Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-07-18
ODDITIES OF moRMoN,sm.
Salvation by Proxy by Means of Bapiism
for the Dead.

salvation by Proxy by Means Of haptfBm
for the Dead.
Baptism for the dead is one OF the Pc
uuliar ordinances of Mormonism. 1t IL
lustrates well the extreme realism to
which these people carry their religion.
Among the more devout there are many
who have been baptized for their dead
relatives. To do this they assume the
names and go through the ceremony Of
immersion. 1t is salvation by proxy, so
to speak. The church sanctions 1t as
the method for enabling those who died
before this new dispensation TO enjoy
grace under it. Sometimes the Mormons
carry the idea so far as to make the
Gentle smile. John Schofield is a con-
yerted infidel who used to preside at
Charles Bradlaugh's meetings in En-
gland. He says he has been baptized
for thirty of his dead relatives. This
required thirty performances of the GER
emony. The ordinance is administered
only in the temples. Certain days are
set apart for each Of the ordinances.
Schofield went to Logan and remained
there two weeks while going through
the thirty baptisms. This man was an
atheist of the most settled and pro-
nounced type for many years in En-
gland. Yet he is to-day thorough
Mormon, and speaks of the mystic rites
and peculiar ordinances with the great
est respect and confidence.
In going through the baptism for
dead relative the candidate must furnish
tho full name and the date OF death or
Of birth. Both dates are better II they
can be obtained. This is for the identi-
fication IN the next world of the person
saved. There might be two persons of
the same name, but there could hardly
be two persons of the same name and OF
the same date OF birth or death.
The most remarkable application Of
the principle of baptism for the dead is
that made by President Wilford Wood
ruff, the venerable head of the church.
That indefatigable old gentleman col
lected the names of 5000 Of his ancestors
and other relatives who died before the
angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith.
He went through the ordinance of bap-
tsm for the 5000 dead. But not satis-
fed with that he desired to have the en-
dowment ceremony performed for them
Baptism is brief ceremony compared
with getting endowmants. President
Woodruff was an apostle at the time this
problem confronted him. He had been
placed in charge of the temple at st.
George.
'.When we commenced work in the
temple" said President Woodruff, in
telling the story, 81 began to reflect:
How can redeem my dead? / have
some 5000 names OF the dead who have
been baptized for, and how can geten-
dowments for them? had none of my
family there, and If they had been there
they would not have been able to get EN-
dowments for SO many. While praying
to the Lord to show me how to redeem
my dead the spirit of God rested upon
me and the voice of the Spirit said to
me: GO and call upon the sons and the
daughters of Zion In ST. George to come
into the temple of the Lord and get
their endowments for your dead, and it
shall be acceptable unto me, saith the
Lord This filed my soul with Joy.
saw that 1t opened field as wide as
eternity for the salvation of our dead
and the redemption of man. On my
birthday, the day that was seventy
years old, 154 sisters at st. George went |
into the temple to get endowments for
the same number OF the female portion
of my dead. This principle was re-
ceived by President Young and adopted
from that hour Through the kindness
OF friends have had nearly 1000 OF my
dead receive endowments in the temple.
Thousands of others have received en-
dowments in the same way"
This redemption by proxy has been
carried outside Of family relations.
President Woodruff has gone through
with these ordinances for George Wash
ington, Thomas jefferson, John Quincy
Adams, and other Presidents Of the
United States who died without having
had the opportunity TO embrace the
Mormon faith.-Utah Cor. St. Louis
Globe Democrat.