BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD
A prominent feature in the plan of redemption is the vicarious nature of the labors of Christ, and his ministers, for the salvation of men. In his death and resurrection, Christ did that for men which they could not do for themselves. In all dispensations of the Priesthood, it has been the duty of those officiating in its ordinances to act for others, when they could not act for themselves.
Under the Mosaic law, the tribe of Levi was set apart, to make it the special business of their lives, in all their generations, to understand its ordinances and ceremonies that they might be capable of acting in behalf of the people, who were engaged in the ordinary avocations of life. This labor was accepted by the Lord, in behalf of the people, as though they had done it for themselves.
The ordinances described in the 16th chap. of Lev., which the High Priest was required to perform as an atonement for the sins of the house of Israel, clearly illustrates this principle. It is said of the scapegoat, "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness;" 16. 21. This confession of the sins of the people, by the High Priest, was a vicarious work, and was accepted by the Lord as though they had confessed their own sins, with their hands upon the head of the goat—a work evidently impracticable for them to do.
The vicarious nature of the sufferings of Christ are clearly foretold in the prophetic vision of Isaiah: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed;" 53. 4, 5. The same prophet speaking further of Christ says, that he should be "For a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;" 42. 6. Evidently referring to his earthly mission in which this was literally fulfilled.
At the time when this should take place, there was another labor which he was to perform. He was "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house;" verse 7. This passage informs us that there was a class of persons who were confined in a dark, benighted prison, who were to be delivered when Christ should be "For a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles."
The Apostle Peter informs us that Jesus, between his death and resurrection, when his spirit was free from his body, went and preached to the spirits in prison. "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;" 1 Pet. 3. 18, 19. In the context he informs us that these spirits were those, of the people, who were disobedient in the days of Noah.
The Apostle Peter had no narrow views of the plan of salvation, for when he speaks of Christ suffering, "the just for the unjust," he makes no discrimination in favor of the living. For the assertion is sweeping and universal, that Christ died for all; else what profit could there be in Christ's preaching to the spirits in prison, unless the way was opened for them to receive the ordinances and blessings of the Gospel, in common with the living?
Peter positively informs us that the Gospel was preached to the dead, and the reason why, "For, 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;" 4. 6. If they are judged according to men in the flesh, it would evidently be unjust, if they should not have the benefit of all the ordinances and privileges that pertain to the living. To the question, How can the dead receive the ordinances of the Gospel? there can be but one answer—by proxy; by the vicarious works of the living.
Not only did Peter assert that the Gospel was preached to the spirits in prison, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but the Apostle Paul informs us that the first Gospel ordinance, of all dispensations—baptism, was administered by proxy among the former-day Saints.
Speaking of the resurrection, he asks the Corinthian Saints, "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?" 1 Cor. 15. 29. That is, of what utility are baptisms for the dead, if there is no resurrection? This doctrine was evidently neither strange nor new to those to whom the Apostles were writing.
Paul further says, "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living;" Rom. 14. 9. If this passage asserts anything, it is that Christ died for the dead as well as the living. Again, there is here no discrimination made in favor of the living.
Jesus gave some light on this subject, when talking with the Jews on marrying and the resurrection: "Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. * * * For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him;" Luke 20. 36, 38. The following may be inferred from these passages: that notwithstanding men die, they must live unto God through the resurrection, and as myriads have died without a knowledge of the Gospel, they must have an opportunity of enjoying its blessings, in order to live unto God, after they have come forth from the dead.
The prophet Malachi, in vision, saw our day, over 2200 years ago. In the closing chapter of his prophecy and of the Old Testament, he says, "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch;" 4. 1. But there is another important event to take place before that day, as we learn in verses 5 & 6: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
Elijah's coming must evidently be to some one who is prepared to receive him, and to labor in the great work he is sent to inaugurate, for the expression, "He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers," is very comprehensive. It does not discriminate between the living and the dead, between the past and the future. It pertains to the whole family of Adam.
Moroni, the heavenly messenger who ministered to Joseph Smith, Jun., makes the universality of the work to be accomplished still plainer: "And he shall plant in the hearts of the children, the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming;" P. of G. P., p. 50.
"It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse, unless there is a welding link of some kind or other, between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other, and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect.
"Neither can they nor we be made perfect, without those who have died in the Gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times; which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time; and not only this, but those things which never have been kept hid from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this the dispensation of the fulness of times;" Doc. & Cov., sec. 128. 18.
The time came for Elijah to appear and fill his great and glorious mission. The place was prepared, and the men were there who had the faith to receive him, and the authority and power he was to bring to men in the flesh, to administer in the ordinances of the Gospel for the dead.
He appeared to Joseph, the Seer, and O. Cowdery, in the Kirtland Temple, April 3d, 1836, and said, "Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse. Therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors;" Doc. & Cov., sec. 110. 14, 15, 16.
Ordinances for the salvation of the dead require temples, or sacred places especially constructed for their administration. The former-day Saints usually remained in the same scattered condition in which they received the Gospel. For these reasons, it is probable that the doctrines pertaining to the salvation of the dead were imperfectly taught. This may account for so little being said in the New Testament on this subject.
The prophet Joseph has given special instructions on this subject in secs. 127 & 128, Doc. & Cov.
See Sermon by B. Young, J. of D., Vol. 3, page 362.
" " J. Smith, " " 6, " 1.
" " Jos. Young, " " 6, " 226.
" " G. Q. Cannon, " " 14, " 310.
" " J. Taylor, " " 15, " 284.
" " W. Woodruff, " " 16, " 263.
" " O. Pratt, " " 18, " 41.
" " B. Young, " " 18, " 235.
History of J. Smith, Oct. 18, 1840.
" " " 31, 1841.
" " Dec. 13, 1841.
" " March 27, 1842.
" " April 15, 1842.
" " Jan. 21, 1844.
" " April 8, 1844.
" " May 12, 1844.