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Baptisms for the Dead

Q. What happens to people who die without being taught/accepting baptism in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Heavenly Father has prepared another chance for them to hear the gospel and choose to accept or reject it.

The official Church website explains: “Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5) Many people, however, have died without being baptized. Others were baptized without proper authority. Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism. By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors. Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf.”

Baptism is the first ordinance of the gospel. It is so important that even Jesus Christ asked to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness. Because Heavenly Father desires for us all to return to Him, He has made it possible for the dead to have the same opportunities as the living through the temple ordinances.

Some have the misconception that this temple work forces the deceased persons into covenants against their will. This is entirely false. All spirits maintain their free will after death and can opt to accept or refuse the ordinance of baptism. When a living person is baptized and receives the Gift of the Holy Ghost in behalf of a deceased person, it is only to give the deceased person the opportunity – the option of redemption.

LDS.org also reveals: “Many in the spirit world embrace the gospel. However, they cannot receive priesthood ordinances for themselves because they do not have physical bodies. In holy temples, we have the privilege of receiving ordinances in their behalf. These ordinances include baptism, confirmation, Melchizedek Priesthood ordination (for men), the endowment, the marriage sealing, and the sealing of children to parents. The Lord revealed this work to the Prophet Joseph Smith, restoring a practice that had been revealed to Christians shortly after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:29 ).

Part of the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to Redeem the Dead. Because of this, we participate in genealogy/family history work to find our ancestors who were not able to hear and accept the gospel while on earth. Many in my family are involved in this work because of our desire to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to their fathers as mentioned at the very end of the old testament.

I love going to the temple. There is such a special feeling that accompanies me when I’m in the House of the Lord. Doing the physical ordinances for my ancestors who have passed on is an amazing experience because I know that many of them have been waiting for hundreds of years to finally have their baptism performed. Being a part of their spiritual progression is remarkable. I know that God is merciful and mindful of each of us because He gives everyone a fair chance at accepting or rejecting the message of the gospel.

Inter-Religious Dating

Q1. Is it OK for a Mormon and a Christian to date?
Q2. If a person is an atheist and dating a Mormon, will the Mormon faith accept the individual?

Interfaith dating is not prohibited but there is a slight caveat that goes with this. Generally, interfaith relationships are discouraged by many religious groups based on the inherent differences in such fundamental beliefs. That is, on top of personality differences, other differences in cultural and religious upbringing just add potential problems that must be dealt with. Something that is so basic to a person’s being, such as religious belief, can cause great problems down the road.

Dating can also be difficult when the standards between the two parties differ. Young Latter-day Saints are encouraged to date only those with similar standards and goals. That means those who keep the Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity, attend church and have a goal to be married in the temple. Since these are generally peculiar to Mormons, it can be hard for two young people to reconcile these differences. Pressure to change from one side to the other often occurs and, if left unchecked, will eventually destroy the relationship. Members of the LDS Church will do what is normal for him or her. No drinking, no smoking, keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, no pre-marital sexual relations, and others. A person who chooses to date someone who does not follow even one of these standards runs the risk of compromising his or her values, possibly creating a division in the relationship where the desires of both sides cannot be met.

While this division may or may not be crucial during dating, any division can be fatal to a relationship after a couple gets married. Since dating is a precursor to marriage, the question of inter-faith dating applies even more strongly to marriage. In my opinion, ideal marriages are built upon common trust and unity and a marriage that isn’t progressing towards those ideals is likely not progressing at all, which is a bad situation. A good, strong marriage is one where a man and a woman agree to put aside differences and work together. Religious differences can be difficult to put aside.

For the second question, the answer is yes. The “Mormon faith” accepts any individual (see 3 Nephi 18). That being said, don’t be surprised if you are encouraged to attend church and learn more about it. Mormons are Mormons because they enjoy what they believe and derive much happiness from it. And when any individual has something that makes them happy, they want to share it with others. I also encourage you to learn more about our faith if for no other reason than to understand what your significant other believes in.

An article was published in the church magazine, The New Era and answers the question from the point of view of the LDS member who asks if it is ok to date non-members.

