Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 30

Introduction

My children came home from school this week with a new joke.  Johnny approaches his teacher and asks, “Should I get in trouble for something I didn’t do?”  “Of course not!” the teacher replies.  “I’m glad,” says Johnny.  “Because I didn’t do my homework.”

Just like Johnny, we can “get in trouble” for not doing things that we are supposed to do.  One of the requirements on the gospel is to receive the ordinance of baptism.  Read John 3: 5.  In the modern Christian world, there is a great deal of “wresting of the scriptures” to try to interpret this and other scriptures in such a way that baptism is not a requirement.

One reason for trying to eliminate this as a mandatory ordinance is because of the countless millions who have lived and never received the priesthood ordinance.  Good people of faith and charity wrestle with this apparent injustice – those who are not baptized will be damned, but there are a great many people who lived throughout the ages who never had the chance.

In January 1836, Joseph Smith recorded the following; read D&C 137: 5-9.

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed the doctrine of priesthood ordinances for the dead

The Lord began teaching Joseph Smith about work for the dead very early in the Prophet’s ministry.  As early as Moroni’s visit in 1823, Joseph was learning about “turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers.”

President Hinckley said, “It is tremendously significant to me that … this repetition of the wondrous words of Malachi concerning the work for the dead, was given to the boy Joseph four years before he was allowed to take the plates from the hill. It was given before he received either the Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood, before he was baptized, and well before the Church was organized. It says much concerning the priority of this work in the plan of the Lord” (“A Century of Family History Service,” Ensign, Mar. 1995, 61).

On 15 August 1840, the Prophet Joseph preached at the funeral of a Church member named Seymour Brunson. As part of his sermon, he read extensively from 1 Corinthians 15, which includes a reference to baptism for the dead (verse 1 Corinthians 15:29). Then he announced that the Saints could be baptized in behalf of their friends and relatives who had died without receiving the gospel. He declared that the plan of salvation was intended to save everyone who was willing to obey the requirements of the law of God. After this sermon, Church members began performing baptisms for the dead in the nearby Mississippi River.

The Lord commanded the Saints to build a temple in Nauvoo

The Lord commanded the saints on January 19, 1841 to build a temple in Nauvoo.  In the revelation giving this instruction, he gave several reasons for wanting this temple built:

1. D&C 124:40–41. (To reveal additional priesthood ordinances.)
2. D&C 124:29–30. (To provide a place to perform baptisms for the dead.)
3. D&C 124:55. (To have the Saints prove their faithfulness in keeping His commandments so He could bless them with honor, immortality, and eternal life.)

Many ordinances we are familiar with today, including the endowment and sealing ceremonies, were not performed in the Kirtland Temple.  The Saints made great personal sacrifices to build the Nauvoo Temple.

Though poor and struggling to provide for their own families, Latter-day Saints responded to their leaders’ call and began donating time and means toward constructing a temple. More than 1,000 men donated every tenth day in labor.

Mary Fielding Smith, wife of Hyrum Smith, wrote to Latter-day Saint women in England, who within a year gathered 50,000 pennies, weighing 434 pounds, that were shipped to Nauvoo. [Some Saints] sold some of their land and donated the money to the building committee. Other Latter-day Saints gave horses, wagons, cows, pork, and grain to aid in the temple’s construction. The Saints in Norway, Illinois, sent 100 sheep to Nauvoo to be used by the temple committee.

Brigham Young remembered: “We did much hard labor on the Nauvoo temple, during which time it was difficult to get bread and other provisions for the workmen to eat.” Still, President Young counseled those in charge of temple funds to give out all the flour they had, confident that the Lord would provide. Within a short time Joseph Toronto, a recent convert to the Church from Sicily, arrived in Nauvoo, bringing with him $2,500 in gold, which he laid at the feet of the Brethren. 7 These life savings of Brother Toronto were used to replenish the flour and to purchase other much needed supplies.

After learning the doctrine of baptism for the dead, the Saints began performing this ordinance in the Mississippi River for several months.  On 3 October 1841, the Prophet Joseph announced that “there shall be no more baptisms for the dead, until the ordinance can be attended to in the Lord’s House” (History of the Church, 4:426). On 8 November 1841, Brigham Young dedicated a temporary but carefully crafted wooden baptismal font in the basement of the unfinished temple (History of the Church, 4:446–47).

I find it instructive that it took just five weeks for them to complete the temple baptistery.  What can we learn from the Saints’ dedication to complete this structure so they could continue performing this ordinance?

We should be enthusiastic and joyful in our efforts to perform baptisms for the dead

Some baptisms for the dead were performed in New Testament times.  The great work of providing saving ordinances to the dead is one of the greatest responsibilities of this dispensation. 

Read D&C 128:15–18.  In what ways do the dead depend on us for salvation?  How does our salvation depend on their salvation?

President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “That which goes on in the House of the Lord … comes nearer to the spirit of sacrifice of the Lord than any other activity of which I know. Why? Because it is done by those who give freely of time and substance, without any expectation of thanks or reward, to do for others that which they cannot do for themselves” (Ensign, Mar. 1995, 62–63).

Read D&C 128:22.  The doctrine of baptism for the dead is joyful, both for us and for those on whose behalf this ordinance is performed.

Ask Brother Wharton to talk about how he felt as he learned about the doctrine of baptism for the dead.

Conclusion

In the summer of 1842, the Prophet Joseph had to flee from Nauvoo and go into hiding because of threats against him.  While in hiding he sent letters to the Saints that are sections 127 and 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants.  There is a certain irony in the fact that the Prophet was discussing “letting the prisoners go free” and providing a welding link to bind families together eternally as he was in hiding to avoid prison, and was separated from his family.

This week we have discussed baptism, the first ordinance performed for those who have died.  Next week we will focus on the sealing ordinance.  As Latter-day Saints, we should do all we can to participate in and further this important work.  We will be blessed as we do.