LECTURES

ON

THE ARTICLES OF FAITH

OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.



LECTURE VII.

BAPTISM.--Continued.

     =Article 4.=--We believe that the first principles and ordinances
     of the Gospel are:--... (3) Baptism by immersion for the
     remission of sins; ...


MODE OF BAPTISM.

=1. Method of Administering Baptism Important.=--In considering the
object and the necessity of baptism, much has been said and inferred
concerning the importance which the Lord attaches to this initiatory
rite; it is natural that the mode of administering the ordinance
should also be specifically prescribed. Many Christian sects have some
established rite of initiation, in which water figures as a necessary
element; though with some the ceremony consists in nothing more than
the placing of the priest's moistened finger on the forehead of the
candidate; or in the pouring or sprinkling of water on the face; while
others consider immersion of the whole body as requisite. The
Latter-day Saints hold that the scriptures are devoid of ambiguity
regarding the acceptable mode of baptism; and they boldly declare
their belief that bodily immersion by a duly authorized servant or
representative of the Savior is the only true form. Their reasons for
this belief may be summed up as follows: (1) The derivation and former
usage of the word baptism, and its cognates, betoken immersion. (2)
The symbolism of the rite is preserved in no other form. (3)
Scriptural authority, the revealed word of God through the mouths of
ancient and modern prophets, prescribes immersion as the true form of
baptism.

=2. (1.) The Word "Baptism=," as is generally admitted by
philologists, is derived from the Greek _bapto_, _baptizo_, meaning
literally to dip, or to immerse. As is true in the case of every
living language, words may undergo great changes of meaning; and some
writers declare that the term in question may be as applicable to
pouring or sprinkling with water as to actual immersion. It becomes
interesting, therefore, to inquire as to the current meaning of the
term at or near the time of Christ; for, as the Savior evidently
deemed it unnecessary, in the course of His instructions concerning
baptism, to modify or in any way to enlarge upon the meaning of the
term, the word "baptize" evidently conveyed a very definite meaning to
those who received His teachings. From the use made of the original
term by the Latin and Greek authors,[406] it is plain that they
understood an actual immersion in water as the only true
signification. The modern Greeks understand baptism to mean a burial
in water, and therefore, as they adopt the profession of Christianity,
they practice immersion as the only proper form in baptism.[407]
Concerning this kind of argument, it should be remembered that
philological evidence is not of the most decisive order. Let us pass
then to the consideration of other and stronger reasons.

  [406] See Note 1.

  [407] See Note 2.

=3. (2.) The Symbolism of the Baptismal Rite= is preserved in no form
other than immersion. The Savior compared baptism to a birth, and
declared such to be essential to the life that leads to the kingdom of
God.[408] Surely none can say that a birth is represented by a simple
sprinkling of water on the face or head. Not the least of the
distinctions which have contributed to Christ's pre-eminence as a
teacher of teachers, consists in His precise and forceful use of
language; His comparisons are always strong, His metaphors ever
expressive, His parables convincing; and so inappropriate a comparison
as is implied in such a false representation of birth, would be
entirely foreign to the Great Teacher's methods.

  [408] John iii, 3, 5.

=4.= Baptism has also been very impressively compared to a burial,
followed by a resurrection; and in this symbol of the bodily death and
resurrection of His Son has God promised to grant remission of sins.
In writing to the Romans, Paul says:--"Know ye not, that so many of us
as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection."[409] And again, the same apostle
writes: "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with
him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him
from the dead."[410] Among all the varied forms of baptism practiced
by man, immersion alone typifies a birth, marking the beginning of a
new career; or the sleep of the grave, with subsequent victory over
death.

  [409] Rom. vi, 3-5.

  [410] Col. ii, 12.

=5. (3.) Scriptural Authority= warrants none other form than
immersion. Christ Himself was baptized by immersion. We read that
after the ceremony, He "went up straightway out of the water."[411]
That the baptism of the Savior was acceptable before His Father is
abundantly proved by the manifestations immediately following the
ordinance--in the descent of the Holy Ghost, and the declaration,
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." John, surnamed,
because of his Divine commission, the Baptist, baptized in the river
Jordan;[412] and shortly afterward we hear of him baptizing in Ænon,
near to Salim, "because there was much water there;"[413] yet had he
been baptizing by sprinkling, a small quantity of water would have
sufficed for a multitude.

  [411] Matt. iii, 16-17; Mark i, 10-11.

  [412] Mark i, 4, 5.

  [413] John iii, 23.

=6.= We read of baptism following the somewhat speedy conversion of
the Ethiopian eunuch, treasurer to the queen, Candace. To him Philip
preached the doctrine of Christ, as they rode together in the
Ethiopian's chariot; the eunuch, believing the words of his inspired
instructor, desired baptism, and Philip consenting, "he commanded the
chariot to stand still, and they both _went down into the water_, both
Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come
_up out of the water_, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip that
the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing."[414]
Surely the record in this case is explicit, that immersion was the
mode practiced by Philip.

