I once had a conversation with a member of another faith, who was troubled that her church taught that you must be a baptized member of her church in order to be saved. She worried about all the people through the history of the world who never had a chance to be taught her faith and be baptized. Although she believed strongly in her church, this one doctrine seemed so unfair because it condemned millions of people to hell, through no fault of their own.
She wondered what my church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—taught about this matter. I was grateful to be able to explain to her that although our doctrine is similar (all must be baptized by the true authority of God, which exists only in our Church), we also have a beautiful doctrine about the redemption of the dead.
We believe that after this life there is a waiting period before the resurrection and final judgment. All who have died go into this state of waiting (called the spirit world), where those who know the truth are busily preaching the gospel to those who do not. In this way, all people who have ever lived on the earth—in any place and at any time—will have an opportunity to learn the truth and to either accept or reject it.
Those who accept the truth then require baptism, but as spirits (who have not yet been resurrected and received an immortal, physical body) they cannot participate in a physical ordinance. And this is why we are baptized for the dead (by proxy, in their behalf) in our temples.
Peter referred of this doctrine when he wrote, "For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit" (1 Peter 4:6).
To me, this is one of the most beautiful and wonderful doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is one of the greatest evidences that the Lord is both merciful and just and that the reach of his Atoning grace is, indeed, infinite and eternal.
Joseph Smith reflected the wonder and joy and praise for God I feel regarding this doctrine when he, after discussing baptism for the dead, wrote, "Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free. 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!" (D&C 128:22-23)
