Sir: As a recently baptised member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, could I make a correction to Ross Clark's article 'Invasion of the Mormons' (25 March)?
I have no way of knowing whether Sir Winston Churchill is now a Mormon or not. A baptism for (not 'of) the dead does not have the effect of 'converting' the deceased, since this is a choice which only the convert himself can make. It simply gives him or her the opportunity of making this choice in the spirit world. In this, it is analogous to a proxy marriage, in that the subsequent assent of the absent party is necessary to give it effect. If such a baptism has been performed for Sir Winston, then his spirit is perfectly free to accept or to reject it as he Chooses. Since we do not believe in ouija boards or the like, the only way for anyone in this world to learn of his decision would be to pray for a divine revelation on the matter. Such revelation would probably not be sent to anyone other than the man who Performed the baptism, or (if different) the Church member most closely related to Sir Winston.
Michael W. Stone 4 Cobbet Place, Peterborough, Cambridgshire
Previous page
