45 A Voice of Gladness for the Living and the Dead
A Voice of Gladness for the Living and the Dead
A Voice of Gladness for the Living and the Dead
Baptisms for the dead are a wonderful blessing. Also, to
know that little children don’t require baptism, but are saved in the kingdom
of God is a wonderful doctrine to know.
“Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry
aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King!” (Doctrine
and Covenants 128:23).
Saints, 1:415–27
Letters
on Baptism for the Dead
The Lord wants me to care for my family.
Doctrine
and Covenants 126
verse 3
How can I take especial care of my family?
Take
Special Care of Your Family
For Kids
I can help care for my family.
Doctrine
and Covenants 126:3
How can we serve our family members? Secret Siblings. Do
kind anonymous deeds.
Chapter
50: The Saints in Nauvoo
verse
3 Share pictures of family members. Talk about things you can do to serve,
love, and help each other.
I can rely on the Lord during difficult times.
Doctrine
and Covenants 127:2–4
This section is full of optimism and joy, even though there
were false claims against and threats of arrest for Joseph.
verses
2–4 These verses remind us that God can be with us through all of our
trials, and that He will deliver us and help us triumph over our enemies. They
also remind us of what a great blessing it is to be endowed with power in the
temples of our God. We can find joy even in our darkest times, and find glory
in the Lord.
2 And as for the perils which I am
called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as
the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my
life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from
before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose
to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things,
whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to
swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to
glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered
me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I
shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.
3 Let all the saints rejoice, therefore, and be
exceedingly glad; for Israel’s God is their God, and he will mete out
a just recompense of reward upon the heads of all
their oppressors.
4 And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the
work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be
continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance,
and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your
reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so
persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all
this there is a reward in heaven.
How has the Lord helped you through the “deep waters” in your life? How is He
helping you now? Are you remembering to ask Him?
“Whatsoever you record on earth shall be recorded in
heaven.”
Doctrine
and Covenants 127:5–8; 128:1–8
Doctrine
and Covenants 127:5–8; 128:1–8
Why do you think the Lord is so particular about accurate record keeping? (See
notes below.)
How are you doing in your own record keeping?
Doing temple service for our ancestors binds our hearts to
them.
For Kids
All of God’s children need the chance to be baptized.
Doctrine
and Covenants 128:5, 12
128:1
…”I now resume the subject of the baptism for the dead”
verse 17
…”In an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the
everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last
chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send
you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children,
and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth
with a curse.”
Why do you think this is such an exciting subject?
We have gotten baptized, or we are preparing now to be
baptized. Then true in heaven too. Those who haven’t been baptized are
receiving the same chance to hear the gospel that we’ve had hear on earth to
hear it. How can we help them make this covenant?
Doctrine
and Covenants 128:5 5 You may think this order of things to be
very particular; but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God,
by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and
prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the
dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel.
How important do you think baptism is? Why was this
ordinance prepared for everyone to have a chance even before the world was
created?
Show the picture of the baptismal font. Tell about
experiences you’ve had in the temple being baptized or confirmed, or witnessing
others do so on behalf of loved ones who’ve returned to heaven.
I’m so thankful that our loving Heavenly Father prepared a
way for us to be baptized in temples on behalf of people who are dead so that
everyone has the chance to make covenants with Heavenly Father. He certainly
loves us all.
Video: Saints Learn about Baptism for the Dead: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/PTH_PRJ12714977_D&CScriptureStories_39_SaintsLearnAboutBaptismForTheDead_Delivery_10Feb2025_UHD-2997_ENG.?lang=eng
For Kids
Heavenly Father wants me to learn about my family
history.
Doctrine
and Covenants 128:18
activity
page Make a paper chain with family ancestry names on it. Share some
stories about the different people.
Doctrine
and Covenants 128:18 Baptisms for the dead are essential for our salvation.
We all need to be baptized so that there can be a welding link of all them
members of God’s family. We also have sealing ordinances that can be performed
in the temples.
Video: Courage: I Think I Get It from Him: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2014-01-0107-courage-i-think-i-get-it-from-him?lang=eng
The
Temple and the Plan of Happiness
Temple ordinances help us unite families like links in a
chain.
The salvation of my ancestors is essential to my
salvation.
Doctrine
and Covenants 128:5–25
128:15–18
…”For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as
Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made
perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.”
We have the privilege of doing proxy work for our ancestors,
and if we don’t offer it to them, we can’t be perfected either. We truly need
each other. God wants us all to be linked together in eternal bonds of family
love, made possible by His plan and through the atonement of His Son Jesus
Christ.
Verse 5 The
ordinance of baptism for the dead was “prepared before the foundation of the
world.”
