Dear Gramps,
Concerning baptism for the dead, would it be possible to wait until everyone has been resurrected then those who accept the gospel can be baptized for themselves. In other words, why baptize for the dead when everyone will eventually get resurrected and can be baptized for themselves.
Carl, from Auburn, Washington
Carl,
In the first place baptism is an ordinance designed to be performed by mortals. That is why baptism for the dead exists. No person following this life can be baptized for himself. All vicarious baptisms that will be performed during the millennium will be performed by mortals living in the millennium.
Another question could be, why be baptized at all since someone will be able to do it for us after the resurrection? The answer to that should be pretty obvious. Membership and activity in the church has great value, both for the person himself and for those whom he could serve. So if we waited to have some deceased person baptized, that person would remain in “spirit prison” until the work would have been performed, rather than progressing and growing toward perfection in the kingdom of God. The spirit world is not a vacuum. Much more vital and important work goes on there than here.
Further, it should be quite obvious that a mortal life outside the Church, without the gift of the Holy Ghost, without the teachings of the gospel, without the opportunity and privilege to serve each other in both our spiritual and temporal needs according to the program of the Church, would be a great detriment to one’s spiritual progress. With such a pedestrian life as would be required to live with no association with the kingdom of God on the earth, there would be little hope of any association with the kingdom of God in the eternities after this mortal experience.
Gramps
