Baptism for the Dead

Why are they then baptized for the dead?-Paul.

A knowledge of the state and condition of the dead has been anxiously desired and sought after, by almost every nation and people in all ages of the world. This knowledge was once, by revelation, unfolded and understood; but like other truths of divine teaching, through neglect, contempt, and the malicious operations of the prince of darkness was shrouded, and lost, and mankind were left to mourn in dispair [despair] over the ashes of their departed friends and associates. Though Enoch, the seventh from Adam, wrapped in vision, was privileged to look through the vista of succeeding years, and centuries, and eras unnumbered, scan the history of convolving and conflicting empires, rising, rolling forth, dashing and expiring; though he beheld myriads of intelligences embodying, growing, dying, redeemed, restored, and rising; though the end from the begining [beginning] was thus spread before him, and thousands were permitted to hear him descant upon the mysteries of redemption, delineate the modes and changes of being, and depict the glories of the celestial world; yet how soon did the Almighty look down from heaven and find them "all gone out of the way,"-"the imagination of the thoughts of their hearts only evil continually." And because they did not like to retain God in their thoughts, he gave them up to reprobacy [reprobate] of mind, to work out their own destruction greedily. From time to time, however, he renewed to the just the gospel covenant; established a lineal priest-hood of wisdom, intelligence, virtue, and blessing; thus penetrating the gloom of moral darkness, and bespangling the firmament of a benighted world with radiances which, if heeded would have sufficent [sufficient] to guide the way-ward

to "the port of peace." At length the "Sun [Son} of righteousness arose, and life and immortality were brought to light." Salvation for the living and the dead was proclaimed, "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," faith in him established as a condition, and baptism with water, as a seal and pledge of the latter, and the effusion of the Holy Spirit, as an earnest of the promised and desired inheritance. No wonder the multitudes "gladly received the word, and were baptized;" when, by simply trusting in the Son of God, and going down into the laver of regeneration, in obedience to his command, they could come forth filled with hope and joy; and by the laying on of the hands of his duly commissioned and authorized servants, receive the fulness [fullness] of his spirit; to lead them into all truth; to show them things to come; to take of the things of the Father and convey them unto them; to assure them that death was deprived of his sting, and the grave robbed of its victims; and to point them to a state of existence free from woes and ills, and glorious in all its associations and enjoyments. Such was the gospel. And as such it was proclaimed, by Christ and his apostles, to the living and to the dead; for we learn from Peter, that Christ went spiritually, "and preached to the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few (that is eight) souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto baptism doth now also save us (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers being made subject unto him." 1, Peter III. 19-22

Speaking of the wicked Gentiles, he says [IV. 5, 6,] "who shall give account to Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached ALSO to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."-We see by the above, and by other scriptures, what is the gospel method of saving mankind-faith in him, and obedience to his commands by submission to the ordinance of baptism, administered by those duly authorized and commissioned. How the living, who hear the gospel and have the means of obedience within their reach, stand affected, is plain and not easily misunderstood; "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not and and is not baptized shall be damned.

Here we leave the living and inquire for the dead. How are they affected by the gospel? We have seen that the gospel has been, and we infer is still, preached to the dead-that is, to disembodied spirits. St. Peter has informed us why the gospel is preached to the dead; "that they might be judged according to men in the flesh."-Men in the flesh are judged according as they believe and obey the gospel, or disbelieve and reject it. Inasmuch then as the gospel is preached to the dead, they have a capacity and agency, to believe and in some way obey it, or the contrary. It is easy to imagine how the departed spirit may be made to see, to understand, to comprehend, and to embrace truths which were not manifested to, nor embraced by that spirit while incarnated; but how that spirit could render acceptable obedience, is the subject of our present inquiry. It has been a general supposition for ages past, that no such acceptable obedience could be rendered, and if such spirit had departed before being visited by the sound of the gospel and without ever having had an opportunity of embracing it, it was irrevocably lost and sealed up to misery indescribable and irremovable. True, some have had charity to suspend so heavy a judgment, and to recommend them to mercy; while others have endeavored to conjure up some means to bribe justice. God has been pleased to reveal an answer to our inquiry, and disclose a truth, once well understood and practised [practiced] upon but for a long time past wrapped up and lost among the rubbish of error. It is simply this, that the disembodied spirit shall have the opportunity of embracing by faith, or rejecting the gospel of the Son of God; and that its believing kinsman may step forth in its behalf and be baptized for the remission of sins, and be confirmed for the reception of the holy spirit; and that

this service thus rendered shall be acceptable in behalf of the believing spirit; and that such shall be blessed with a part in the first resurrection, and be a partaker and an inheritor of a celestial glory.