Family
History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing
Doctrine
and Covenants 128:5–25 Look for phrases such as binding power, welding
link, and perfect union in these verses. (See notes below.)
verse 17
Baptism for the dead is among the most glorious of subjects, because it open
all of the possibilities of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ to
everyone.
verse 18
The earth will be cursed without the welding link that binds families. It is
cursed even now as people choose to redefine family, gender, and everything
which in life is sacred. We need the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance,
baptism by immersion according to proper priesthood power, and the laying on of
hands to be confirmed into Christ’s Church here on earth and to receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost. Without being obedient to our Heavenly Father’s will,
we bring a curse upon ourselves. When we do not allow others the opportunity,
faith, and ability to change, we bring a curse upon us both.
What impresses you about Joseph Smith’s words in verses
19–25? How do these verses affect the way you feel about Jesus Christ?
about temple service for your ancestors? (See notes below.)
“A Glorious and Wonderful Provision.”
Video: We Without Them Cannot Be Made Perfect: in lesson
Use related Church resources. Links in Come,
Follow Me outlines provide easy access to helpful resources that can
help you understand and apply gospel truths or act on impressions you receive.
For example, the FamilySearch link above leads to activities such as building
your own family tree, finding ancestors who need temple ordinances, seeing
where your ancestors came from, or uploading a family story.
The
Great Things Which God Has Revealed
“Jesus’s Atonement in behalf of all represents a great
vicarious sacrifice. He set the pattern under which He became a proxy for all
mankind. This pattern under which one man can act in behalf of another is
carried forward in the ordinances of the house of the Lord. Here we serve in
behalf of those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel. Theirs is the
option to accept or reject the ordinance which is performed. They are placed on
an equal footing with those who walk the earth. The dead are given the same
opportunity as the living. Again, what a glorious and wonderful provision the
Almighty has made through His revelation to His Prophet” (Gordon B. Hinckley).
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/125?lang=eng
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at
Nauvoo, Illinois, March 1841, concerning the Saints in the territory of Iowa.
2 Verily, thus saith the Lord, I say unto you,
if those who call themselves by my name and are essaying to be my
saints, if they will do my will and keep my commandments concerning them, let
them gather themselves together unto the places which I shall appoint unto them
by my servant Joseph, and build up cities unto my name, that they may be
prepared for that which is in store for a time to come.
We always need to be prepared to move if the Lord desires
it, to work and to build, to bless and to gather, as instructed by the Lord
through His prophets.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/126?lang=eng
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, in the
house of Brigham Young, at Nauvoo, Illinois, July 9, 1841. Brigham Young had
just returned to his family in Nauvoo from a nearly two-year mission to
England.
Vs 1 It meant a great deal to me when I was told by Brother
Noel (the older) that my offering (in teaching Seminary for three years) was
acceptable to the Lord; and then he released me from that calling.
Vs 3 I feel like the Lord is saying this to me now too. I
need to focus more on my responsibilies to care for my family and keep my home,
preparing for what may lay ahead.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/127?lang=eng
An epistle from Joseph Smith the Prophet to the
Latter-day Saints at Nauvoo, Illinois, containing directions on baptism for the
dead, dated at Nauvoo, September 1, 1842.
Vs 2…I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to
this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will
deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my
enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.
Vs 3-4 Today as then, we need to press forward in faith in
building Zion and in building up temples where Latter-day Saints can be endowed
with power from on high and also become saviors upon mount Zion is this corrupt
day.
Doctrine
and Covenants 127:5–8 Why do you think the Lord is so particular about
accurate record keeping?
It is very important to have witnesses of baptisms and other
saving ordinances, who keep accurate and complete records. If they are not
recorded here on earth, they will not be binding in heaven. That is a solemn
responsibility.
12 Behold, my prayer to God is that you all may
be saved. And I subscribe myself your servant in the Lord, prophet
and seer of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Joseph Smith.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/128?lang=eng
An epistle from Joseph Smith the Prophet to The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, containing further directions on baptism for
the dead, dated at Nauvoo, Illinois, September 7, 1842.
128:1–8
Why do you think the Lord is so particular about accurate record keeping? (See
notes below.)
Vs 2-4 We can have recorders called in each for each ward.
We can have witnesses for each ordinance, and those ordinances need to be
filled out correctly and signed and given to the "general recorded"
who makes sure they are in order and sends in those records to Church
headquarters.
We can all open our gospel tools and find out our membership
number and important dates concerning ordinances we have had done.
Vs 5 The keeping of records is very particular so that the
ordinances on earth will also be recorded and validated in heaven.
Doctrine
and Covenants 128:5–25 Look for phrases such as binding power, welding
link, and perfect union in these verses.
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 things which were written in the
books, according to their works.
Vs 7 Our records which are kept on earth need to match the
records that are kept in heaven. Law of witnesses.
