[JAKraig]

I have read that deceased persons can be baptized by proxy in the Mormon Temple. And Mormons are encouraged to do genealogy research for their ancestors and get as many of them baptized by proxy as they can. I am asking if it is more a matter of expense (how much does it cost?) or lack of information on the deceased ancestor? Thus, the genealogy database kept in Salt Lake City.

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There is no expense. Yes the building where the baptism is performed is expensive, and one of the requirements for entering the “Temple” is to be a “full tithe payer”, but there is no expense for having someone baptized. Any person can do family research and take it to a Mormon and ask them to have the people (already dead for a year) baptized. Mormons don’t believe that having a proxy baptism in and of itself does anything for the person being baptized. My understanding is that they teach that if a person accepts the Gospel in the next life after having no opportunity in the physical life then the requirement of being baptized has been done for them, they can accept it or reject it.

It is easy to laugh about this doctrine but as far as I know no other Christian church teaches that there is any way that a baby who dies at birth to go any place but straight to Hell.

I think if I were asking candidates questions I would ask if they believe that if someone never heard the Gospel of Christ are they doomed to hell? That ought to get a few interesting responses.

[greccogirl]

It is easy to laugh about this doctrine but as far as I know no other Christian church teaches that there is any way that a baby who dies at birth to go any place but straight to Hell.

What? How in the world did you ever come up with this? NO CHRISTIAN church teaches such a thing. It is not scriptural at all. A child is an innocent and has no requirement for automatic ‘Hell’ if it dies young. Wow.