grckalck

You weren't listening. I heard a TRIPLE dog dare, which can never, ever under any circumstances be ignored!

A very cool thing, bless you for doing this!

Not a Mormon, just read about their beliefs and have talked at length with them.

The concept is called, "vicarious baptism". In Mormon theology, one is ABSOLUTELY required to be baptized by a Mormon priest in a Mormon temple. However, again according to their theology, the true faith died out shortly after the last of Jesus' apostles died, and was not brought back to earth until it was revealed to Joseph Smith in the early 1800's, leaving 17 centuries worth of people unable to receive the full benefits of salvation. But Mormon theology also allows one person to baptized in another person's place. So by researching their genealogy they find all of their relatives and get baptized for them, giving them the benefits of the baptism that they were not able to secure in their time, due to the lapse in the true priesthood. So by finding your great great great great great great grandpa Joe, you go get baptized for him, even though he has been dead for three centuries, and now he is able to ascend into the highest of heavens. So like one Mormon friend said, "maybe it doesn't do anything, but maybe it does and when I get to heaven and meet Grandpa Joe he'll say, 'great job, thanks a lot!'"

First, this is a practice specific to Mormonism, and is not generally practiced in Christianity, as they of course do NOT believe that all authority to baptize or act in priestly/pastoral functions died out with the Apostles. So common prctice in the Christian faith is that one accepts Jesus as their savior, makes a public profession of their faith, and undergoes baptism, either by full immersion or being completely submerged, or by sprinkling, which can also be done to babies but thats a whole other discussion. In the Mormon religion, you are baptized vicariously or in the place of one individual at a time. I don't think one is limited only to family, but in practice that is probably how it works out. I don't think there is a limit to the number of people for whom one can be baptized. I don't know if one is limited to one each day, or if one can be baptized for Grandpa Joe, then turn right around and get baptized for Joe's wife and each of their children, one right after the other. Like I said, I'm not a Mormon, I've just read about their beliefs and talked to them about them.

I find the lack of response to questions about the Cascadia Subduction fault...disturbing.