Vicarious ordinance work is 'truly Christlike'
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"Because baptism by water and of the Spirit is essential for full salvation, in the eternal nature of things all of God's children should have this opportunity, including those who have lived in centuries past," President James E. Faust said during the April 2001 general conference.
"The doctrine of baptism of the living for the dead in the temple was understood and practiced in the early Christian Church. Paul, in his great discussion about the Resurrection, reasoned: '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 Corinthians 15:29.)
"Doing something so vital for those who cannot do it for themselves is truly Christlike. By laying down His life to atone for the sins of all mankind, Jesus did that for us which we cannot do for ourselves. The prophet Malachi referenced this concept when he spoke of the coming of the prophet Elijah, who would 'turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest [the Lord] come and smite the earth with a curse.' (Malachi 4:6.) This is accomplished in large measure through vicarious work for the dead.
"No other organization on the earth is doing more to fulfil Malachi's promise than the Church. At great expense and effort the Church is now the custodian of the greatest treasure of family records in the world. The Church now has 660 million names on the FamilySearch Internet Web site. These records are freely shared with anyone who wishes to research them."
