D&C 128:1-13

Section 128 is about baptism for the dead and is another letter from JS to the saints. In the letter he quotes a lot of scriptures from the bible which is interesting because I’m not sure if it’s a common belief among mainstream Christianity, the resurrection and baptism for the dead because I had a conversation with a friend who is a Christian and she was saying, strongly like it’s a fact, that the only opportunity to accept the gospel is in this life, that the bible says so. It was eye opening to me to see that some people actually believed that, it was depressing.

128:1-5 - I had a thought while listening to the IM’s explanation on these first verses that helped me understand the importance of the ordinance of baptism. I’ve always wondered why the act of being baptized was so important, why couldn’t I just accept in my heart that I believe in Jesus and will do what he says? Why do I have to physically be submerged in water? Physically, the water doesn’t make a difference; it doesn’t somehow do something to change the spirit, so why does it matter? I had the thought while listening to the IM that in the spirit world, those who haven’t had their ordinances done for them, but are dead, they are kind of like those who “accept” the gospel but refuse baptism. I would imagine that in the next life, those who have had their ordinances and have accepted them done enjoy a certain amount of spiritual freedom a certain amount of privileges or the ability to be given responsibilities, and that’s essentially what baptism does for us here, gives us the opportunity to grow spiritually in many different ways. And even in verse 22 JS says “that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.” Not having your saving ordinances done is likened to prison, that’s intense. The first part of this section talks about witnessing and recording baptisms done for the dead, and it brought up another point that I thought was interesting. Back when we were first studying about the priesthood I remember the IM saying something like “priesthood ordination is sustained because they don’t want anyone to say that they were ordained or called in secret.” This is kind of like that, baptism has to be recorded and witnessed, for one reason, to make sure that there is no “secret” baptism.  Everyone who is baptized has to accept the same gospel truths as anyone else. If people were allowed to say “I was baptized in the river by this person and no one else was there,” then who’s to say what terms they agreed to, who knows if they were properly taught or properly understood the gospel that they were embracing. Formality and record keeping and witnessing make so much more sense to me now.

128:6-11 - John the Revelator is discussed because JS says, “I want you to remember that John the Revelator was contemplating this very subject in relation to the dead, when he declared, as you will find recorded in Revelation 20:12 – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those thinks which were written in the books, according to their works.” JS concluded that the books referred to “must be the books which contained the record of their works, and refer to the records which are kept on earth.” It really brings it all together if we think about the dead being judged out of the “books” which are the records of their ordinances that were done vicariously.

128:12-13 - I’ve always heard this, that baptism is symbolic of death and resurrection, but I never knew where the doctrine came from, but here it is. “The ordinance of baptism by water, to be immersed therein in order to answer to the likeness of the dead… to be immersed in the water and come forth out of the water is in the likeness of the resurrection of the dead in coming forth out of their graves.” This gives the ordinance of baptism so much more meaning to me, I’ve also heard it’s like putting your old like to rest and being born again in Christ, all of that combined just makes it so much more meaningful. The IM comments “President Joseph Fielding Smith taught: ‘Moreover, baptism is also symbolical of death and the resurrection, in fact, is virtually a resurrection from the life of sin, or from spiritual death, to the life of spiritual life. Therefore when the dead have had this ordinance performed in their behalf they are considered to have been brought back into the presence of God, just as this doctrine is applied to the living.’ The symbolism of baptism applies also to the living. When we are baptized, it is as though we are buried and resurrected with Christ. Our old, sinful natures die as we become a new person. Baptism also symbolizes the physical process of being born, so that when we emerge from the waters, it is as though we have been born a second time.” There is also a second part to this which now makes so much more sense to me, verse 13 says, “the baptismal font was instituted as a similitude of the grace, and was commanded to be in a place underneath where the living are wont to assemble.” I always wondered why the baptistery is always in the basement of the temple, I also thought that that was weird, but in this light, it makes a lot more sense. The IM also quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as explaining “The Lord has placed the baptismal font in our temples below the foundation, or the surface of the earth. This is symbolical, since the dead are in their graces, and we are working for the dead when we are baptized for them.”