  [414] Acts viii, 26-39.

=7. History, other than Scriptural=, proves that for more than two
centuries after Christ, immersion was the only mode of baptism
generally practiced by professed Christians; and not indeed till near
the close of the thirteenth century did other forms become
general.[415] Distortions of ordinances instituted by authority may be
expected, if the outward form of such ordinances be attempted after
the authority to minister in them has been taken away; yet such
distortions are of gradual growth; deformities resulting from
constitutional ailments do not develop in a day; we may with reason,
therefore, look for the closest imitation of the true form of baptism,
as indeed of any other ordinance instituted by Christ, in the period
immediately following His personal ministry, and that of His
apostles. Then, as the darkness of unbelief deepened, the authority
given of Christ having been taken from the earth with His martyred
servants, many innovations appeared, dignitaries of the various
churches becoming a law unto themselves and to their adherents. Early
in the third century, the Bishop of Carthage decided that persons of
weak health might be acceptably baptized by sprinkling; and with the
license thus given, the true form of baptism gradually fell into
disfavor, and unauthorized practices devised by man took its place.

  [415] See Note 3.

=8. Baptism among the Nephites= was performed by immersion only. The
wide extent to which baptism was preached and practiced among the
people from Lehi to Moroni has been already shown. When the Savior
appeared to His people on this hemisphere, He gave them very explicit
instructions as to the method of procedure in administering the
ordinance. These are his words:--"Verily I say unto you, that whoso
repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized
in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them: behold, ye shall go
down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. And
now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by
name, saying, _Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize
you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Amen._ And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth
again out of the water."[416]

  [416] III Nephi xi, 23-27.

=9. Modern Baptism=, as prescribed by revelation, is after the same
pattern. The first baptisms in the present dispensation were those of
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, who baptized each other according to
the directions of the heavenly messenger from whom they had received
authority to administer in this holy ordinance, and who was none other
than John the Baptist of a former dispensation, the forerunner of the
Messiah. Joseph Smith thus describes the event:--"Accordingly we went
and were baptized; I baptized him [Oliver Cowdery] first, and
afterwards he baptized me.... Immediately on our coming up out of the
water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious
blessings."

=10.= In a revelation concerning Church government, dated April, 1830,
the Lord prescribed the exact mode of baptism as He desires the
ordinance administered in the present dispensation. He said: "Baptism
is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who
repent:--The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus
Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who
has presented him or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him
or her by name--_Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize
you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen._ Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth
again out of the water."[417]

  [417] Doc. and Cov. xx, 72-74.

=11.= The Lord would not have prescribed the words of this ceremony
did He not desire them used, and therefore elders and priests of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no personal authority
to change the form given of God, by additions, omissions, or
alterations of any kind.


BAPTISM AND "RE-BAPTISM."

=12. A Repetition of the Baptismal Ordinance= on the same individual
is allowable under certain specific conditions. Thus, if one, having
entered the Church by baptism, withdraws from it, or is excommunicated
therefrom, and afterwards repents and desires to regain his standing
in the Church, he can do so only through baptism. However, such is a
repetition of the initiatory ordinance as previously administered.
There is no ordinance of "re-baptism" in the Church distinct in
nature, form, or purpose, from other baptism; and, therefore, in
administering baptism to a subject who has been formerly baptized, the
form of the ceremony is exactly the same as in first baptisms. The
expression, "I re-baptize you," in place of "I baptize you," and the
additions "for the renewal of your covenants," or "for the remission
of your sins," though such have been used by officiating elders and
priests of the Church, are not authorized. The dictates of reason
unite with the voice of the presiding authorities of the Church in
discountenancing any erratic departures from the course prescribed by
the Lord; changes in ceremonies given by authority can be effected
only by authority, and we must look for direction in these matters to
those who hold the keys of power in the Church.

=13.= A "re-baptism," that is, a repetition of the simple ordinance as
at first performed, may be allowed under particular circumstances,
which seemingly warrant this extraordinary step. Thus, in the early
days of the Church in Utah, its members having come hither through
much tribulation, long and toilsome journeyings, accompanied in many
instances by prolonged suspension of Church gatherings and other
formal religious observances, it was wisely suggested by President
Young that the members of the Church renew the witness of their
allegiance to the cause of God, by each one seeking baptism. Then, as
other companies of immigrants continued to arrive, the same conditions
of long travel and rough experience applying in their cases, and
further, as many of them hailed from foreign branches of the Church,
still incompletely organized, through which circumstances the actual
standing of the members could not be readily proved, the same rite of
a second baptism was allowed to them. However, it was never intended
that such a practice should become general; far less that it should be
established as a permanent rule of action in the Church. The
Latter-day Saints do not profess to be Anabaptists.

