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Sustaining and Defending the LDS Temple

baptism for the dead

Baptism for the Dead: An Erroneous Practice? – Part 1

May 10, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 17 Comments

Salt Lake Temple Baptistery

In a letter dated April 5th, and reported by the Catholic News Service on May 2nd, the Vatican issued an order to all Catholic dioceses throughout the world to not give genealogical information in parish registers to Latter-day Saints in an effort to “block posthumous rebaptisms” of LDS ancestors. The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had “grave reservations” about this LDS practice (no pun intended I’m sure), and labelled it “detrimental” and “erroneous.” Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, added that it was “unacceptable”:

As Catholics, we have to make very clear to them their practice of so-called rebaptism is unacceptable from the standpoint of Catholic truth.

Catholic World News reports that the Catholic church objects to this practice, again termed “rebaptism,” for two reasons: [Read more…]

Posted in: Practices, Temples Today Tagged: ancestors, baptism, baptism for the dead, catholic, catholic news service, church, converts, critics, early christian, krister stendahl, priesthood, rebaptism, vatican, vicarious

The Resurrection and The Temple

March 23, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 2 Comments

christ.jpg

On this bright Easter morning I thought we might reflect on the glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and particularly how this miraculous gift and triumph over death by the Savior has a very central theme and part of our temple. I don’t think we recognize just how inseparably tied are the realities of the resurrection and the temple. We don’t often mention the two in the same sentence, yet this might be excusable given that they represent very much one and the same eternal ideals and principles.

More often than not our thoughts are drawn to and focus on the Lord’s atonement, without spending much time on the other. This is also understandable—the resurrection is an unconditional gift to all who have received bodies in mortality, whereas there are certain laws and ordinances which we must abide by in order to receive a fullness of what the atonement has to offer us. But the atonement and the resurrection are connected principles, both enabling us to return to the presence of God, for no untransfigured or unquickened mortal flesh can withstand God’s presence and live (D&C 67:11, D&C 84:19-22, D&C 76:118, Moses 1:5).
[Read more…]

Posted in: Scholarship Tagged: baptism for the dead, death, egyptian, endowment, exaltation, heaven, hugh nibley, ordinances, resurrection, rituals

Baptism “of” the Dead in Eastern Christianity

March 3, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 7 Comments

St. Michael’s Monastery in Kiev, Ukraine

I have a certain affinity or appreciation for Eastern Orthodox Christianity, having visited Ukraine two years ago where I had the opportunity to visit many of the beautiful cathedrals all across the country.  I found many of the practices, architecture, and artifacts of the faith to be intriguing from an LDS standpoint, showing parallels to our own traditions and beliefs.  From the structure of the cathedrals, to the mosaics and frescoes, to the belief system, many things stood out to me.  Could it be that the apostasy has had less of an affect upon the Eastern tradition than other sects of Christiandom?

This morning an article by Marvin R. VanDam on Meridian Magazine was brought to my attention.  VanDam most recently was the director for temporal affairs of the Eastern European and Central Asian Area of the Church.  In his article VanDam explores the studies of a well-known Russian religious scholar, Sergey Antonenko, who finds many striking parallels between Eastern Orthodoxy and the LDS Church.  Antonenko finds that, like the Latter-day Saints, Eastern Christianity has a tradition of “taking care [concerned] about the deceased, instead of forsaking [them].”  Such a concern, he says, can be traced back to early Christianity.

Most particularly, VanDam informs us that Antonenko finds that the practice of baptism for the dead has its roots in ancient Christianity, citing Paul in Corinthians as evidence:

Those who are advanced in the religious studies may conclude that vicarious baptism existed in the history of the Christian Church. . . . Direct [literal] meaning of the verse implies that “baptism for the dead” for the ancient Christians was confirmation of their confession [faith] – of their belief in resurrection.

VanDam then cites striking examples that Antonenko gives of the practice of baptism for the dead in Kiev, medieval Russia, an area which is now part of Ukraine.  In contrast to the Latter-day Saint practice of vicarious baptism “for” the dead, these baptisms were very literally baptisms “of” the dead, where the bones of deceased relatives were exhumed, baptized, and reburied, such was the overarching concern of these people for the salvation of their dead, but citing precedence and reason for doing so from the early Christians.

Read the entire article at Meridian Magazine.

Posted in: Practices, Scholarship Tagged: ancestors, antonenko, baptism, baptism for the dead, baptism of the dead, corinthians, deceased, early christian, kiev, marvin vandam, paul, russia, salvation, vicarious
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