Why I am a Mormon

Since becoming a regular contributor to “What Do Mormons Believe?” I have spent most of my time on posts that were aimed at clarifying various teachings of our Church. We have received some great questions and I deem it a great privilege to answer these questions. They drive me to the scriptures and force me to search, ponder, and pray about the doctrine.

Even though I like writing doctrinal posts I want to take a recess from answering questions for this post and share with you why I believe what I believe. In some ways I suppose that my journey of discipleship in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints could be compared to the construction of a house. First, there was the question of whether I really believed in God, then taking upon myself the name of Jesus Christ and wanting to be numbered among his fold, then came Joseph Smith and whether or not the Book of Mormon is from God. As I have moved from the “foundation” to the “trusses” my “house” has taken shape in the past 10 years and I see now, more than ever, how it all fits together.

first_floor_foundation_walls_august_11_2003 I will never forget the day that the Holy Ghost witnessed to me that Joseph Smith truly did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and that through him the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. It had been a rough few days. At the time I was spending 8-10 hours a day learning a language that was so foreign to me (Russian) and I was suffering from immense feelings of inadequacy. I was faced with the realization that I had left everything that was familiar to me for two entire years; I felt isolated and completely alone. I realized for the first time that I wasn’t as tough or as smart as I thought I was, I felt that I was a little child again. In addition to learning Russian, I was also learning how to teach. Part of this learning process included teaching various principles of the Gospel. Of course, I didn’t know what I was teaching verbatim, so I was reading and teaching it to my colleagues. I came to Joseph Smith’s account of what he saw on that spring day of 1820 in a grove of trees near Palmyra, New York:

“I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said pointing to the other–This is my Beloved Son. Hear him.” (Joseph Smith History 1:16-17).

heart-on-fire-screensaver-screenshot As I spoke these words, it was like there was a fire in my body, even to the point that I wondered if it could consume me. My heart was burning so strongly and I was so overcome with a feeling of peace that tears flowed freely from my young eyes. I knew that it was the Holy Ghost bearing witness to me that what I was teaching was true. It was so powerful that there was no room for doubt in my mind any longer and I knew that it was from God. The language still wasn’t easy and it was still hard learning to adapt to my new situation, but I pressed forward with a sure conviction that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Jesus Christ’s church. (As an aside, I hope that you can now understand why Mormons believe so strongly in their religion. One cannot deny that an experience such as the one that I had is from God.)

That experience laid a solid foundation for me. I have been taught much by the Holy Ghost since that day. I have been taught about love, kindness, the reality of the Atonement and Resurrection, forgiveness, covenants, and the ins and outs of many doctrines. On a more tangible level, I have been taught about life, how to live it, what brings happiness and what doesn’t. I have been taught how to refine myself. I have been taught how to interact with others. I have learned how to lead and how to follow. The list could go on and on. These are all invaluable lessons learned. In my chosen profession I will spend the rest of my life acquiring knowledge about the human body and all of its intricacies, but that knowledge does not hold a candle to the knowledge of the mysteries of God that I have been blessed to receive through the Holy Ghost.

Why else am I a Mormon? Here are a few reasons: I have the utmost assurance that I will be with my beautiful wife and children for all of eternity–if my wife and I are true and faithful to the covenants that we have made with God and each other. I know every night when I give my son and daughter a kiss on the forehead before they drift off to sleep that if they or I shouldn’t wake in the morning that we will be together again, this time never to part. That in itself is an incomprehensible blessing. I am privileged to have the authority to act in God’s name and with this authority comes the blessing of being able to administer to and serve all those around me. As I have served others in this capacity I have been witness to how God has worked through me to bless the lives of His children. Those are sweet, sacred experiences. In addition, I have the assurance that Jesus Christ is directing the church of which I am a member. Thus I can act in faith, knowing that what I am taught and learn is in essence from Him–I have no doubt that the course that I am on will lead to nothing but joy and happiness in this part of my life and in the next. It is all so beautiful; I thank God everyday for the innumerable mercies and blessings that have come my way.

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What Happens at Funerals?