=14. "Re-baptisms" Recorded in Scripture= are very few; and in every
instance, the existence of special circumstances justifying the action
are readily seen. Thus, we read of Paul baptizing certain professed
disciples at Ephesus though they had already been baptized after the
manner of John's baptism.[418] But in this case, the apostle was
evidently, and with good reason, suspicious that the baptism of which
these spoke had been performed by unauthorized hands, or at least
without the proper preliminary education of the candidates; for when
he tested the efficacy of their baptism by asking "Have ye received
the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" they answered him, "We have not so
much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." Then asked he in
surprise, "Unto what then were ye baptized?" and they replied, "Unto
John's baptism." But Paul knew, as we know, that John preached the
baptism of repentance by water, but always declared that such was but
a preliminary to the greater baptism by fire, which Christ should
bring. Therefore, in view of such unsatisfactory evidence concerning
the validity of their baptism, Paul had baptism in the name of the
Lord Jesus administered unto these twelve devout Ephesians, after
which he laid his hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

  [418] Acts xix, 1-6.

=15.= The baptism instituted by Christ among the Nephites,[419] was
very largely a "re-baptism;" for as we have already seen, the doctrine
of baptism had been taught and practiced among the people from the
time of Lehi; and surely, Nephi, the first to whom the Savior gave
authority to baptize after His departure, had been previously
baptized, for he and his co-laborers in the ministry had been most
zealous in declaring the necessity of baptism.[420] Yet in this case
also, there had probably arisen much impropriety in the manner, and
perhaps in the spirit, of administering the ordinance; for the Savior
in giving minute directions concerning the form of baptism, reproved
them for the spirit of contention and disputation that had previously
existed among them regarding the ordinance.[421] Therefore, the
baptism of these people was made valid by an authoritative
administration after the manner prescribed of God.

  [419] III Nephi xi, 21-28.

  [420] III Nephi vii, 23-26, etc.

  [421] III Nephi xi, 27-30.

=16.= Incidentally, our attention is arrested by the fact that in
these cases of re-baptism among the Nephites, the same ritual was used
as in first baptism, and this by explicit instructions of the Lord,
coupled with an impressive warning against disputation. Why should the
priests in this day seek to alter the form to suit the case of a
candidate who has formerly been baptized?

=17. Repeated Baptisms of the Same Person= are not sanctioned in the
Church. It is easy to fall into the error of believing that baptism
offers a ready means of gaining forgiveness of sins however oft
repeated. Such a belief tends rather to excuse than to prevent sin,
inasmuch as the hurtful effects seem to be so easily averted. Neither
the written law of God, nor the instructions of His living Priesthood,
designate baptism as a means of securing forgiveness by those who are
already within the fold of Christ. Unto such, forgiveness of all sin,
if not unto death, has been promised on confession, and repentance
with full purpose of heart; of them a repetition of the baptismal rite
has not been required and, were subjects of this class repeatedly
baptized, unto them remission of sins would in no wise come, except
they repent most sincerely. The frailties of mortality and our
proneness to sin lead us continually into error; but if we covenant
with the Lord at the waters of baptism, and thereafter seek to observe
His law, He is merciful to pardon our little transgressions, through
repentance sincere and true; and without such repentance, baptism,
however oft repeated, would avail us nothing.


BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD.

=18. Baptism Required of All.=--The universal applicability of the law
of baptism has been already dwelt upon. Compliance with the ordinance
has been shown to be essential to salvation, and this condition
applies to all mankind. Nowhere in scripture is a distinction made in
this regard between the living and the dead. The dead are those who
have lived in mortality upon earth; the living are mortals who yet
shall pass through the ordained change which we call death. All are
children of the same Father, all to be judged and rewarded or punished
by the same unerring justice, with the same interpositions of
benignant mercy. Christ's atoning sacrifice was offered, not alone for
the few who lived upon the earth while He was in the flesh, nor for
those who were to be born in mortality after His death, but for all
inhabitants of earth then past, present, and future. He was ordained
of the Father to be a judge of both quick and dead;[422] He is Lord
alike of living and dead,[423] as men speak of dead and living, though
all are to be placed in the same position before Him; there will be
but a single class, for all live unto Him.[424]

  [422] Acts x, 42; II Tim. iv, 1; I Peter iv, 5.

  [423] Rom. xiv, 9.

  [424] Luke xx, 36, 38.