St. Paul understood this principle of the gospel, as we learn from his letter to the Corinthians, [I Cor. XV. 22, 25, 26, 29.] "For as in Adam all die EVEN so in Christ shall all be made alive:-For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.-The last enemy, DEATH, shall be destroyed.-Else what shall they do which are baptised [baptized] for the dead if the dead rise not AT ALL? why are they then baptised [baptized] for the dead?"

The above passages of scripture teach us the important and cheering truth, that the departed spirit is in a probationary state and capable of being affected by the proclamation of the gospel. The idea is perfectly consistent with reason, honorable to the divine character, and in accordance with the desires and wishes of every truly pious and benevolent mind.

Compare it with the horrible views of the partial bigot, who anticipate basking eternally in the beams of the sun [son] of righteousness, in ineffible [ineffable] bliss, while he beholds in full view a father, a mother, a brother, or a sister, or a beloved child, dwelling in eternal burnings, writhing in hopeless anguish and despair, tossed upon the billows of a lake of fire, blowing the flames that consume his inconsumable spirit, cursing his Maker, and being cursed.-Dreadful heaven to any being but a devil!

Compare it with the motley association of the impartial liberalist, who fancies heaven composed of characters as various as those of earth, the pious and the profane, the virtuous and the vicious, the willing and obedient, and the disobedient and rebellious, commingling in one eternal association, some praising the Angel who redeemed them, others ascribing honor to the penitentiaries that sanctified, or the gibbets that saved them. Horrible heaven to any being but devils!

But we have not so learned of Christ. He offers pardon, peace, holiness, and eternal life to the quick and the dead-the living on condition of faith and baptism for remission of sins; the departed on the same condition of faith in person, and baptism by a living kinsman in his behalf. It may be asked, will this baptism by proxy necessarily save the dead? we answer no: neither will the same necessarily save the living. But this, with the other requisites will save both the living aud [and] the dead, and God will raise them up to glorify him together.

We are not surprised that this doctrine should meet with the bitterest opposition from the sectarian world. It aims a heavy blow at their malevolent and dictating spirit; meekly submitting the cause of salvation into the hands of him who is bitter [better] able to devise and execute the same. Sectarianism is not its only enemy; the devil no doubt will oppose this doctrine with all his hosts of earth and hell combined; and why? Because it enters his dark dominions, bursts the prison doors, proclaims liberty to the captive spirits, and sets them free. Yes, satan and wicked men will rage; but let them rage. The glorious truth, through the instrumentality of the prophet whom God has raised up in these last days, is proclaimed again in the earth; and though satan with all his sectarian hosts wages war against, it shall stand unshaken and immovable while their schemes, their creeds, and their works shall fade, vanish away, and be forgotten, or only remembered as a painful dream. G. H.

Philadelphia April 5th, 1841

Dear Brother Joseph Smith:

Through the mercies of our Heavenly Father we have been prospered on our journey thus far-we have enjoyed reasonable health on the way, and have succeeded in accomplishing a part of our business.-Brother Hyrum has labored unremittingly in the word and doctrine on our whole route; he has been joyfully received by the bretheren [brethren] every where. I trust his labours [labors] will be like bread cast upon the waters to be gathered many days hence. We have had the cheerful and valuable co-operation of the services of brothers Babbit and Winchester, who have aided us in the object of our mission. But amidst the cheering prospects of our present prosperity, it has pleased our Heavenly Father to remove from the scenes of political turmoil and party strife, our beloved Harrison. That the ways of the Almighty are inscrutible [inscrutable] to the human mind, his wisdom surpassing our deepest researches, his councils exceeding our most exalted perceptions of propriety,

