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How does one get posthumously baptized?
By greyone42
@greyone42 (20)
United States
December 22, 2006 2:17pm CST
I was reading a story in the news on the Church of Latter Day Saints wanting to posthumously baptize Holocaust survivor and nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal. Soon after the international Jewish human rights organization, Simon Wiesenthal Center, made a request to the Church of Latter Day Saints to remove his name from the list. My question is how does one posthumously baptize someone? My understanding of baptism is its an outward display of a change that has already occured, something the individual has to commit to. Once deceased you have "lost" the chance to make the decesion to become a christian and be baptized. If this is a true statement and people can be posthumously baptized then why are christians not flocking to graveyards to save the deceased? I am looking forward to seeing feedback on this question!
1 person likes this
4 responses
@happymommy6 (35)
• United States
7 Jan 07
First of all I would like to make a correction in your statements--the church that you are referring to is called the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS. Also known to the world as MORMONS or LDS (which stands for Latter-day Saints). As for "post-humously" baptizing people....gosh this might be quite a long answer...are you ready for it??
We believe that everyone will have the opportunity, whether in this life or the next, to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and be baptized. There are those that have passed on without ever being given the opportunity to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that gospel is taught to those in the Spirit World and they have the opportunity to either accept or reject it. We here on earth have the opportunity to be baptized by proxy in the name of our ancestors. We believe that our ancestors then are able to choose to accept or reject the baptism that was done in their behalf. It is essential for those ordinances to take place so that our ancestors can return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.
So there you have it. Thats what we believe and why we do it. There is a process of submitting names for baptism and generally names are submitted from your own geneology and family history. We don't just go and find random names to submit. Although as in every religion there are some zealots and I bet it was someone like that who tried to submit Simon Wiesenthals name...or who knows maybe it was one of his posterity. Either way. There you have it. Any questions?
@cuhmeal (13)
• United States
11 Jan 07
I think this has been wonderfully answered, but I'd just like to add this thought. God is a loving Heavenly Father and not a discriminator in the least...so this being the case, why would He not allow someone into heaven if they're a good person, but was just missing that VERY important step, being baptism? The answer is simple, He wouldn't. That's why this work is being done in temples across the world. It is very important that this work be done..like the other two ladies stated...the people choose whether to accept it or not after it's all done. Great quoting of the scriptures too!