=19. The Gospel yet Unknown to Many.=--Of the multitudes of human
beings who have existed on the earth, but few have heard and fewer
have obeyed, the law of the gospel. In the course of the world's
history there have been long periods of spiritual darkness, when the
gospel was not preached upon the earth; when there was no authorized
representative of the Lord officiating in the saving ordinances of the
kingdom. Such a condition has never existed except as the result of
the unbelief and waywardness of the people. When mankind have
persistently trodden the pearls of truth into the mire, and have
sought to slay and rend the bearers of the jewels, in justice not more
than in mercy these treasures of heaven have been taken and withheld
until a more appreciative posterity could be raised up. It may very
properly be asked, What provisions are made in the economy of God for
the eventual salvation of those who have thus neglected the
requirements of the Word, and for those who have never heard the
gospel tidings?

=20.= According to certain dogmas that have prevailed among many
so-called Christian sects during the obscurity of the spiritual night,
and which are yet zealously promulgated, never-ending punishment or
interminable bliss, unchanging in kind or degree, shall be the lot of
every soul; the award being made according to the condition of the
spirit at the time of bodily death; a life of sin being thus entirely
nullified by a death-bed repentance; and an honorable career, if
unmarked by ceremonies of the established sects, being followed by the
tortures of hell without the hope of relief. Such a belief must rank
with the dread heresy which proclaims the condemnation of innocent
babes who have not been sprinkled by man's assumed authority.

=21.= It is blasphemous to thus attribute caprice and vindictiveness
to the Divine nature. In the justice of God, no soul shall be
condemned under any law which has not been made known unto him. It is
true, eternal punishment has been decreed as the lot of the wicked;
but the true meaning of this terrible expression has been given by the
Lord Himself:[425] eternal punishment is God's punishment; endless
punishment is God's punishment, for "Endless" and "Eternal" are among
His names, and the words are descriptive of His attributes. No soul
will be kept in prison or continued in torment beyond the time
requisite to work the needed reformation and to vindicate justice, for
which ends alone punishment is imposed. And no one will be permitted
to enter any kingdom of glory to which he is not entitled through
obedience to law.

  [425] See page 63; Doc. and Cov. xix, 10-12.

=22. The Gospel to be Preached to the Dead.=--It is plain, then, that
the gospel must be proclaimed in the spirit world; and that such work
is provided for, the scriptures abundantly prove. Peter, describing
the mission of his Redeemer, thus declares this truth:--"For this
cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they
might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to
God in the spirit."[426] The inauguration of this work among the dead
was effected by Christ in the interval between His death and
resurrection. While His body lay in the tomb, His spirit ministered to
the spirits of the departed:--"By which also he went and preached unto
the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient when once the
long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a
preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by
water."[427]

  [426] I Peter iv, 6.

  [427] I Peter iii, 18-20.

=23.= Other scriptures sustain the position, that while in a
disembodied state, Christ went elsewhere than to the place usually
termed heaven,--the abode of His Father; and that He labored among
the dead, who greatly needed His ministry. One of the malefactors who
suffered crucifixion by His side, through humility won from the dying
Savior the promise, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."[428]
And three days afterward, the Lord, then a resurrected Being, declared
to the sorrowing Magdalene, "I have not yet ascended to my
Father."[429]

  [428] Luke xxiii, 39-43.

  [429] John xx, 17.

=24.= If it was deemed proper and just that the gospel be carried to
the spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah, is it not
reasonable to conclude that like opportunities shall be placed within
the reach of others who have rejected the word at different times? For
the same spirit of neglect and disobedience that characterized the
time of Noah has ever existed.[430] And further, if, in the plan of
God, provisions be made for the redemption of the wilfully
disobedient, of those who actually spurn the truth, can we believe
that the still greater multitudes of spirits who have never heard the
Gospel are to be left in punishment eternally? No; God has decreed
that even the heathen nations, and those that knew no law, shall be
redeemed.[431] The good gifts of the Father are not confined to this
sphere of action, but will be distributed in justice throughout
eternity. Upon all who reject the word of God in this life shall fall
the penalties provided for such act; but after the debt has been paid,
the prison doors shall be opened, and the spirits once confined in
suffering, now chastened and clean, shall come forth to partake of the
glory provided for their class.

  [430] Luke xvii, 26.

  [431] Doc. and Cov. xlv, 54.

=25. Christ's Work among the Dead was Foretold.=--Centuries before
Christ came in the flesh, the prophets rejoiced in the knowledge that
through Him would salvation be carried to the dead as well as to the
living. Speaking of the punishment to be brought upon the proud and
haughty of the earth, Isaiah declares: "And they shall be gathered
together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up
in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited."[432] The
same great prophet thus testifies concerning the work of the coming
Redeemer; He is "to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners
from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison
house."[433] And David, singing to the music of inspiration concerning
the redemption from the grave, exclaims: "Therefore my heart is glad,
and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou
wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy
One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for
evermore."[434]

  [432] Isa. xxiv, 22.

  [433] Isa. xlii, 6-7.

