2007-07-17 14:53:44 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Mormons believe in a doctrine called "Baptismal regeneration" They actually believe that baptism is the door in which a person must pass to enter heaven. For them that is the Celestial Kingdom the place where the Father lives. To all Bible believers (those who trust God to keep His word pure and not lost in translation after translation) we believe it was the blood Christ shed on the cross that makes us worthy of salvation in God's presents... Jim
2007-07-17 15:19:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Mormons baptize FOR the dead. How it works is like any other baptism, but the Mormon does it as a proxy for a dead person. They believe that the dead can receive the Gospel (i.e. Mormonism); thus, living Mormons do the rituals in the Temple as proxies for the deceased.
2007-07-17 22:08:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
They don't baptize the dead, they baptize for the dead. It's called a proxy baptism and it's done because Mormons believe that the LDS church is the one true church, and thus a baptism by anyone who is not priesthood of that church is ineffectual. (And of course those who haven't been baptized will need baptism too) So, in order to give everyone the same opportunity they have to be with God, they baptize for those who have already died, because baptism is considered to be a commandment of God.
2007-07-17 22:08:31 · answer #3 · answered by Casey C 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You have to understand a few of our beliefs to understand why we baptize for the dead.
1. We believe that baptism is an essential part of entering the Kingdom of God (John 3:2-6 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/john/3)
2. We believe that authority is needed to perform ordinances such as baptism (Hebrews 5 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/heb/5 )
3. We believe that authority was lost after the apostles were killed. (2 Thess. 3 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/2_thes/2 )
4. We believe that authority has been restored through Joseph Smith (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1 )
5. We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the church that has this authority
6. We believe that there is a time between death and resurrection where people who have not received or heard of the gospel on earth are given that chance
( http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/138 )
7. We believe that after these people (as spirits) are taught the gospel and a baptism has been performed in their behalf, they have the choice to accept or decline it.
I hope that helps. Good question
2007-07-18 11:56:47 · answer #4 · answered by Senator John McClain 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I answered this just yesterday. I think there is a way to copy my previous answer but I haven't done that yet. Anyway, all of God's children need to hear the gospel and be able to choose for themselves to accept it or not. One of the key issues is baptism. You cannot enter into God's Kingdom without it. That means that millions of God's children are automatically excluded from heaven because they lived and died without the opportunity of even hearing about the Gospel. That is not fair and that is not God's plan. Therefore, He made a plan whereby all of His children could hear the Gospel, if not on earth, then in the spirit world after mortality. Jesus started the missionary work in heaven when he was in between the crucifixion and the resurrection as told in Peter. Those that die can have their baptismal work done for them vicariously by those that are still on earth as mentioned by Paul in Corinthians. This is not forcing the dead to be Christian for they can still accept or reject the work we do for them. However, it gives them the opportunity to receive the blessings available to everybody else. Thus, they can be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to the spirit. It is our opportunity to do this essential work for them so that they can have a chance.
2007-07-18 12:22:00 · answer #5 · answered by rac 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is an act to ponder about.
One of my best friends is Mormon. (And huntin' buddy at that. What does that tell ya?).
We don't talk religion and politics to each other.
Maybe that's why we like each other. I don't know.
It sure contradicts scripture.
But of course,they have added books they claim are divine.
But, this is what I hold to---the dead are dead.
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in any thing that is done under the sun.
2007-07-17 22:13:10 · answer #6 · answered by rangedog 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
We believe that everyone must be baptized. Many never had the chance so we are baptized for them. This concept is mentioned in the Bible.
2007-07-18 12:14:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I saw some good answers so I make no further comment other than to suggest reading the articles below for more clarification.
2007-07-18 14:40:37 · answer #8 · answered by Dionysus 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We believe that those who didn't get the chance to hear and either accept or reject the gospel message in this lifetime WILL get to hear it in the next life, and get to choose to accept or reject it. But, since they can't be baptized themselves, we do it for them and they can accept or reject it.
2007-07-18 08:09:24 · answer #9 · answered by mormon_4_jesus 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you? Everybody's doing it! It's the IN-thing now.
2007-07-18 12:16:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