Saving The Dead

All Saints Day is a national religious holiday all over here in the Philippines. And it is celebrated every November 1.

This is not only a day to remember the dearly family treasured ones that died, but this is one of the special days where hundreds and thousands of families all over the country gather once again in their native towns or cities not only to pay homage to their lost loved ones, but to renew their families ties among themselves until New Year comes.

The living are paying a visit to their departed loved ones at the cemetery, or in the memorial park by bringing flowers, lighting a candle or holding a mass through a paid Church minister or priest.

People every year in All Saints Day keep on coming home, keep on visiting and decorating their dead one's tomb with something of great values for their dead. And they keep on doing this as a tradition. Are they not thinking of situation or condition of their dead who aren't capable of saving themselves?

In "Redeeming the Dead", it could be done by baptizing them through a proxy. Sound ludicrous? Isn't it? But try to reconsider the following truth of salvation about this.

And here's my point which I would like to repost it here:

"God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Matthew 22:32)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that their dead could be saved through a vicarious baptism, particularly Baptism for the Dead, an ordinance opening the door to the celestial kingdom to worthy persons not privileged to undergo gospel schooling while in mortality.

LDS Baptismal Font

Based on the eternal principles of vicarious service, the Lord has ordained baptism for the dead as the means whereby all his worthy children of all ages can become heirs of salvation in his kingdom.

Sometime after birth into this life and before resurrection and judgement, every living soul will hear the gospel message and be judged by his reaction thereto. Millions who pass to the spirit world without receiving an opportunity during mortality to hear the truths of salvation will receive their chance subsequent to what men call death.

The great principles and procedures whereby the saving truths of the gospel are offered to, accepted by, and made binding upon the departed dead, comprise the doctrine of salvation for the dead. Pursuant to this doctrine the principles of salvation are taught in the spirit world, leaving the ordinances thereof to be performed in this life on a vicarious - proxy basis. By accepting the gospel in the spirit world, and because the ordinances of salvation and exaltation are performed vicariously in this world, the worthy dead can become heirs of the fulness of the Father's kingdom...

For the Latter-day Saints (LDS), salvation for the dead is the system where those who would have accepted the gospel in this life had they been permitted to hear it, will have the chance to accept it in the spirit world, and will them be entitled to all the blessings which passed them by in mortality.

image credits:

• LDS Baptismal Font - Kathryn Skaggs