and his goodness excelling our most sanguine expectations, will not admit of a single doubt; we are however still left to trust to that inscrutible [inscrutable] wisdom, and Almighty power, to turn this most melancholly [melancholy] and disastrous event to our good-whether we have not sinned as a nation by idolizing that worthy and long to be lamented patriot and father of the West. by looking to him as a source of relief in our present calamities, instead of relying upon that God in whose hands is the fate of all the kingdoms and empires of the earth, is worthy of our serious consideration. It would seem that the wickedness of the present generation is so superlatively great, that the Father of mercies has condescended in his infinite wisdom and benevolence to afford to the present nations of the earth, one of the most striking examples of the mutability of all earthly glory, honor and excellence. For it is asserted, and that too with great propriety, that the office of Chief Magistrate of the United States, filled as it is by the voice of the people (which is the voice of God) is surrounded with a halo of human glory, and earthly grandeur, unparallelled [unparalleled] in excellence by all the hereditary Monarchies, Royalties, Aristocracies, or mixed Republics of the earth. Hence the individual whose sudden and unexpected death this nation is now called to mourn, has been called from the very pinicle [pinnacle] of human aggrandizement, after filling, for the brief period of thirty days, the highest and most exalted station upon this earth, to the peaceful slumbers of the tomb, and joyful repose in the paradise of God. Though he is hereby taken from the "evil to come," yet we are admonished thereby that "in the midst of life we are in death." O, what a lesson is this to a sinful world.-But I tremble for my country when I reflect that God has taken from us the individual who was so pre-eminently qualified to restore again the tranquility [tranquillity] and prosperity of our nation. While we are surrounded with menaces from abroad, and threatened with ruptures and disunion from within, it has pleased the Almighty Father, for some wise purpose, known only to himself, to deprive us of the aid and influence of that amiable person to whom all eyes were turned. We are again loosed from our anchorage and cast forth upon a boisterous political sea, to toil and strive with adverse winds of political speculation, with the blustering gales of human passion and the mis-leading ignis fatuus of political demagogues. Vain, therefore it would seem, is the help of man; we can only rely with assurance of success upon the Lord for help. For the credit of human nature, I wish I could say that this national bereavement was duly appreciated by all our citizens, but alas! how mortifying the reflection to know that there are some who would even wish to be regarded as respectable citizens, who are so destitute of every redeeming virtue, and so puffed with the malignity of party rancor, that they cannot suppress their infernal and fiend-like howlings of exultations until the solemnities of the occasion are ended. O! what a comment on human depravity-it would seem as though this generation was labouring [laboring] under a depravity which could only be the result of the fall of a second Adam.

But I cannot dwell on a subject which is a reproach to my species, and makes me blush that I am a man. May God protect our nation, and grant that this signal judgment of his providence may cause our people to learn wisdom and practice virtue.

I am most sincerely yours

in the bonds of the everlasting gospel,

I. Galland.

P. S. President Harrison breathed his last at 35 minutes past 12 o'clock on the morning of the 4th inst, (yesterday morning.) I. G.

Very Dear Brother:-

Peace be to you and your household, and may the blessings of the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob rest upon you, and abide with you for ever, and ever, Amen.

I have to apologise [apologize] for being so long in writing to you, as month after month has rolled along in quick succession since ever I performed that duty, or dropped a line to that man whom above all others upon the face of earth, I have the greatest reason to respect; because God has done it, and chosen him from among all the nations of the earth as the honored instrument to whom he would reveal himself, commit the keys of the kingdom unto; and by whose means he would usher in the "fulness [fullness] of the dispensation of times," gather his Israel, bring in the fulness [fullness] of the Gentiles, redeem the earth from under the curse, and prepare a people for that time when the earth should resume its paradistic glory, creation be delivered from under the curse, and all creation praise the Lord, that dispensation which cheered the hearts of the Patriarchs, and Prophets, and Apostles, that restitution the thought of which dried the martyrs tear, soothed the pillow of the dying saint; supported his prophets when strangers, and pilgrims, upheld and cheered them in prisons, in dens, in caves, in dungeons, in death; for they had respect to the recompense of reward. That dispensation which has employed the energies of dead (living saints) to accomplish, even Abel, Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, Eligah [Elijah], Our Savior, Peter, Moroni, Alma, Amalek, Nephi,-and Michael, and all the priesthood, who according to the councils of God, the decrees of heaven, the order of the Priesthood, the eternal purpose of Jehovah have selected the man, set in order the priesthood, ushered in that dispensation of which they all wrote, all prophesied of, all looked forward too, all anticipated, all died in the faith of: which faith we participate of, which blessings we enjoy; which glory we expect to see brought about through the mercy of God the intercession of Jesus, and the united energies of living and dead saints, we being made perfect by them and they by us.-

