Who goes to heaven? Who goes to Hell?
If you listen to some in the world, this is what happens to people.
Babies who die - Hell
Young children who have not been baptized - Hell
People who live good lives but have never heard the true gospel - Hell
People who have grown up knowing nothing except worshiping idols, statues, multiple gods - Hell
Good people who have spent their lives serving others who have never been baptized - Hell
What do Mormons believe?
Well, we believe literally what Christ taught, that everyone must be baptized.
Even He set the example to show that everyone who wants to enter God's kingdom must be baptized.
So, does that mean He didn't love everyone and that only those who happened to hear the gospel and were baptized can dwell with God for eternity?
Well, we believe that He provided a way for everyone to have that chance.
We believe that after death, we go to a place to await resurrection. In that place, everyone who has lived is taught the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Each person has the chance to either accept or reject Christ and his gospel.
But they're dead! What can they do about it if they accept the gospel? They can't be baptized!
Therein comes the beauty of Christ's restored gospel. With restoring His Church and His gospel comes His authority, his priesthood, to baptize those who are living as proxies for those who are dead.
So yes, we believe in baptism for the dead. That doesn't mean we dig anyone up and baptize them. It does mean that a member of the Church can enter one of our temples and with the name of their deceased relative, they can be baptized in that dead persons behalf.
Does that mean that the person is forced to become a member of Christ's church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
No. We believe that we have our agency, our ability to choose, to accept or reject Christ and his gospel in this life or after death.
That means that after the proxy baptism has been performed, that deceased person will have the opportunity to accept it or reject it.
Is that true for babies and young children? No. They are a different case.
We believe that the age of accountability, the ability to know right from wrong, is age eight. Those younger than eight are incapable of sin, because to sin means you know something is wrong and you do it anyway.
Children who die before the age of eight are perfect and return to God without the need for baptism, because they were never capable of sin.
Those eight and older will choose for themselves to accept or reject. Every person will have the chance, no matter if the person lived in a big city but never heard the gospel, or if the person lived in a hut and believed in a stone god. Every person will hear, learn, understand, and then choose for themselves.
It may seem that everyone, when they are dead and hear the gospel, would accept Christ. Maybe, maybe not, but they will have the ability to choose, something they never had the chance to do here.
That was part of the plan God made for us when he let us come to earth. Our freedom to choose to follow him or not.
He loved all of us then, he loves all of us now.
He loves you too. You were part of his plan.
What are you doing about it?
Showing posts with label baptism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baptism. Show all posts
Why are Mormons so into temples?
Do Mormon's have temples?
Yes, there are now 129 temples in the world, with more being built all the time.
Are they the same as the buildings other churches build for their weekly worship services?
No. Mormon's have chapels for weekly church services. Church services for Mormons consist of 1) a sacrament meeting where members take the sacrament and renew their covenant to follow the Lord's commandments, to always remember him, and to have His Spirit with them. 2) Sunday School, about an hour long, where we have a person from the congregation study and teach directly from the scriptures, and 3) we divide into the women's organization, the Relief Society, and the men meet together in a meeting for priesthood holders.
Can anyone go into a Mormon temple?
When construction is finished on a temple, an open house is held so anyone wanting to see the inside is welcomed to come and see. After the open house, the temple is dedicated to the work of the Lord. After the dedication, only Mormon's who are keeping the commandments and following the Savior and his teachings qualify to enter the temple. Mormons who are not living the commandments, and those who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also called Mormons, Latter-day Saints and LDS) are not allowed to enter these dedicated temples.
Are there "secret" things that happen in the temple?
There are experiences in the temple that we consider sacred because of the covenants or promises we make to the Lord. We are asked, because of their sacred nature, not to talk about them outside of the temple. That may sound like the same thing as secret to some people, but to us they are precious and sacred.
So what happens in the temple.
1. Baptism's by proxy for the dead.
Jesus Christ said, "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." He was talking about being baptized by immersion. Even he was baptized by immersion and "came up out of the water" to show that all people, even he, needed to be baptized to return to God's presence.
Also, in 1 Corinthians 15: 29, it states, "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?" Members of the Church during Christ's day were also baptizing by proxy for those who had died.
So what does "by proxy" mean? It means that a person stands in the water in a baptismal font in the temple, and baptizes another person for a person who is dead. They use the dead person's name during the baptism.
Do we believe we are forcing baptism on every person who has died? No. We believe that every person has the ability to accept or reject the baptism done in their behalf. No one is ever forced to follow Jesus Christ. We are just following the Lord's direction to help all God's children.
2. Individuals make promises to follow Christ and the commandments, to help others and to dedicate their lives, time and efforts in helping others and following the Savior Jesus Christ.
3. Men and women are married for this life and "sealed" for eternity. Children born to them are included in this "forever family." Those who were not married in the temple and are worthy, can enter the temple and be sealed for eternity as husband and wife and have their children sealed to them.
Yes, there are now 129 temples in the world, with more being built all the time.
Are they the same as the buildings other churches build for their weekly worship services?
No. Mormon's have chapels for weekly church services. Church services for Mormons consist of 1) a sacrament meeting where members take the sacrament and renew their covenant to follow the Lord's commandments, to always remember him, and to have His Spirit with them. 2) Sunday School, about an hour long, where we have a person from the congregation study and teach directly from the scriptures, and 3) we divide into the women's organization, the Relief Society, and the men meet together in a meeting for priesthood holders.
Can anyone go into a Mormon temple?
When construction is finished on a temple, an open house is held so anyone wanting to see the inside is welcomed to come and see. After the open house, the temple is dedicated to the work of the Lord. After the dedication, only Mormon's who are keeping the commandments and following the Savior and his teachings qualify to enter the temple. Mormons who are not living the commandments, and those who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also called Mormons, Latter-day Saints and LDS) are not allowed to enter these dedicated temples.
Are there "secret" things that happen in the temple?
There are experiences in the temple that we consider sacred because of the covenants or promises we make to the Lord. We are asked, because of their sacred nature, not to talk about them outside of the temple. That may sound like the same thing as secret to some people, but to us they are precious and sacred.
So what happens in the temple.
1. Baptism's by proxy for the dead.
Jesus Christ said, "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." He was talking about being baptized by immersion. Even he was baptized by immersion and "came up out of the water" to show that all people, even he, needed to be baptized to return to God's presence.
Also, in 1 Corinthians 15: 29, it states, "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?" Members of the Church during Christ's day were also baptizing by proxy for those who had died.
So what does "by proxy" mean? It means that a person stands in the water in a baptismal font in the temple, and baptizes another person for a person who is dead. They use the dead person's name during the baptism.
Do we believe we are forcing baptism on every person who has died? No. We believe that every person has the ability to accept or reject the baptism done in their behalf. No one is ever forced to follow Jesus Christ. We are just following the Lord's direction to help all God's children.
2. Individuals make promises to follow Christ and the commandments, to help others and to dedicate their lives, time and efforts in helping others and following the Savior Jesus Christ.
3. Men and women are married for this life and "sealed" for eternity. Children born to them are included in this "forever family." Those who were not married in the temple and are worthy, can enter the temple and be sealed for eternity as husband and wife and have their children sealed to them.
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