Baptisms for the dead

Although it is common knowledge that Mormons baptise people who have long since died, using existing members as proxies, there’s not a lot of knowledge of why. Usually, there’s just outrage that it’s happening and therefore anger tends to cloud any further reasoning.

Do Mormons baptise dead people by proxy? So long as the person has been dead 100 years or more, or the closest living relative gives permission, then yes (there are further exceptions).

Does this make the dead person a registered Mormon? No.

Don’t think this means all your ancestors are now Mormon. It is taught in the LDS Church that when people die, if they have not been taught the Book Of Mormon, or of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ, then they have a chance to do so in the afterlife. Mormons believe that there are different levels of the Heavenly Kingdom, and those who were never taught the Gospel, are not bad people by default. Therefore they are in a Heaven where they are resurrected and they exist, but do not enjoy the many blessings that those who have been taught the gospel, and followed the commandments, repented of their sins etc., will enjoy. If the dead person was a bad person, and committed crimes of which they had no remorse, hurt others and did not repent, and generally did evil things, then they tend to go downstairs where they have an appointment with a large pointy trident.

This doesn’t mean the non-educated miss out though. When Mormons baptise the dead, they are offering those dead people the opportunity to be taught the Word of Christ. Imagine it like when someone dies, they have never even heard of the Book Of Mormon. They were a good, honest person and as such are in Heaven. When Mormons then baptise this dead person via proxy, it’s the equivalent of having the missionaries come visit the dead person to teach them the Gospel. The dead person, still has a choice to decide if they wish to accept the teachings or not. They can very easily decide they’re happy where they are and choose not to accept these teachings.

Mormons believe that families are forever, and are reunited in the afterlife so long as they were born into Mormon families (born into the covenant) or have performed an ordination called a ‘sealing’. Families who have been sealed together will be together in the afterlife, and so this ordination is also performed for the dead.

So if you find out that a long-dead ancestor was baptised posthumously by Mormons in their Temple, this means that in the afterlife, your ancestor was taught the Word of Christ. They were taught the righteous teachings of Jesus. It’s up to them whether they accept this teachings and become part of the wonderful blessings of the Lord’s most glorious kingdom. If they choose to accept these teachings, then good for them. If they choose not to accept them, then that’s their decision.

There are certain exceptions. If the person died within the last 100 years, then the closest living relative has to give permission for these baptisms and other work to go ahead. Certain faiths have requested that Mormons do not baptise members of their faiths (the Jewish authorities have asked that the LDS church does not baptise any Holocaust victims, for example). Also, there is not (as recently described in a newspaper) a mad rush to baptise famous people as soon as their heart stops beating (it’s actually not advised to baptise famous people). Equally the current membership of the LDS Church are in no position to judge who was a good or a bad person, and as such, despite if someone did evil during their mortal lives, they will be baptised anyway and then will be judged by the Lord, who tends to take a dim view of evil, but it’s simply that the members of the LDS Church have no authority to judge who is deserving of Heaven and who is not.

So are your ancestors forced to be baptised as Mormons against their will? No, they have the same choice as you and I. Mormons just simply give them the opportunity to learn and the choice to accept or reject the Teachings of Christ.