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April 11, 2005
Post-Mortem Baptismal
Wizbang looks at the LDS policy of after death baptisms. Hhhmmm. You would think that I would have stumbled across this little quirk on my own, so I did some checking:
Five fundamental principles underlie LDS understanding of salvation for the dead:
1. Life is eternal. Birth does not begin life nor does death end it. In each stage of existence there are ever-higher levels of divine enlightenment and blessedness.
2. Repentance is possible in the next life as well as this one. "There is never a time when the spirit is too old to approach God. All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin" (TPJS, p. 191).
3. The family bonds extend beyond death. The family bonds that are formed on this earth and consecrated to God by sacred covenants and ordinances are indissoluble and extend into the spirit world. "They without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect" (D&C 128:15; Heb. 11:39-40).
4. Ordinances may be performed for the dead. Through the holy priesthood, held by the prophets in the Church, Jesus Christ has authorized mortals to receive ordinances "of salvation substitutional" [that is, by proxy] and become "instrumental in bringing multitudes of their kindred into the kingdom of God" (TPJS, p. 191).
5. Temple ordinances are not "mere signs." They are channels of the Spirit of God that enable one to be born of God in the fullest sense and to receive all the covenants and blessings of Jesus Christ. The performing of earthly ordinances by proxy for those who have died is as efficacious and vitalizing as if the deceased person had done them. That person, in turn, is free to accept or reject the ordinances in the spirit world.
I wonder how many "reject" the ordinances and how would we know if they did? Do we get a get an e-card in our inbox telling us thanks but no thanks? Perhaps a guest spot on NBC's Medium in the form of a dream by a confused Patricia Arquette and an even more confused scriptwriter? While I appreciate the LDS church's willingness to save my life after I leave this current one, I would appreciate them just leaving me be. I politely dismiss the missionaries that come to my door, and in every circumstance, they have left with a smile. I have to wonder if the smile is that akin to the cat with a canary in his mouth. Do they somehow know, as they are wheeling their matching bicycles up the driveway, that after I'm gone they will swoop in and convert me anyway? Does the ward down the hill already have the names of me and my family on a "converted but don't know it yet" list?
I somehow doubt it, but just in case, consider this my digital living will. Under no circumstances do I consent to being baptised in the Mormon faith upon my death. I was baptised in the Methodist faith many moons ago and that will just have to be good enough.
Posted by Jonathan at April 11, 2005 9:05 PM