Vs 8 …whatsoever you record on earth shall be recorded in
heaven, and whatsoever you do not record on earth shall not be recorded in
heaven; for out of the books shall your dead be judged, according to their own
works, whether they themselves have attended to the ordinances in
their own propria persona, or by the means of their own
agents, according to the ordinance which God has prepared for their salvation
from before the foundation of the world, according to the records which they
have kept concerning their dead.
9 It may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine
that we talk of—a power which records or binds on earth and binds in heaven.
Nevertheless, in all ages of the world, whenever the Lord has given
a dispensation of the priesthood to any man by actual revelation, or
any set of men, this power has always been given. Hence, whatsoever those men
did in authority, in the name of the Lord, and did it truly and
faithfully, and kept a proper and faithful record of the same, it became a law
on earth and in heaven, and could not be annulled, according to the decrees of
the great Jehovah. This is a faithful saying. Who can hear it?
Matthew
16:18, 19: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
12 Herein is glory and honor, and
immortality and eternal life—The ordinance of baptism by water, to
be immersed therein in order to answer to the likeness of the dead,
that one principle might accord with the other; 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; hence, this ordinance was instituted to
form a relationship with the ordinance of baptism for the dead, being in
likeness of the dead.
Paul hath declared, 1 Corinthians
15:46, 47, and 48:
14 Howbeit that was not first which is
spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly,
such are they also that are heavenly. And as are the records on the
earth in relation to your dead, which are truly made out, so also are the
records in heaven. This, therefore, is the sealing and binding power,
and, in one sense of the word, the keys of the kingdom, which consist
in the key of knowledge.
15.. For their salvation is necessary and
essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they
without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be
made perfect.
Paul, 1 Corinthians
15:29: Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if
the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?
Malachi says, last
chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send
you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children,
and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth
with a curse.
What impresses you about Joseph Smith’s words in verses
19–25? How do these verses affect the way you feel about Jesus Christ?
about temple service for your ancestors?
Vs 19-25 Wow. These verses! Truly it is a privilege to live
in the day of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, and to be a part
of the call to follow Jesus and build up Zion is a glorious privilege. Read and
reread.
What LDS Hymns refer to D&C 128?
From AI:
Several hymns in the Latter-day Saint (LDS) hymnbook touch
on themes found in Doctrine and Covenants 128, particularly the work of
salvation for the dead, the "welding link" between generations, and
the excitement of the Restoration.
While no hymn explicitly mentions "D&C 128" in
its lyrics, the following hymns express related principles and joy for the work
revealed in that section:
- "The
Spirit of God" (#2): This hymn refers to the day when
"the earth breaks forth into singing," echoing the joyful
language and imagery used by Joseph Smith in D&C 128:23.
- "Now
Let Us Rejoice" (#3): The lyrics speak of the "voice of
gladness" and the "great day of the Lord" at hand,
reflecting the tone and specific phrases from D&C 128:19 and 24.
- "I
Saw a Mighty Angel Fly" (#15): This hymn celebrates the
Restoration of the gospel and the heavenly messengers (including Elijah,
mentioned implicitly through the sealing power theme) that appear in
D&C 128.
- "We
Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" (#19): The third verse
speaks of pressing "on to eternal perfection" and rejoicing in
the "glorious gospel," which includes the work for the dead
necessary for eternal perfection and the "welding link"
mentioned in D&C 128:18.
- "Families
Can Be Together Forever" (#284, Children's Songbook #188): This
primary song, while not in the main hymnbook, directly relates to the
concept of eternal families and the "welding link" between
generations, which is the core doctrine behind D&C 128.
These hymns capture the spirit of rejoicing and the
importance of the saving ordinances, including baptism for the dead, as
outlined in the revelation.
Doctrine and Covenants 128 discusses the principle of baptism
for the dead, the importance of record keeping for
ordinances, the "welding link" between fathers and children, and a
"voice of gladness" about the Restoration. While few hymns directly
quote D&C 128, several address its central themes:
- "Have
I Done Any Good?" (#223 in the current hymnal) The text of
this hymn, particularly in a segment noted in Church curriculum materials,
is suggested for use when studying D&C 128 because its theme of
service and joy in work for others reflects the spirit of the work for the
dead:
"Then wake up and do something more / Than dream of
your mansion above. / Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, / A
blessing of duty and love."
- "Family
History—I Am Doing It" (#94 in the Children's Songbook) This
song is explicitly mentioned in Come, Follow Me curriculum
as a song about family history that connects to the "welding
link" concept found in D&C 128:18.
- "The
Spirit of God" (#2) The lyrics of this hymn, specifically the lines
"The heavenly messengers proclaimed the news" and the general
themes of the Restoration, reflect the "voice of gladness" and
the coming forth of keys and authority mentioned in D&C 128:19–21.
- "I
Saw a Mighty Angel Fly" (#13) This hymn refers to the Restoration and
the coming forth of the gospel (the "glad tidings" mentioned in
D&C 128:19), a core theme throughout the section
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