That's how it's supposed to be done now, with the new directives coming through from Salt Lake after the Jewish groups complained. I believe it's even changed from nearest living relative to 'only your own direct ancestors, meaning parents and grandparents etc but not their siblings or persons related through marriage, because other or future LDS members may be upset to find that someone else has already baptised their direct relations'. This was the reply given to my old FHC director when she questioned the new directives - however, she decided she would continue to send off for baptism whomever she found that she could link to herself, including the families of her children's in-laws, because 'they're my relations'. Hopefully someone higher up the chain prevented her from doing this, as this is the exact thing that the other concerned religious groups are freaked out about. Sadly, it seems that the Vatican will prevent access to their records by the LDS without putting in place an alternative to provide or even protect the records. And as usual, it will be the decendents of the poor who will suffer the most. The illiterate couldn't keep their own records, a mention in a parish register is all that proves that they once existed. So much of the history, life and culture of a people is contained in these records that they really are National Treasures, and they and the information they contain should be treated as such. :( Elyssa Debbie Greenlee wrote: > But that is exactly how it is done in LDS. > > Debbie > > Sharon Baldwin wrote: > > Anne, > > It should not be done without the nearest living relative's consent. > > Sharon > > > > > Anne Keen <akdl25466_2@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: > > I'm not especially religious, and know very little about the LDS Church, its > > doctrines and rules, but I cannot see it baptizing people's ancestors on an > > ad hoc basis, as it were.
I just found this link to a site describing cemeteries in the NY - NJ area, and noted that, for at least the Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, NJ, there is a service which will provide a photo of a gravesite for $15 (1st photo, $12 per gravesite after that). Some may find this useful. Click on the 'Services' button for the info. The website is here: http://www.graveinfo.com/NJ/index.html I haven't tried this service myself, so please don't consider this a recommendation, just a suggestion to look into. ...........Mike