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The Mormon Church teaches that baptism is required to be able to live with God after death. This ordinance must be done in the way prescribed by God and by a person who has the proper priesthood authority.
Deuteronomy 32:4 states, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgments: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” From this scripture and many others found in the Bible we are taught that God is a just God, that his judgments are correct and perfect. There have been millions of people who have died without the opportunity to hear Christís gospel and receive baptism. A just God would not punish those millions of people because they never had the chance to learn of Him. To give these people the opportunity, God has given man the ordinance of Baptism for the Dead.

The ordinance of Baptism for the Dead has been a part of Christ’s Church from the beginning. In 1 Corinthians 15:29 it 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?” The Savior also taught that he is God of both the living and the dead, “for all live unto him” (Luke 20:38), and he looks on both the living and the dead as having equal opportunities.

How do the dead and the living have the same opportunities? Spirits who have not learned of Christ’s gospel have the opportunity to learn it in the spirit world. Jesus preached to the dead. Peter taught this when he said, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” *[FN1] Later, Peter explains why this was done, “For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” *[FN2]

After being taught in the spirit world, the spirits have the opportunity to accept or reject Christís gospel. Those who accept the gospel, must still be baptized to gain entrance to living with God. This is why those who are living are baptized as proxy for them. Members of the Mormon Church perform these baptisms for those who have died because a body is needed to perform this ordinance. It should be made perfectly clear that performing these baptisms does not force a spirit to accept it. They still have the choice, but by performing the baptism they now have the opportunity to accept it if this is what they choose.

Baptisms for the dead can only be performed in temples. A living person can be baptized anywhere, but baptisms done vicariously for the dead must be done in the temple by worthy members and administered by those with the correct priesthood authority.

This article was recently submitted to all-encompassingly for publication. It is one of a series of informational posts intended to address misunderstandings about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. –Admin

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*FN1: 1 Peter 3:18-19. King James Version of the Bible
*FN2: 1 Peter 4:6 King James Version of the Bible