerstone Church, Garden City, Kansas
• New Covenant Church of God
• Institute for Religious Research
• Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
• Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

In favor of baptism for the dead

• Ancient Sources for Baptism of the Dead By Krister Stendahl
• Questions about Baptism for the Dead By Jeff Lindsay
• Does the Bible Teach Salvation for the Dead? By John A. Tvedtnes
• Mormonism and Early Christianity: Baptism for the Dead By Barry Bickmore
• To All the Saints Letters from Joseph Smith regarding proxy baptisms

About unauthorized proxy baptisms

• Honoring our Religious Traditions Official explanation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with respect to concerns about unauthorized baptisms
• Mormons meet with Jews over baptizing Holocaust victims from CNN.com
• LDS Church Reaffirms No Proxy Baptisms of Jews from The Salt Lake Tribune
• Vicarious baptism of Jews continues in 2004
• A chronology of the issue of Mormon baptisms of Jewish Holocaust victims