  [434] Psa. xvi, 9-11.

=26. Work of the Living for the Dead.=--The redemption of the dead
will be effected in strict accordance with the law of God, which is
written in justice and framed in mercy. It is alike impossible for any
spirit, in the flesh or disembodied, to obtain even the promise of
eternal glory, except on condition of obedience to the laws and
ordinances of the gospel. And, as baptism is essential to the
salvation of the living, it is likewise indispensable to the salvation
of the dead. This was known by the Saints of old, and hence the
doctrine of baptism for the dead was taught among them. In an epistle
addressed to the Saints at Corinth, Paul expounded the principles of
the resurrection, whereby the bodies of the dead are to be brought
forth from the graves. "Christ the first fruits, and afterward they
that are Christ's," and as proof that this doctrine of the
resurrection was included in the gospel as they had received and
professed it, the apostle asks: "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?"[435] These words are unambiguous, and the fact
that they are presented without explanation or comment argues that the
principle of baptism for the dead was understood among the people to
whom the letter was addressed.

  [435] I Cor. xv, 29. See "The House of the Lord," p. 92.

=27.= The necessity of vicarious work is here shown,--the living
laboring in behalf of the dead; the children doing for their
progenitors what is beyond the power of the latter to do for
themselves. Many and various are the interpretations rendered by
erring human wisdom on this plain statement of Paul's; yet the simple
and earnest seeker after truth finds little difficulty in
comprehending the meaning. In words which form the closing sentences
of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi predicted the great work to
be carried on in behalf of the dead during the latter days: "Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers
to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest
I come and smite the earth with a curse."[436] It is a current belief
among many Bible students, that this prophecy had reference to the
birth and ministry of John the Baptist,[437] upon whom indeed rested
and remained the spirit and power of Elias, as the angel had
foretold;[438] but we have no record of Elijah ministering unto John;
and moreover the results of the latter's ministry warrant no
conclusion that in him did the prophecy find its full realization.

  [436] Mal. iv, 5-6.

  [437] Matt. xi, 14; xvii, 11; Mark ix, 11; Luke i, 17.

  [438] Luke i, 17; Doc. and Cov. xxvii, 7.

=28.= We must therefore look to a later date in the world's history
for a fulfillment of Malachi's prediction. On the 21st of September,
1823, Joseph Smith[439] received a visitation of a heavenly being who
announced himself as Moroni, sent from the presence of God. In the
course of his instructions to the chosen youth, this heavenly
personage quoted the prophecy of Malachi, already referred to, but in
language slightly different from, and certainly more expressive than,
that appearing in the ordinary translation of the scriptures; the
angel's version is as follows: "For behold the day cometh that shall
burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly,
shall burn as stubble, for they that come shall burn them, saith the
Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the
prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to
the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their
fathers; if it were not so the whole earth would be utterly wasted at
His coming."[440]

  [439] See page 10.

  [440] Compare verses 1, 5, and 6, Mal. iv.

=29.= In a glorious manifestation to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery,
given in the Kirtland Temple, April 3, 1836, there appeared unto them
Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death; he
declared unto them: "Behold, the time has fully come which was spoken
of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent
before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come, to turn the hearts
of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, lest
the whole earth be smitten with a curse. Therefore the keys of this
dispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know
that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the
doors."[441]

  [441] Doc. and Cov. cx, 13-16.

=30. The Fathers and the Children Mutually Dependent.=--One of the
great principles underlying the doctrine of salvation for the dead is
that of the mutual dependence of the fathers and the children. As the
Prophet Joseph taught the Saints,[442] but for the establishment of a
connecting link between the departed fathers and the living children,
the earth would be smitten with a curse. The plan of God provides that
neither the children nor the fathers can alone be made perfect; and
the necessary union is effected through baptism and associated
ordinances for the dead. The manner in which the hearts of the
children and those of the fathers are turned toward one another is
made plain through these scriptures. As the children learn that
without the aid of their progenitors they cannot attain perfection,
assuredly will their hearts be opened, their faith will be kindled,
and good works will be attempted, for the redemption of their dead;
and the departed, learning from the ministers of the gospel laboring
among them, that they must depend upon their children as vicarious
saviors, will seek to sustain their still mortal representatives with
faith and prayer for the perfecting of those labors of love.

  [442] Doc. and Cov. cxxviii, 18; see also this entire section and
  sec. cxxvii.

=31.= And love, which is a power in itself, is thus intensified. Aside
from the emotions which are stirred within the soul by the presence of
the Divine, there are few feelings stronger and purer than the love
for kindred. Heaven would not be all we wish were family love unknown
there.[443] Affection there will differ from its earthly type, in
being deeper, stronger, purer. And thus in the mercy of God, His
erring, mortal children, who have taken upon themselves the name of
Christ on earth, may become, in a limited sphere, each a savior in the
house of his fathers, and that too by vicarious labor and sacrifice,
rendered in humility, and, as represented in the baptismal ordinance,
typical of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Redeemer.

