Joseph Smith wrote letters to the Saints about the doctrine of baptism for the dead. He expounded upon biblical prophecies to help the Saints understand the importance of being baptized on behalf of their relatives who had died. This lesson can help students find information about their deceased ancestors and prepare to perform ordinances for them in the temple.
Possible Learning Activities
Your ancestors
Consider starting class by helping students think about their ancestors. You could invite students to list as many of their ancestors as they can think of. Students could indicate which ancestors have received the ordinance of baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and which have not.
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confidence scale
How confident are you in your ability to do family history and temple work for your ancestors?
Invite students to share what they remember about the context of Doctrine and Covenants 127–128. You could also share the following additional context.
Missouri authorities accused Joseph Smith of helping plan an attack on former governor Lilburn W. Boggs. Joseph suspected if he returned to Missouri, he would be killed. While hiding in Edward Hunter’s home, Joseph had many thoughts and feelings about baptisms for the dead (see Doctrine and Covenants 128:1). Joseph Smith wrote letters to the Saints to teach them important doctrine about the ordinance of baptism for the dead (see Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 [2018], 466–77).
Baptisms for your dead
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we have the responsibility to perform temple ordinances for specific people:
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Elder Quentin L. Cook
The doctrine of the family in relation to family history and temple work is clear. The Lord in initial revelatory instructions referred to “baptism for your dead” [Doctrine and Covenants 127:5; emphasis added]. Our doctrinal obligation is to our own ancestors. This is because the celestial organization of heaven is based on families. (Quentin L. Cook, “Roots and Branches,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 45)
Read Doctrine and Covenants 127:5–6, and consider marking the words “baptism for your dead” that Elder Cook pointed out.
What do you imagine it will be like to meet your deceased ancestors? How might they react to the temple and family history work you have done?
Consider showing the video “Hearts Bound Together” on ChurchofJesusChrist.org from time code 14:30 to 15:02. In this video, President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency shares what meeting our deceased ancestors may be like.
Their salvation is essential to our salvation
Read Doctrine and Covenants 128:15–18, looking for what the prophets taught about the doctrine of eternal families and baptism for the dead.
To study Doctrine and Covenants 128:15–18, students could be divided into three groups to discover what the following prophets taught. Invite a student in each group to be the group leader. This person can divide up the responsibilities. One responsibility will be summarizing for the class what the group studied in the scriptures.
After students read these verses, invite each group to summarize the verses. You could also discuss questions they might have or phrases they think are important.
What did each prophet teach about the salvation of our ancestors?
As students share, they may identify multiple truths, including the following:
The salvation of our deceased ancestors is essential to our salvation.
Our ancestors who die without the gospel cannot progress toward perfection until temple ordinances are performed for them.
Help students understand why these truths are important today. Some of the following questions could help.
In what ways does Jesus Christ make the salvation of our deceased ancestors possible?
How do you think participating in temple and family history work can help you follow the Savior’s example?
President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency testified about our important responsibility:
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President Henry B. Eyring
Many of your ancestors did not receive those ordinances. But in the providence of God, you did. And God knew that you would feel drawn to your ancestors in love and that you would have the technology necessary to identify them. He also knew that you would live in a time when access to holy temples, where the ordinances can be performed, would be greater than ever in history. And He knew that He could trust you to accomplish this work in behalf of your ancestors. …
… Many youth have discovered that giving of their time to do family history research and temple work has deepened their testimony of the plan of salvation. It has increased the influence of the Spirit in their lives and decreased the influence of the adversary. It has helped them feel closer to their families and closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. They have learned that this work saves not just the dead; it saves all of us [see Doctrine and Covenants 128:18]. (Henry B. Eyring, “Gathering the Family of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 21, 22)
What have you done to participate in temple and family history work? How has the Lord blessed you for doing so?
How has participating in this work helped you feel closer to Jesus Christ?
Participating in temple and family history work
This portion of the lesson is intended to help students participate in family history work and perhaps prepare to perform ordinances in the temple. There are many ways you could invite students to participate. Here are some examples:
Show the following list of activities, and ask students if they can teach the class about them. Then students could demonstrate how to accomplish the tasks.
Divide the class into small groups and invite students to work on the activities together. Experienced students could help inexperienced students.
Create learning stations for some of the activities. Invite a student familiar with the activity to lead the station. Students can rotate through the stations they select.
Consider inviting a temple and family history consultant from your ward to help. If access to technology is limited, you may consider focusing on the first activity listed below.
Complete various activities in the My Family: Stories That Bring Us Together booklet.
Become familiar with your family tree in FamilySearch.
Use the “Ordinances Ready” feature in FamilySearch to find names to take to the temple.
After sufficient time, invite students to share with the class what they did or what they discovered. Students could also discuss how their confidence to participate in temple and family history work may have increased.
How do you think the temple and family history work we do is a righteous offering to the Lord?
What offering of temple and family history work do you feel inspired to give the Lord?
Invite students to act on the impressions they have received. Encourage students to participate in temple and family history work at home with their families.