I thank God my Heavenly Father, that ever I heard the sound of this gospel, and received a part in this priesthood. I received it with greater joy than earthly treasures, than the effervescent praise of man, or all the empty bubbles of earthly honor. And I pray

that I may be kept humble, and that I may be able to realize continually the importance of my calling and finish my work with joy.

I have no doubt but that the rest of my brethren in the Quorum have all written to you, and no doubt will have put you in possession of all general information in relation to the work here; you have also received intelligence of our movements through the medium of the "Star" it would therefore be superfluous in me to enter into, those things generally. I am happy to state, however, that we have been united in our councils to the present time; that there has been no discordant feeling nor jarring string; we were very happy to receive a communication from you, and to hear that things were prospering so well in Nauvoo, and with the church generally; we were pleased to have your approbation and council which at all times is very acceptable. We have also received your letter in the "Times and Seasons" which also gave us satisfaction: and we feel thankful to our Heavenly Father that in all things we have gone right both in regard to our publishing the Hymn Book, the Book of Mormon and to our purposes in regard to coming home, and in regard to our labors. We find that in all things our proceedings have precisely accorded with your council.

As it regards the work in general it is prospering here on all hands, in Preston, where it first commenced; they are continually adding to the church in Manchester, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and in Lancashire. In London, the work is beginning to break out, and in Edinburg, and Glasgow it is prospering. In the Isle of Man, and in Wales, it is rolling forth and to use a Sectarian expression "there has been a going among the mulbery [mulberry] trees" "a shaking among the dry bones."

Perhaps it may not be all together uninteresting for me to give a brief history of my proceedings since I left Nauvoo in company with Elder Woodruff, it would be superfluous for me to state the route we took to New York. Our mode of traveling, my sickness on the road, and our visit to Kirtland &c. Suffice it to say, Elder Woodruff, Elder Turley and I landed in Liverpool January 1840 and immediately proceeded to Preston, to council with the Persident [President] of the church in England and his council, as to our best mode of proceeding until the rest of our Quorum came, when it was agreed upon that I should go to Liverpool, Elder Woodruff and Turley go to Staffordshire and then go to Birmingham if they thought proper; we took the parting hand the day following and each one took his respective course. Elder Fielding accompanied me to Liverpool where we immediately commenced our labors: the first Sabbath we visited several places of worship I asked liberty to make a few remarks in one and had an opportunity of speaking in their vestry to 18, or 20, preachers, and leaders while I was delivering my testimony some wept and others shouted Glory be to God, but when on being asked, I informed them what society we belonged to, they were afraid of us, having heard so many reports. One of their preachers, however, invited us home in the evening, and we appointed a meeting at his house in the week-members attended, to whom we conversed. We then took a room that would hold 4 or 500 people and in the meantime visited all that we could get access to. We called upon many of the leading ministers of different denominations, and delivered our testimony to them, some received us kindly, some otherwise but none would let us have their Chapels to hold forth in, they were so good in general, and so pure, that they had no room for the gospel, they were too holy to be righteous, too good to be pure, and had too much religion to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Our being in town soon got rumored about and I suppose about 300 attended our first meeting, in preaching the power of God rested upon the people, and on my asking them if it was not good news they responded "yes"-while many wept under the influence of the spirit; after preaching, ten persons came forward to be baptized, some of which felt convinced as soon as they saw us that we were men of God, and others had dreamed about us. Thus we see that the power was of God and not of man and to Him be the Glory. Things have continued to progress in this place from that time to the present we have now about 160 in society: 3 Elders, 5 Priests, 2 Teachers, and 2 Deacons.-We have taken the largest Hall in Liverpool, and in the most eligible situation for twelve months, and things seem more likely for progressing than every they had done from the commencement.

