You're missing the point here. The LDS believe in a spirit afterlife for all people, even non LDS. Their gospel is preached to all non- believers. Now, since it's impossible to baptize a spirit, the LDS practice proxy baptisms - where a living person is baptized in place of the deceased person. It's up to the deceased spirit to accept or reject the gospel that's being preached to them. If they accept it, then the proxy baptism will be adequate for them. Same with the sealings that they do on behalf of the deceased persons. It's not a matter of worshiping their dead ancestors! As for baptism, there are denominations that believe sprinkling is sufficient to impart God's grace. Others believe in immersion only, some even believe that there must be a three-fold immersion. Some believe in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, others believe in the name of Jesus only. Some believe that baptism is not necessary for salvation (witness the thief on the cross), others believe that without baptism there is no salvations, yet others believe that baptism is only a public testimony of saving faith. Who's to say which is the "real baptism"? They all claim they can "prove" their believes from the Holy Bible. I don't agree with their beliefs, but I'm comfortable enough in my own to say let them do what they feel is right because I know where my salvation is from! Sherry BAC, not LDS, but explaining the best I understand. "D. Stussy" <kd6lvw@bde-arc.ampr.org> wrote in news:Pine.LNX.4.44.0203112123030.23113-100000@exp.bde-arc.ampr.org: <snip> > > How is this a "REAL Baptism?" Are they digging up corpses? > > From the religious point of view, don't they only have any "right" > to do this ONLY if the deceased was a Mormon? Otherwise, I see this > as religious infringement upon the deceased which could easily be an > offense against the descendants of that deceased. > > I don't have a problem with SOME group keeping the records. > However, when I was at one of their FHL's a year ago, it bothered me > when the staffer kept referring to ancestral records as "blessings." > I am not a Mormon. Although worshipping dead ancestors is common > in some religions, one should never assume that a person one is > engaged in conversation with is of the same (or similar enough) > religion.