| Question |
I wonder how the church basis it's baptism for those who have passed away
as biblical. Intercessory prayer is OK, but Baptizing dead people really
doesn't have much purpose. Why? Because a person is judged on their merits
and works while here on earth. Once the person has died, they proceed to
judgment or heavens gates to see if their name is in the book of life.
Baptizing them after death, in my eye's, doesn't really serve any purpose.
If they do not hear the word of God in this life, and therefore do not
understand what God offers & plans for them, then the bible says that they
may enter the gates of heaven when they are offered redemption at the gates
of heaven & accept God & Jesus Christ as their savior.
|
| Response |
To help you understand this great blessing which the Lord offers to his
children, turn to 1 Cor. 15:29, which 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?"
If the ordinance of baptism by proxy
for the dead was not being practiced in Christ's Church when his
apostles were on the earth, why is Paul asking the Corinthians about
it? Further, if we see 1 Peter 3:18-19 and 1 Peter 4:6, we know that
after Christ's crucifixion, he went to the Spirit World and taught the
gospel to those who had not heard it before they left the earth.
Truly, the gospel was taught to them then and is still being taught to
those who come to the earth and did not have an opportunity to hear and
understand the gospel message. Because of the countless scriptures in
the New Testament, which command all men and women to be baptized and
receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost or they cannot inherit the kingdom of
God, the Savior mercifully provides a way for all men and women
throughout the ages to have the opportunity to hear the gospel and be
baptized.
Today, the work of baptism for the dead continues in the temples of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those worthy members of
the Church who are eligible to go there and perform these baptisms. This is
one of the many reasons why the Church does such great genealogy work
throughout the world so that those names can be collected, the
ordinances done, and when the gospel is preached to them in the Spirit
World, they will have the opportunity to either accept or reject that
message just as they do on the earth, and will, thereafter, be judged
according to that which they have done and accepted.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Donny Osmond
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