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baptism for the dead

noun

  1. the baptism of a living person in the place of and for the sake of one who has died unbaptized: now practiced chiefly by Mormons.


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Example Sentences

Another rite performed in temples — proxy baptism for the dead — has spurred the LDS Church’s pioneering work in genealogy but has also generated controversy.

As members of the LDS Church have taken increased opportunities to discuss their faith because of interest in Mitt Romney’s Mormonism, over time it became increasingly evident that no matter what sensitive issue came our way, be it baptism for the dead, racism, polygamy, Mormon temple worship, gender equality, etc… the chance to share our faith while clarifying Mormon teachings turned out to be a net positive.

Combined with other references and a specific mention of baptism for the dead in one of Paul’s letters, these scriptures form the theological underpinnings of Mormon temple work.

Last week, this same Mormon practice of baptism for the dead found its way into news reports because someone violated church policy and submitted for baptism the names of some Jewish Holocaust victims to whom they were not related.

That first visit to a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints --and my first experience of what Mormons call “baptism for the dead”--was one of the most intensely significant religious experiences of my life.

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