Work for the Dead
The work for the dead consists of ordinances performed by the living on behalf of deceased relatives who did not have the opportunity to have those ordinances completed by themselves while alive. These ordinances require an authorized temple and authentic priesthood. The only ordinances that have ever been required for the dead are baptism and washing — because they require a physical body, and they are intended to preserve the body into the resurrection. The other ordinances can all be, and do get, attended to in the spirit world.1 “We do not need numerous temples, but we will need one to which Christ can come. We will not need to perform endless work for the dead until first there has been a covenant made for us. We must be first connected to the Fathers in Heaven. Only then can we do something to liberate the dead.”2 There is not yet a temple in which to do actual work for the dead that would be acceptable to God. However, the principles regarding the living are the same, and therefore, Joseph Smith’s instructions about the dead in [T&C 151:2-7] can be applied equally among the living regarding ordinances for the living.3 Joseph never completed the restoration of the temple rites. Therefore, what the temple should include would be more — significantly more — than what was instituted in Nauvoo. There are some rites for the dead, but they are not what and how the LDS have interpreted the work to be done. Baptism is required for everyone, including the dead.4
In January of 1841, the Lord once again offered mankind “the fullness” that had been lost. For there is not place found on the earth that [the Lord] may come and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he has taken away, even the fullness of the priesthood (T&C 141:10). He needed a place He could visit to restore us. But I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me (¶11). This commandment was to everyone who claimed to be a saint. All of them were put under the equal burden “to build a house unto Him.” And I grant unto you [everyone claiming to be one of His saints] a sufficient time to build a house unto me, and during this time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto me. But behold, at the end of this appointment, your baptisms for your dead shall not be acceptable unto me. And if you do not these things, at the end of the appointment you shall be rejected as a church with your dead, says the Lord your God (ibid.). Notice the distinction between “your baptisms” and “your baptisms for your dead.” Once the saints failed to obtain the fullness, baptisms for the living could continue, but their vicarious work for the dead would not, and the church would be rejected. In other words, failure made the modern church mirror ancient Israel. They were left with a limited body of rites to repeat endlessly, as God awaited another generation that was willing to enter His presence.5
Joseph revisited the topic of Elijah in a talk given on March 10, 1844 when he said, “The spirit power & calling of Elijah is that ye have power to hold the keys of the revelations ordinances, oricles powers & endowments of the fullness of the Melchezedek Priesthood & of the Kingdom of God on the Earth & to receive, obtain and perform all the ordinances belonging to the Kingdom of God even unto the sealing of the hearts of the Fathers unto the children & the hearts of the children unto the Fathers even those who are in heaven.”6 “Notice the connection between these parties. It is not to connect you to your kindred dead. They are in the world of spirits. They are not ‘in heaven.’ Joseph is talking about a connection of your hearts to ‘the hearts of the Fathers who are in heaven.’ That is the mission of Elijah. If you will receive it, this is the spirit of Elijah: That we redeem our dead, but then connect ourselves with our ‘Fathers which are in heaven.’ Our dead are saved through us, but we are saved by connecting to our ‘Fathers in heaven.’ Who are our ‘Fathers in heaven’ to whom we must be connected? If all we do is connect ourselves to our dead, then neither they nor we are connected to the ‘Fathers in heaven.’ So it becomes quite important to understand why Joseph is talking in these strange terms. Who are these ‘Fathers in heaven’ to whom we must form a connection? We want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those which dwell ‘in heaven.’ Merely connecting the earthly to their kindred dead will not suffice. Joseph is explaining something more cosmic in this integration of generations. It is greater than mere genealogy. Remember, those who are in the spirit world, our dead, are in need of redemption. They don’t have these ordinances yet. We are supposed to take care of that for them. Our dead are the ones that need redemption from us, and cannot be the ‘Fathers in heaven’ Joseph is discussing. They cannot be ‘in heaven,’ because they need us to be redeemed. We need to be redeemed by our connecting to ‘the Fathers who are in heaven.’ This is important enough for Joseph to have focused on it in the remaining months of his life. As we have seen, Joseph expressed exasperation at the hard heads of the Saints, who would not listen to new information. Let us not repeat the error. We must do something more to avoid being utterly wasted at the Lord’s return. We must connect ourselves to ‘the Fathers in heaven.’ Joseph understood this doctrine. Unlike most Latter-day Saints… the idea you go to the temple and do genealogical work to respond to the coming of Elijah does not, indeed cannot, conform to the description here from Joseph Smith. Our ancestors, our kindred dead, need to be redeemed. They all have an interest in you and your life. The work that is being done on behalf of the dead, needs to be done. But the gulf which must be bridged through the work of Elijah, in the words of Joseph Smith ‘to form a bond or connection,’ is not completed unless we have been sealed to ‘the Fathers in heaven.’”7
As to rites for the dead themselves, originally the work was not done for the dead. It was done for only three categories of people: (1) Those personally known to the one doing the ordinance as someone who would have accepted the truth had they been permitted to tarry and of whom he or she can bear personal testimony of the deceased’s character, (2) Those persons who left a record from which it can be judged they would have accepted the truth had they tarried (this is the same standard as the first category, but the evaluation is based on their written record, rather than the personal knowledge), and (3) Those who, by revelation, are known to be willing to accept the truth had they tarried. The later practice of indiscriminate ordinances for everyone deceased is an innovation and not a correct practice.8
“We think ordinances are required and everyone can receive them ad hoc and be saved. Heaven does not have unorganized crowds milling about, arriving fresh from receiving and accepting vicarious ordinances and claiming the right to be rewarded by entering Celestial glory. If anyone enters the kingdom of God, she [or he] will be there as part of God’s family, not as a freelance believer. Those faithful who received the assurance before death that they would one day enjoy a glorious resurrection were unable to leave the spirit world with Christ but remained behind to minister to others there. We think the temples are primarily a place for work for the dead. It is required mainly to organize the living into a family. The organization cannot happen outside a temple. That is the only place God will allow the restoration, rites, ordinances, and covenant to be ministered. Heaven and earth will reunite and angels will attend to many of the required things when an acceptable temple is built. We think a temple can be built following a pattern based on current ordinances. There is no understanding of the ordinances necessary to organize the family of God again. Trying to fit the original Gospel plan into our incomplete and corrupt model, and make it conform to our expectations will not work… Hopefully people will realize there is something now moving forward which will become God’s family on earth. Something far greater than the apostate, fallen and corrupt systems of this world.”9
1 “Follow up Questions,” May 26,2015, blog post.
2 “Preserving the Restoration,” 40 Years in Mormonism Lecture Series, Lecture 10, transcript, September 9, 2014, Mesa, AZ, 31.
3 “Records,” March 23, 2015, blog post.
4 “Temple Questions,” February 14, 2023, blog post.
5 Preserving the Restoration, 351–352.
6 WJS, 329, spelling and punctuation in the original, emphasis added.
7 Essays: Three Degrees, “The Mission of Elijah Reconsidered,” 109–111; “The Holy Order,” October 29, 2017, paper, 13–14.
8 “Follow up Questions,” May 26, 2015, blog post. See also Q&A Session, “A Hope in Christ: The Temple” Conference, Grand Junction, CO, April 21, 2019, Transcript, 8–9.
9 “A Great Whole,” March 26, 2015, blog post. See also “A Visit with Denver Snuffer,” interview by Tim Malone, May 13, 2015, transcript, 13–14.