Baptisms for the Dead

When Mormons go to the temple, they receive the Mormon endowment only one time for themselves. Yet, Mormons are encouraged to go to the temple often. So, why do they keep going back? Each ordinance performed in a Mormon temple is only done once per person. These ordinances include the initiatory, the Mormon endowment ceremony, and the sealing to spouse and family. Living members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons) are baptized  at age 8 and above. If a child is born into a family whose parents are members, he or she may choose to be baptized at age 8, which is known as the age of accountability in Mormon doctrine. At this age, children are old enough to tell the difference between right and wrong, can understand the process of repentance, and may be held accountable for their own actions. If a person is converted to the Church later in life, he or she may be baptized at any age.

Mormon doctrine teaches that “confirmation” — to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands — is an essential part of the ordinance of baptism. One without the other is ineffective. Thus, the first work done in the temple is baptisms for the dead. Worthy Latter-day Saints age 12 and above may go to the temple to perform baptisms and confirmations, by proxy, for people who died without a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Plan of Salvation teaches that families are eternal units and need to be sealed together for eternity. However, since the gospel was restored in 1830, there have been millions of people who did not have a chance to do these ordinances for themselves. Mormons are encouraged to do their personal family history work, tracing their genealogy as far back as they can. Once enough information is gathered for each ancestor, names can be brought to the temple and work can be done for them. Members of the Mormon Church must obtain special permission to bring names to the temple for anyone other than direct ancestors, and permission must be obtained from the nearest living relative of a person in order to complete work for them, if they died in the past 100 years.

Some people are angered when they hear about the work done for the dead in Mormon temples. They feel that Mormons are taking a choice away from people about whether they want to actually belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not. Free agency is honored, however. Mormons believe that the ordinances performed in the temple—baptisms, initiatories, endowments, and sealings—are ordinances which can only be performed on this earth, with physical bodies. Thus, those who died without this knowledge are in a tough spot. Byperforming these ordinances by proxy, Mormons believe people who have already left this earthly life then have the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to accept that work. Thus, temple work is giving freedom to our ancestors, not taking away a choice.

Temple work is one of the most selfless things a person can do. To do proxy work takes a lot of time, and it is nearly entirely a selfless service. By returning to do work for the dead in temples, people can be reminded of the ordinances they have received and the covenants they have made with God; they can be reminded of the blessings promised to them if they are faithful, but other than that, they are giving freely of their time to help those who cannot help themselves.