Hi Karen and Everyone, This idea of being baptized or prayed for by members of the Mormon faith came up in the first class I took on genealogy - which happened to be in Mesa, Arizona where one of the most beautiful temples is located. I don't remember the statistics, but this temple is decorated at Christmas time with at least a ba-zillion of tiny Christmas light in simple, unique, unbelievably beautiful designs around the temple and in the trees and live, people and animals tell the Christmas story for several evenings before Christmas. People of any and no faith visit each year to behold the beauty. What I'm leading up to is this:  if these people are gracious enough to be concerned about and pray for my soul and the souls of my ancestors, I'm going to say "thank you", some of us REALLY need it, and go on with my life. I had occassion to have it proven two years ago when my daughter was killed that prayer, for me, really works and I'll take all I can get.  I feel that we all basicly worship the same God and all want acceptance into our idea of heaven - we just do it in a little different way. No - I'm not Mormon. I'm Methodist turned Catholic. And no - I don't mean to upset anyone.  This is just my opinion. Take what you like and leave the rest.  But please understand that the Mormon people do not even talk about their religion to "outsiders" unless the information is literally pulled from them.  I worked with a Mormon lady and I learned that I do like the way that each person is responsible for another person of less life experience - even the children.  At least it was that way with her and her immediate church family.  I learned to respect her for her beliefs, which she lived. After all, isn't freedom of religion what this country is all about? End of diatribe.  Thanks for letting me spout off. Dee riginal Message----- From: OmahaMom@aol.com <OmahaMom@aol.com> To: GenTips-L@rootsweb.com <GenTips-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, June 17, 1998 1:26 PM Subject: Re: IGI files >It is not my idea to turn the answer to IGI question into a religious >discussion, except the IGI represents a record that is very important to those >of the LDS faith.  If you are not LDS and found your ancestors there, please >do not get angry with me, just read through to the end and take what I'm >saying for whatever it may be worth.  It is offered as explanation, not as >challenge to anyone's religious beliefs or defense of LDS beliefs. > >Many of the people on the IGI were not born Mormon--may not have been Mormon >while alive.  (If you note the dates in the baptism, endowment, sealing >column--they are often many, many years after the individual's  death.) > >Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ set the example for us in being >baptized by immersion, that it must be done by proper authority (hence going >to John the Baptist).  LDS believe that baptism is essential to enter the >Kingdom of God, but that because not everybody has opportunity to hear the >fulness of the gospel in this life & be baptized that God, being no respecter >of persons, allows people to be baptized by proxy for others...hence baptism >for the dead. (See Corinthians where the subject of baptism for the dead is >raised...it isn't the question of the act of baptism for the dead being >discussed, but the lack of belief in a literal resurrection.)  LDS also >believe that marriage and the family were meant to be eternal--hence the >sealing of families into eternal units. > >LDS believe in the principle of free agency, that when people hear the >fullness of the gospel on the other side they may accept it, or not, as they >choose.  If they accept it, they will need baptism by the proper authority. >It is done on their behalf, by proxy in the temples.  If they don't want it, >even though it may have been done, they don't have to accept it in their >behalf. > >Now, comes the question that many raise because they want their ancestors to >be whatever they were when they were alive.  IF the LDS Church IS true, then >their work on behalf of deceased relatives in the temple is one of the >greatest humanitarian efforts on the face of this earth because it makes the >benefits of baptism and family sealings available to those who didn't have the >chance while on the earth...and those individuals have the opportunity to >accept that effort on their behalf--or say, "no thank you, I don't believe I >will."   IF the LDS Church is NOT true, then the time spent in the temples is >just time spent in an activity that is meaningless in the eternities--no more >important that someone spending hours watching television, reading, or any >similar pasttime--but nevertheless, provides those who avail themselves of the >IGI a wonderful resource to locating ancestors if they happen to find their >people on it. . . and not important enough to get upset to find a Baptist, >Catholic, Buddist, athiest, or whatever--ancestor on it that may have been >baptized after his death by someone who wanted to share what (s)he believed >with someone they loved.  If it isn't the true church, it has no efficacy. > >Karen > >______________________________