re: #304 DaddyG

From the link.

“The offering of baptism to our deceased ancestors is a sacred practice to us and it is counter to Church policy for a Church member to submit names for baptism for persons to whom they are not related,” said spokeswoman Kim Farah in an emailed statement. “The Church is looking into the circumstances of how this happened and does not yet have all the facts. However, this is a serious matter and we are treating it as such.”

Anyone can submit a name for ordinance work and the people working the libraries are volunteers. I’m not saying they are all moby’s or that it isn’t an institutional problem that people are submitting names they aren’t directly related too.
Some Jewish coverts are baptising those who they are descended from and that I believe is the remaining sticking point with some. We do believe that despite the ordinances being done it is something the departed can accept or reject it is not compulsary.

I agree that it is wrong to do if there is no family relationship and see how it can be quite offensive. The Church officials and the vast majority of the membership do not condone these unauthorized actions. There are efforts underway to safeguard this from happening but we are working with a vast number of people who do Geneaology.

I appreciate that. I still find it unsavory to convert someone to your belief system posthumously. Especially someone who died because of their religion. If the threat of death didn’t cause them to reject their beliefs I don’t know why a descendant years later should do it on their behalf.