LDS Baptism for the Dead

The Controversial Practice of Mormon Posthumous Conversion Ritual

Jun 17, 2008

Mormon theology gives people the chance to accept the gospel even after they die. Many critics see the practice as changing the deceased's faith.

Baptism is a standard Christian practice to save the living from eternal damnation. Whether this eternal punishment takes place in a lake of Fire and Brimstone or is simply a state of separation from God depends on the theological viewpoint. Neither of these theological viewpoints represents the Mormon view of the afterlife, but the Church of Jesus Chirst of Latter-day Saints gives people the chance to accept the gospel after their death.

This practice of baptism has generated controversy with Jewish groups representing holocuast survivors and recently caused the Vatican to issue a statement telling priests not to let LDS members have access to Catholic parish records.

Biblical Justification for Baptism for the Dead

The Apostle Paul mentions baptism for the dead in his first letter to the Corinthians. Critics of Mormon theology use the same chapter to point out that the practice is not in keeping with Biblical teaching. (1st Corinthians, Chapter 15) The Mormon interpretation of this passage is that everyone will hear the gospel, either in this world or the next. If a person does not accept the salvation the church offers, they do not spend eternity in Outer Darkness.

How Baptisms for the Dead Are Performed

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains the largest geneaological database in the world. People often use it to trace their roots, but the information is kept for religious reasons. The goal of the church is to give every person who lived on Earth the chance to accept the gospel. This can be accomplished only if the ancestry of all humanity is traced back to Adam and Eve.

When a Mormon does his genealogy he submits the list of names to the nearest temple. Temple workers give a person going through the temple a name when he goes through the baptismal font. The person who goes through the ceremony gets baptized by proxy.

Controversy that Surrounds the Practice

The Roman Cathoilc Church believes that the Mormon practice of posthumous baptisms is in error, and Jewish groups tried to get the church to stop the baptism by proxy of holocaust victims. The Mormon church teaches that baptism for the dead does not auotmatically make the person a Mormon in the afterlife.

Critics of this LDS practice believe that it is wrong to baptize someone posthumously beyond the grave, where they cannot make the decision for themselves. Mormons believe that the deceased spirit of a living person who gets baptized has the chance to accept or reject the baptism. The decision must be made by the soul for which the temple attendee is being baptized.

The copyright of the article LDS Baptism for the Dead in Mormonism is owned by Shawn Landis. Permission to republish LDS Baptism for the Dead in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.