Biblical Reasons Ministry  

Baptism For the Dead

Is Mormon Baptism for the Dead a Christian Practice?

by faithful281 - contact

Mormons believe that water baptism by immersion "is the first saving ordinance of the gospel...All who seek eternal life must follow the example of the Savior by being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost." (True to the Faith, 2004, p. 21) Baptism, according to Mormonism, is the prerequisite to receiving the "gift of the Holy Ghost" and is a necessary step in the process of being exalted to the highest level of heaven. Believing that non-Mormon dead relatives will have an opportunity to receive the Mormon "restored gospel" in "spirit prison." Latter-day Saints take it upon themselves to help "save" them by engaging in proxy baptism on behalf of their dead ancestors. Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie explains:

"...though held captive in the spirit prison, these prisoners of hope looked forward with desire and expectation to their redemption...a redemption that would be complete only after baptism for the dead had been performed for them in this mortal sphere where there is water." --Mormon Doctrine, p. 601

Appealing to 1 Cor. 15:29 and Heb. 11:40 for Biblical support, Joseph Smith claimed that "the greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us [Mormons] is to seek after our dead...every spirit in the eternal world can be ferreted out and saved...And so you can see how far you can be a savior...This doctrine was the burden of the scriptures. Those saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their own salvation." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 1976, by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 356-357, 193)

Physical baptism is not a prerequisite for salvation. At Luke 23:43, we read that Jesus assured the thief on the cross (who had not been baptized), that he would be "with" Him in paradise that day, simply because he believed. Also the apostle Paul made a distinction between the "gospel" and "baptism" when he spoke to the Corinthian believers: "I thank God that I baptized none of you...For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." (1 Cor. 1:14, 17) Not only does Paul reject the notion that "baptism" was part of the "gospel," but he repeatedly affirmed salvation by "faith" apart from works (see Ro. 4:5, 11:6). Also, we see that baptism is not a requirement to the reception of the Holy Ghost for at Acts 10:44-47, we can read of an incident where believers received the gift of the "Holy Ghost" before they were baptized.

Scripture presents water baptism as a sign (not a seal) of salvation, there is no indication in Scripture that early Christians engaged in the practice of "baptism for the dead." There is only one place mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:29. It is very important to mote that in this passage, Paul excluded himself and the Christian believers he was speaking to by his use of the terms "they" and "them" in reference to the practice. It is likely that Paul had in mind heretical groups such as the Cerinthians and Maarcionites who practiced a form of Baptism for the dead. It appears that Paul was pointing to groups such as these as examples of those whose practice would be futile if Christ had not indeed raised from the dead. If such practice is indeed essential for salvation, I ask why the lack of emphasis in the Bible and Book of Mormon? With genealogical research being necessary activity for "baptism for the dead," I ask, why the Bible warns against such practice when it sates:

"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain" ---Titus 3:9

"Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so." --1 Timothy 1:4

The Mormon notion that we all can be "saviors" by redeeming our dead ancestors through baptism, the Bible proclaims:

"None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." --Ps. 49:7

If we look at I Corinthians verse 29 and ask who are "they", the context clearly points us back to verse 12. It is those within the Corinthian congregation who are denying the resurrection, and whom the entire passage is written to refute. The the biting aspect of Paul's argument becomes clear. These false teachers are inconsistent: they deny the resurrection, yet engage in a practice - baptism for the dead - which is based on the hope of resurrection.

This is exactly the understanding of the text held by the early Christian writer Tertullian. Writing about A.D. 180, he makes this comment on 1 Corinthians 15:29 - "His [Paul's] only aim in alluding to it was that he might all the more firmly insist upon the resurrection of the body, in proportion as they who were vainly baptized for the dead resorted to the practice from their belief of such a resurrection."

Ironically, the Encyclopedia of Mormonism exposes this same interpretation of the verse: "...Paul clearly refers to a distinct group within the Church, a group that he accuses of inconsistency between ritual and doctrine.

Thus, far from endorsing baptism for the dead, Paul associates it with a group whom he has already identified as being in deep spiritual error.

Would the apostle Paul use a practice of which he disapproved (baptism for the dead) to support something he wanted to affirm (resurrection)? There are at least four reasons for answering "yes" to this question, and for explaining why the apostle does not stop to refute the practice of baptism for the dead.

First, Paul has already associated the rite with false teachers. So in this sense, it has no positive standing and needed no special refutation.

Second, history has amply vindicated the apostle Paul's inspired judgment. The practice of baptism for the dead in fact never became widespread, which even the Encyclopedia of Mormonism acknowledges, as noted earlier. Only a few isolated sects have practiced it, including the heretical Marcionite sect in the second century, and the Ephrata Society, a Christian occult group in Pennsylvania in the 1700'. These two groups have little in common with each other, and even less with Mormon teaching, so the claim that baptism for the dead was part of original Christianity that was lost, lacks any historical or logical basis.

Third, Paul's statement at the beginning of 1 Corinthians, "Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospel" (1:16) - is a reminder that baptism does not have the same indispensable importance that faith in Christ has. This is an indirect slap at the logic of baptism for the dead, which implies that baptism is indispensable for resurrection to eternal life.

Fourth, Paul does elsewhere use something with which he disagrees to make a theological point. In 1 Corinthians 8:10 the apostle refers to eating meat in an idol's temple without showing it to be wrong in itself; however, that he believed it is wrong is clear from what he says later in 1 Corinthians 10:21.

There is also positive evidence from the Book of Mormon against the practice on at least two counts: (1) it teaches that those who die without hearing the gospel (the primary candidates for baptism for the dead) are alive in Christ, and therefore do not need baptism, and (2) it teaches that baptism is specifically a covenant for this mortal life, so that it would be completely meaningless to baptize for the dead.

The first point, notice that Moroni 8:22 explicitly declares that the state of those who die without a knowledge of the gospel is like that of children who die in infancy:

For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also they that are without the law. For the power of the redemption cometh on all then that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing.

Therefore, on the same grounds by which the Book of Mormon rejects infant baptism, baptism for those who die in ignorance of the gospel would have to be rejected.

This verse goes even further, specifically condemning baptism for these two classes of individuals as vain and a mockery: "But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works" (Moroni 8:23).

Baptism for the dead also conflicts with the Book of Mormon teaching that baptism is a covenant for mortal life. Mosiah 18:13 states, "And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he said, Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead, as to the mortal body."

According to these Book of Mormon passages, those who die in ignorance of gospel do not need baptism, and further, since it is a covenant for mortality, it could have no relevance to those in the spirit world.

Taken together with the silence of the Book of Mormon on baptism for the dead, these positive objections from its teaching on baptism constitute a serious contradiction between Latter-day scripture and practice.

It is quite clear in Paul's epistles and throughout the Bible that in fact we cannot save ourselves. Nor does any religious institution or ritual have the power to save us. But for those who trust in rituals and such are bound to be bitterly disappointed when the day of reckoning comes. It is in the power of God alone, and in His rich mercy and grace in Christ, that we can have hope that will not disappoint.

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"Jesus' blood on the altar was the ultimate payment. He made us worthy permanently. When Jesus died on the cross the veil covering the Holy of Holies tore in half. The mercy seat lay exposed to mankind. There is no veil, anymore, between God and man. Jesus ripped it down. But Mormonism has hung up a new one." -Kathleen Baldwin