Mormon Beliefs

What is it about ‘Weird Mormon Beliefs’?

I’ve written on a number of different topics here on the blog.  One of the brief series I did was entitled “Crazy Mormon Beliefs” and focused on different aspects of Mormonism and put them into context.  Since that time, the majority of people who come to this blog are those searching for “weird” or “crazy” Mormon beliefs. 

So to those of you who are searching for that and coming across this blog, I’m curious.  Are you looking for information about specific Mormon beliefs that you’ve heard are “weird”, “crazy” or “strange”?  Or have you just heard that Mormons believe differently than traditional Christianity and want to find out what the fuss is all about?

Are there specific beliefs that you’ve heard that you would want to hear more about from a believing and practicing Mormon that I haven’t already written about?  If so, I’d be interested in writing more about the topics you suggest because they are probably the same ones shared by many of the other visitors who come to my blog.

Please leave your thoughts and comments (as always, I trust that you’ll be thoughtful and respectful).

Tags: Crazy Mormon Beliefs, mormon church, mormonism beliefs, weird mormon beliefs

Crazy Mormon Beliefs: Baptism for the Dead

Have you ever heard that Mormons baptize dead people?  What’s the deal? 

The first part of the answer has to do with baptism in general.  When Jesus was on the earth, he led by example and was baptized by John the Baptist.  He also taught that a man must be baptized (”born of water”) in order to enter the kindgom of God when asked in John 3.

So what about all the people who never even had the chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lifetimes?  And what about the others, who may have been baptized but not by the proper authority?

Mormons believe that because God is our Heavenly Father, he would not condemn those who never had the opportunity to be baptized or understand the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Therefore, He prepared a way by which these people could receive the necessary ordinance of baptism to return to live with Him again.  A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often a descendant of the person, is baptized on behalf of the individual in a Mormon temple.  In other words, the baptism if performed by proxy with a living person standing in for the deceased individual.   

Well, what if that person doesn’t want to be baptized a Mormon?  Mormons believe that the central part of God’s plan is free agency, or the right to choose.  Each person will have the opportunity to accept or reject the baptism done on their behalf.

Many other Christians say that this just isn’t Biblical!  In fact, the apostle Paul wrote about this practice in 1 Corinthians 15:29.  These same Christians often say that those who never even heard about Jesus during their lifetime, at no fault of their own, are therefore damned.

When you really think about it, what’s a crazier belief?  1) That a loving God would damn people who never had the chance to accept Jesus in this lifetime or 2) That a loving God prepared a way for every one of His children to have an equal chance to hear and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive the necessary ordinances to return to His kingdom?

You be the judge.

Tags: baptism for the dead, baptism required for salvation, baptizing dead people, Crazy Mormon Beliefs, weird mormon beliefs