Doctrine & Covenants 127-128

MISSIONARY MOMENT“My husband died (unbaptized) years ago, so there’s no hope for him…”

(D&C 128:3-4)D&C 128:6–7

The Perfecting Link

Baptismal Font Symbols: The font and the water

◦ A receptacle of life-giving water.

The Font placed below ground◦ The death and resurrection of the recipient of

this ordinance.

The Ox◦ The symbol of the tribe of Joseph.

The Font resting on the backs of Oxen◦ The burden has been laid upon the birthright

tribe of Joseph.

◦D&C 128:12-13

D&C 128:(17)18

The Perfecting Link

Baptisms for the Dead

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-08-01-glad-tidings-the-history-of-baptisms-for-the-dead?lang=eng

VIDEO: Glad Tidings: The History of Baptisms for the DeadJoseph Smith's struggle with his brother Alvin's death led eventually to the introduction of baptisms for the dead. This new ordinance was embraced by saints in Nauvoo who did the first genealogical and family history research in Church history. (6:55)

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-08-01-glad-tidings-the-history-of-baptisms-for-the-dead?lang=eng

VIDEO: Glad Tidings: The History of Baptisms for the DeadJoseph Smith's struggle with his brother Alvin's death led eventually to the introduction of baptisms for the dead. This new ordinance was embraced by saints in Nauvoo who did the first genealogical and family history research in Church history. (6:55)

D&C 128:22

What do we hear?

Experiences with Baptisms for the Dead

Doctrine & Covenants 127-128

“Elder Ballard contemplated on how great the temple ceremonies…and he wondered if the people there would accept the work we were doing for them.

“Brother Ballard said: ‘All at once a vision opened to me, and I beheld a great congregation of people gathered in the east end of the font room. One by one, as each name was baptized for, one of these people climbed a stairway over the font to the west end of the room. Not one soul was missing, but there was a person for every one of the thousand names done that day.’

“Brother Ballard said that he had never seen such happy people in all his life, and the whole congregation rejoiced at what was [being] done for them.” (Nolan Porter Olsen, Logan Temple: The First 100 Years [1978], 170).

Some time ago my husband came home and told me that he met two young missionaries who said that the Lord had sent them to him. Three days later I had a dream. I dreamed that I was with my mother, who died thirty-five years ago. I have never before dreamed of my mother. The dream was vivid, just as if it was real.

My mother said to me, “My child, I cannot rest.” I replied, “Why, Mom, why can’t you rest?” She answered, “Because you don’t belong to the right church.” I was surprised because I am in the church which my mother and father raised me in. Then the scene changed, and we were standing next to a beautiful clear pool of water that had three steps leading down into the water. My mother said, “My child, go down into the water, and I will follow.” I hesitated and said, “No, Mom, you go first and then I will follow.” Then my mother said, “No, my child, you must go first! Then I will come after.”

When I stood before the steps of the baptismal font in the temple one year after my baptism, I remembered my dream. It was the same pool of water that I had seen in my dream.”

LeBaron, E. Dale, “Elijah’s Mission: His Keys, Powers, and Blessings from the Old Testament to the Latter Days” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Provo and Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book 2005), 283–297.

My mother was called to be the stake genealogy secretary. Whenever a group assigned could not make it, a member of the temple presidency would call mother to ask if her sons could come to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. I often went to the temple to do baptisms.

One summer’s day, I had cut my hand severely on an empty tin can. I begged Mother not to take me to the doctor to have the wound stitched together, so she cleaned my hand, applied a bandage, covered that with adhesive tape, and then wrapped everything in gauze.

No sooner had she finished than the telephone rang. It was the brethren from the temple, wanting us boys to come over to do baptisms. I hurriedly bathed, dressed, and ran over to the temple.

Several hours and four hundred names later, Brother Edwards and I stopped for the night. As I returned home, exhausted, Mother spotted the dripping wet gauze on my hand and helped me into the bathroom to re-dress the wound. I was so tired and hungry I just wanted to eat and sleep. I wasn’t paying attention to my hand. I let her unwrap the bandage.

The gauze came off first, then the adhesive tape, and finally the bandage. My mother looked shocked. I looked down. Not a trace of a cut remained—no scar, no redness, nothing!

I remember my mother quietly hugging me. As we cried together, sharing that moment, the Spirit bore witness to me that I had been healed because of my service in the temple of the Lord.

“After 400 Names” Jon B. Fish, Ensign, August 1986

Whose started working on family history? How has that blessed your life?

How do you feel when you do baptisms for the dead?

Doctrine & Covenants 127-128

Doctrine & Covenants 127-128