  [443] See Note 4.

=32. The Labor for the Dead is Two-fold.=--That performed on earth
would be incomplete but for its supplement and counterpart beyond the
vail. Missionary labor is in progress there, whereby the tidings of
the gospel are carried to the departed spirits, who thus learn of the
work done in their behalf on earth. What glorious possibilities
concerning the purposes of God are thus presented to our view! How the
mercy of God is magnified by these evidences of His love! How often do
we behold friends and loved ones, whom we count among earth's fairest
and best, stricken down by the shafts of death, seemingly in spite of
the power of faith and the ministrations of the Priesthood of God! Yet
who of us can tell but that these may be permitted to minister in the
labor of redemption beyond, preaching perhaps the gospel to the
spirits of their forefathers, while others of the same family are
officiating in a similar behalf on earth?

=33.= As far as the Divine will has been revealed, it requires that
the outward ordinances, such as baptism in water, the laying on of
hands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost, and the higher endowments
that follow, be attended to on earth, a proper representative in the
flesh acting as proxy for the dead. The results of such labors are to
be left with God. It is not to be supposed that by these ordinances
the departed are in any way compelled to accept the obligation, nor
that they are in the least hindered in the exercise of their free
agency. They will accept or reject, according to their condition of
humility or hostility in respect to things divine; but the work so
done for them on earth will be of avail when wholesome argument and
reason have shown them their true position.


TEMPLES.

=34. Temples or Other Sacred Places= are required for the performance
of these holy ordinances. Whenever an organization of the priesthood
has existed on earth, the Lord has required the preparation of places
suited to His use, where the rites of His Church could be performed.
It is but proper that such a structure should be the result of the
people's best efforts, inasmuch as it is made by them an offering unto
the Lord. In every age of the world, the chosen people have been a
temple-building people. Shortly after Israel's deliverance from the
bondage of Egypt, the Lord called upon the people to construct a
sanctuary to His name, the plan of which He minutely specified. Though
this was but a tent, it was elaborately furnished and appointed, the
choicest possessions of the people being used in its construction.[444]
And the Lord accepted this offering of His wandering people, by
manifesting His glory therein, and there revealing Himself.[445] When
the people had settled in the promised land, the Tabernacle of the
congregation was given a more permanent resting place;[446] yet it
still was honored for its sacred purpose, until superseded by the
Temple of Solomon as the sanctuary of the Lord.

  [444] Exo. xxv; xxxv, 22. See "The House of the Lord," ch. ii.

  [445] Exo. xl, 34-38.

  [446] Josh. xviii, 1.

=35.= This temple, one of the most gorgeous structures ever erected by
man for sacred service, was dedicated with imposing ceremonies; but
its splendor was of short duration; for, within less than forty years
from the time of its completion, its glory declined, and finally it
fell a prey to the flames. A partial restoration of the temple was
made after the Jews returned from their captivity; and through the
friendly influence of Cyrus and Darius, the temple of Zerubbabel was
dedicated.[447] That the Lord accepted this effort of His people to
maintain a sanctuary to His name, is fully shown by the spirit that
actuated its officers, among whom were Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi.
This temple remained standing for nearly five centuries; and, but a
few years before the birth of the Savior, the reconstruction of the
edifice was begun by wicked Herod the Great, and the term "Temple of
Herod" passed into history.[448] The veil of this temple was rent at
the time of the crucifixion,[449] and in the year 70 A. D. the
destruction of the building was accomplished by Titus.

  [447] I Kings vi, viii.

  [448] Ezra i, iii, vi.

  [449] Matt. xxvii, 50.

=36. Modern Temples.=--From that time until the present dispensation,
no other temples have been reared on the eastern continent. It is
true, imposing edifices have been erected for the purposes of worship;
but a colossal structure does not necessarily constitute a temple. A
temple is more than a church-building, a meeting-house, a tabernacle,
or a synagogue; it is a place specially prepared by dedication unto
the Lord, and marked by His acceptance, for the performing of the
ordinances pertaining to the Holy Priesthood. The Latter-day Saints,
true to the characteristics of the chosen of God,[450] have been from
the first a temple-building people. Only a few months after the
organization of the Church in the present dispensation, the Lord made
reference to a temple which was to be built.[451] In July, 1831, the
Lord designated a spot in Independence, Mo., as the site of a future
temple;[452] but the work of construction thereon has not yet been
consummated, as is likewise the case with the temple site at Far West,
on which the corner-stones were laid July 4, 1838, and relaid April
26, 1839.

  [450] Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 39. See "The House of the Lord."