Q. What happens at LDS funerals?

I imagine that the flavor of the funeral might change in different cultures so I will zero in on American and more specifically-Utah Mormon funerals. Following is an overview of the typical funeral (keeping in mind, of course, that each one is different because every family is different). When a person dies the Bishop will be called, he will help the family make arrangements and offer the services of the ward (the local congregation). The family will contact the local funeral home and make arrangements for a viewing, the funeral, and the interment. The Bishop (leader of the ward) and Relief Society President (leader of the women of the ward) will stay in contact with the family throughout the week finalizing plans and offering help or suggestions.

Three to six days after the death the funeral will be scheduled to fit into the schedule of the funeral home and the traveling restraints of the family. They often aim for a weekend. The church building is offered, free of charge, but other arrangements can be made depending on the connection the person might have in the area and the size of the family. The first thing scheduled is the viewing, which will usually be held at the funeral home for a couple of hours the evening before the funeral. The next morning the body will be transported by the funeral home directors to the church where another one to two hour viewing will be made available for friends and neighbors who wish to pay their respects and offer comfort to the family. The viewing is held in a larger room in the church building but not the chapel.

About 15 minutes before the funeral starts the family will gather in the room with the casket. A member of the family will offer a family prayer, and the directors will close the casket after the family has had their final chance to say their goodbyes. The funeral will be held in the chapel. When the family is ready to enter the chapel, the person conducting the funeral (generally the Bishop) asks everyone to rise while the closed casket is wheeled in and positioned in the front of the chapel with the family following and taking their seats in the front and center pews. The chapel is decorated with the flowers people have sent to the family.

The program of the funeral will have been worked out by the family with the aid of the Bishop. There are a few suggestions: 1. The funeral is opened and closed with prayer. 2. The goal is to have the service completed in about an hour. 3. The music should follow the guidelines outlined for other church meetings, no drums or horns, respectful and with a spiritual theme. The talks celebrate the life of the deceased- they might be given by the children or other family members or close friends. One talk is designated as the spiritual message and is often given by a church leader or other active member who knows the deceased but is also comfortable with the doctrine of the church. This talk will include a message of hope about the plan of salvation and the promise of the resurrection. It is somewhat doctrinal in nature.

Following the service the audience will be asked to stand again while the pall bearers move the casket out of the chapel to the hearse, followed by the family. Family and close friends go to the cemetery for the burial. When everyone is gathered and the casket is placed on the straps above the grave, a priesthood holder offers a prayer that dedicates the grave as a safe resting place for the deceased until the resurrection. Some families choose to release balloons or have another musical number before they disperse. If the deceased has served in the military a 21 gun salute can be given at this point.

While all this has been going on the Relief Society of the ward has been busy setting up a luncheon for the family. Some aspects of it have become pretty uniform: Ham or chicken, green salad, rolls, “funeral” potatoes, and cake for dessert.

The separation caused by death is difficult for those left behind and the funeral is a rite designed to give comfort and assurance to the family and friends. The LDS funeral is a fairly simple affair due to the belief that the spirit of the person no longer inhabits the body. It is a time of reflection on the life and relationships of the departed as well as a time to consider the grand plan of happiness that God has offered to all of his children. It encourages the individuals of the congregation to reflect on their own progress as well as their relationship with the departed and their relationship with their Lord.

Was He Married?

Q. Was He [Jesus] married?

Short answer: We don’t know.

Longish answer: Funny you should ask. Historically there has been some widespread speculation about that, particularly with respect to Mary Magdalene. Thanks in part to The DaVinci Code, the issue has become more a part of popular culture in recent years. It’s a fascinating debate, filled with all kinds of gnostic gospels and symbolism and things.

The LDS Church has no official statement about the subject (despite some speculation by early Church leaders in the affirmative). The Bible doesn’t say He was, the Book of Mormon doesn’t say He was, and neither does the book of Doctrine and Covenants. But—and I’m hoping I speak for the majority here—I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out He is, especially considering that we believe marriage and family to be a central and necessary aspect of full happiness in the eternities. So, (purely my own opinion) I personally think He probably is, but I don’t think anyone now living knows for sure.

Incidentally, one of my favorite things about believing in continuing revelation and modern day prophets is that I have a good deal of hope that questions like these will be answered in the future through a prophet. We don’t have to claim to know everything about everything now because the gospel is living and being clarified and added to all the time. It’s a luxury that’s somewhat unique to being LDS, and I like it.