I visited Ireland some time ago and planted the standard of truth in that nation. I stayed there something over a week, preached in several places, and baptized 2 before I left. Elder Curtis is now there and there is between 20 and 30 baptized. I did purpose making a stand in Belfast, but as I had other engagements in Scotland and Liverpool, I knew that I would not commence without giving our adversaries an advantage which I knew that they would make a dishonorable use of; so I thought it best not to commence, as I had not time to stay. From thence I went to the City of Glasgow, Scotland where I met with Elder Hadlock, who had raised up a small church, to whom I preached. On my way to Glasgow a gentleman on the same boat informed me that Elder Mulholland had written a letter to his friends concerning the persecution and that as he was acquainted with him he, had published it in a periodical of that City (Belfast.) I preached several times also in a place called Paisely in Scotland, where Elders Mulliner and Wright had raised up a church and obtained considerable influence, from thence I returned to Liverpool, soon after I started to the Isle of Man, where I hired a large room capable of containing 1000 persons and commenced delivering lectures; great excitement prevailed and a persecuting spirit soon manifested itself; I held a discussion with one man, a preacher which had a tendency to enlighten the eyes of the public. Another wrote in the papers, and I answered him, another published pamphlets, and I answered them; another delivered lectures and I answered

them, and finally challenged any of them to meet me before the public and prove the Book of Mormon, and my doctrine false if they could, but this they were afraid to do and gave up the contest. I see sir, more clearly every day the impossibility of overturning the principles of truth by any of the foolish dogmas or lame reasoning of this present generation, and how should they? for God has revealed it, and his arm supports it. I went to a country place on the Island and sat down in the chimney corner, and talked to a few neighbors, who came in, and baptized 8 and confirmed them the same night before I left them, nor would they wait until the morning. I sent you several papers which no doubt you will have received, I staid [stayed] between two and three months in the Island, Elder Blakesly has been laboring there since I left, now he is gone to New York, and one of our Liverpool brethren is there. There is about 70 baptized and the work is still progressing there is another place in the neighborhood of Liverpool, a branch of this place, where there is 30 members. The numbers in this neighborhood that I have had a hand in, are as follows:

Liverpool 160. Isle of Man 70.

Ireland about 25 Howarden 30.

I mention this to show that I have not labored in vain, but that God has in some measure blessed my feeble labors.

The work in this country is beginning to attract more general notice, and to assume a more formidable and respectable appearance in Manchester, Liverpool, and also in the Isle of Man, we have the largest Hall in this place, and men of respectability and influence begin to look at it: it has for some time been almost exclusively confined to the lowest grade of society, particularly in the manifactory [manufacturing] districts, but I think the time is not far distant when the trumpet will sound loudly through all parts of this land and all classes will hear it.

You will probably be made acquainted with our attentions of visiting America this next Spring we propose holding a general conference and setting in order the affairs of the church, and then taking our departure some time in the middle of April. Elder P. P. Pratt however purposes staying. We have no intelligence yet of Elders Hyde and Page, nor any of the Seventies arrived but three, two of which have returned. (Elders Winchester and Blakesley) Elder Burnham will stay for some time. It would be well if more of them were here, if they were good men, and men of intelligence. Elder Snow is in London, from whence elders Kimball, and Woodruff have started, Elder Levi Richards continues, he is I think in, or near Birmingham. Elder Hadlock will return with us. About 330 saints started from here about 3 weeks ago, upwards of 200, by Elder Clark, Ship "Sheffield." Captain Porter, via New Orleans, the remainder on Ship "Echo." Captain Wood, also for New Orleans. A small company, expect to start the same route, perhaps 50, to sail on the 12th, of this month on the "Ulesto," perhaps you may get this before any of them arrive, as it goes to-morrow per Steam Packet. I nave not room for politics, in fact there is nothing particular at present. The Egyptian affair is settled, France is coming to her reason again, and I do not think that America and England will go to war about McLeod, the sitting of the Syrian question has of course opened a way for the Jews. How the affairs of China will terminate is yet, I believe a little uncertain.

As ever your in the

bonds of the

Everlasting Covenant,

John Taylor.

To President Joseph Smith.