  [451] Doc. and Cov. xxxvi, 8.

  [452] Doc. and Cov. lvii, 3.

=37.= The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has constructed
temples, each an imposing and costly structure, at Kirtland, Ohio;
Nauvoo, Illinois; St. George, Logan, Manti, and Salt Lake City, Utah;
Cardston, Canada; and Laie, Hawaiian Islands. The temples at Kirtland
and Nauvoo were abandoned as the members of the Church who had built
them through sacrifice yet untold were driven westward by the force of
persecution. The building at Kirtland is now used as an ordinary
meeting-house by a small sect that is but little known and that
evinces no activity in the sacred labors for which temples are built.
The temple at Nauvoo was destroyed through malicious incendiarism. The
magnitude and grandeur of the sacred labors accomplished in the
temples of the present dispensation, for the salvation of both the
living and the dead, give assurance of the Lord's gracious
acceptance.[453]

  [453] For a comprehensive treatment see the author's work. "The
  House of the Lord"--a study of holy sanctuaries, ancient and
  modern: 336 pp. with illustrations.


NOTES.

     =1. Usage of the Term "Baptize" in Ancient Times.=--The following
     instances show the ordinary meaning attached to the Greek term
     from which our word "baptize" is derived. In all, the idea of
     immersion is plainly intended.--(For these and other examples,
     see Millennial Star, Vol. XXI, pp. 687-688.)

     Polybius, a writer of history, who flourished during the second
     century before Christ, uses the following expressions: In
     describing a naval conflict between the Carthaginian and Roman
     fleets off the shores of Sicily he says, "If any were hard
     pressed by the enemy they withdrew safely back, on account of
     their fast sailing into the open sea: and then turning round and
     falling on those of their pursuers who were in advance, they gave
     them frequent blows and 'baptized' many of their vessels."--Book
     I, ch. 51.

     The same writer thus refers to the passage of the Roman soldiers
     through the river Trebia: "When the passage of the river Trebia
     came on, which had risen above its usual current, on account of
     the rain which had fallen, the infantry with difficulty crossed
     over, being 'baptized' up to the chest."--Book III, ch. 72.

     Describing a catastrophe which befell the Roman ships at
     Syracuse, Polybius states: "Some were upset, but the greater
     number, their prow being thrown down from a height, were
     'baptized' and became full of sea."

     Strabo, who lived during the time of Christ, used the term
     "baptized" in the same sense. He thus describes an instrument
     used in fishing: "And if it fall into the sea it is not lost:
     for it is compacted of oak and pine wood: so that even if the oak
     is 'baptized' by its weight, the remaining part floats and is
     easily recovered."

     Strabo refers to the buoyancy of certain saline waters thus:
     "These have the taste of salt water, but a different nature, for
     even persons who cannot swim are not liable to be 'baptized' in
     them, but float like logs on the surface."

     Referring to a salt spring in Tatta, the same writer says: "So
     easily does the water form a crust round everything 'baptized'
     into it that if persons let down a circlet of rushes they will
     draw up wreaths of salt."

     Speaking of a species of pitch from the lake Sirbonis, Strabo
     says: "It will float on the surface owing to the nature of the
     water, which, as we said, is such as to render swimming
     unnecessary, and such that one who walks upon it is not
     'baptized.'"

     Dio Cassius, speaking of the effects of a severe storm near Rome
     says: "The vessels which were in the Tiber, which were lying at
     anchor near the city, and to the river's mouth, were 'baptized.'"

     The same author thus alludes to the fate of some of Curio's
     soldiers while fleeing before the forces of Juba: "Not a few of
     these fugitives perished, some being knocked down in their
     attempts to get on board the vessels, and others, even when in
     the boats, being 'baptized' through their weight."

     Alluding to the fate of the Byzantians who endeavored to escape
     the siege by taking to the sea, he says: "Some of those, from the
     extreme violence of the wind, were 'baptized.'"

     =2. Baptism among the Greeks.=--"The native Greeks must
     understand their own language better than foreigners, and they
     have always understood the word baptism to signify dipping; and
     therefore from their first embracing of Christianity to this day
     they have always baptized, and do yet baptize, by
     immersion."--_Robinson._

     =3. Early Form of Christian Baptism.=--History furnishes ample
     proof that in the first century after the death of Christ,
     baptism was administered solely by immersion. Tertullian thus
     refers to the immersion ceremony common in his day: "There is no
     difference whether one is washed in a sea or in a pool, in a
     river or in a fountain, in a lake or in a channel: nor is there
     any difference between those whom John dipped in Jordan, and
     those whom Peter dipped in the Tiber.... We are immersed in the
     water."

     The following are but a few of the instances on record (see
     Millennial Star, Vol. XXI, pp. 769-770):

     Justin Martyr describes the ceremony as practiced by himself.
     First describing the preparatory examination of the candidate, he
     proceeds: "After that they are led by us to where there is water,
     and are born again in that kind of new birth by which we
     ourselves were born again. For upon the name God, the Father and
     Lord of all, and of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and of the Holy
     Spirit, the immersion in water is performed, because the Christ
     hath also said, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into
     the kingdom of heaven.'"

     Bishop Bennet says concerning the practices of the early
     Christians: "They led them into the water and laid them down in
     the water as a man is laid in a grave; and then they said those
     words, 'I baptize (or wash) thee in the name of the Father, Son,
     and Holy Ghost'; then they raised them up again, and clean
     garments were put on them; from whence came the phrases of being
     baptized into Christ's death, of being buried with Him by baptism
     into death, of our being risen with Christ, and of our putting on
     the Lord Jesus Christ, of putting off the old man, and putting on
     the new."

     "That the apostles immersed whom they baptized there is no
     doubt.... And that the ancient church followed their example is
     very clearly evinced by innumerable testimonies of the
     fathers."--_Vossius._

     "Burying as it were the person baptized in the water, and raising
     him out again, without question was anciently the more usual
     method."--_Archbishop Secker._

     "'Immersion' was the usual method in which baptism was
     administered in the early Church.... Immersion was undoubtedly a
     common mode of administering baptism, and was not discontinued
     when infant baptism prevailed.... Sprinkling gradually took the
     place of immersion without any formal renunciation of the
     latter."--_Canon Farrar._

     =4. The Fathers and the Children.=--"The revelation in our day of
     the doctrine of baptism for the dead may be said to have
     constituted a new epoch in the history of our race. At the time
     the Prophet Joseph received that revelation, the belief was
     general in Christendom that at death the destiny of the soul was
     fixed irrevocably and for all eternity. If not rewarded with
     endless happiness, then endless torment was its doom, beyond all
     possibility of redemption or change. The horrible and monstrous
     doctrine, so much at variance with every element of Divine
     justice, was generally believed, that the heathen nations who had
     died without a knowledge of the true God, and the redemption
     wrought out by His Son Jesus Christ, would all be eternally
     consigned to hell. The belief upon this point is illustrated by
     the reply of a certain Bishop to the inquiry of the king of the
     Franks, when the king was about to submit to baptism at the hands
     of the bishop. The king was a heathen, but had concluded to
     accept the form of religion then called Christianity. The thought
     occurred to him that if baptism were necessary for his salvation,
     what had become of his dear ancestors who had died heathens? This
     thought framed itself into an inquiry which he addressed to the
     bishop. The prelate, less politic than many of his sect, bluntly
     told him they had gone to hell. 'Then, by Thor, I will go there
     with them,' said the king, and thereupon refused to accept
     baptism or become a Christian."--Geo. Q. Cannon's _Life of Joseph
     Smith_, p. 510.

     =5. Temples and Sacred Places.=--"When the Lord brought Israel
     out of Egypt, determined to make that people a nation to Himself,
     as soon as they had arrived at a safe distance from surrounding
     peoples, He required them to build a Tabernacle, which is
     sometimes called the Temple, wherein He could institute certain
     ordinances and regulations for their guidance and worship. This,
     at the commencement of their pilgrimage in the wilderness, was
     made portable, and of the costliest and best material within
     their reach; and one of the tribes was set apart to have charge
     of it and its appurtenances. Such has ever been the purpose of
     the Lord. This served them through their journey and in the
     promised Canaan, until suitable wealth enabled Solomon to erect a
     magnificent Temple on Mount Moriah, since called 'The Hill of
     Zion,' to which all Israel came annually to worship or attend
     conference. The Lord has informed us (Doc. and Cov. cxxiv, 39)
     that His people are always commanded to build Temples, or holy
     houses, unto His holy name. This accounts for our reading in the
     Book of Mormon of so many Temples having been erected on this
     continent. It also explains why the Prophet Joseph so early
     taught the commencement of a Temple in every important location
     of the Saints."--_Compendium_, F. D. Richards and J. A. Little,
     pp. 301-302. Consult: Exo. xxv-xxviii; I Kings vi-viii; Ezra vi;
     II Nephi v, 16; and compare Jacob i, 17; ii, 2-11; Mosiah i, 18;
     ii, 6-7; Alma xvi, 13; xxiii, 2; xxvi, 29; Helaman iii, 9; x, 8;
     Doc. and Cov. i, 7-9; lxxxiv, 3-5, 31; xcvii, 10; cxxiv, 29-51,
     55. See also _Temples_, J. M. Sjodahl, Salt Lake City, 1892. See
     "The House of the Lord, a Study of Holy Sanctuaries, Ancient and
     Modern," by James E. Talmage, Salt Lake City, 1912.