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Doctrine and Covenants
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D&C 128
As
I
stated
to
you
in
my
letter
before
I
left
my
place,
that
I
would
write
to
you
from
time
to
time
and
give
you
information
in
relation
to
many
subjects,
I
now
resume
the
subject
of
the
a
baptism
for
the
dead,
as
that
subject
seems
to
occupy
my
mind,
and
press
itself
upon
my
feelings
the
strongest,
since
I
have
been
pursued
by
my
enemies.
2 I
wrote
a
few
words
of
revelation
to
you
concerning
a
recorder.
I
have
had
a
few
additional
views
in
relation
to
this
matter,
which
I
now
certify.
That
is,
it
was
declared
in
my
former
letter
that
there
should
be
a
a
recorder,
who
should
be
eye-witness,
and
also
to
hear
with
his
ears,
that
he
might
make
a
record
of
a
truth
before
the
Lord.
3 Now,
in
relation
to
this
matter,
it
would
be
very
difficult
for
one
recorder
to
be
present
at
all
times,
and
to
do
all
the
business.
To
obviate
this
difficulty,
there
can
be
a
recorder
appointed
in
each
ward
of
the
city,
who
is
well
qualified
for
taking
accurate
minutes;
and
let
him
be
very
particular
and
precise
in
taking
the
whole
proceedings,
certifying
in
his
record
that
he
saw
with
his
eyes,
and
heard
with
his
ears,
giving
the
date,
and
names,
and
so
forth,
and
the
history
of
the
whole
transaction;
naming
also
some
three
individuals
that
are
present,
if
there
be
any
present,
who
can
at
any
time
when
called
upon
certify
to
the
same,
that
in
the
mouth
of
two
or
three
a
witnesses
every
word
may
be
established.
4 Then,
let
there
be
a
general
a
recorder,
to
whom
these
other
records
can
be
handed,
being
attended
with
certificates
over
their
own
signatures,
certifying
that
the
record
they
have
made
is
true.
Then
the
general
church
recorder
can
enter
the
record
on
the
general
church
book,
with
the
certificates
and
all
the
attending
witnesses,
with
his
own
statement
that
he
verily
believes
the
above
statement
and
records
to
be
true,
from
his
knowledge
of
the
general
character
and
appointment
of
those
men
by
the
church.
And
when
this
is
done
on
the
general
church
book,
the
record
shall
be
just
as
holy,
and
shall
answer
the
ordinance
just
the
same
as
if
he
had
seen
with
his
eyes
and
heard
with
his
ears,
and
made
a
record
of
the
same
on
the
general
church
book.
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
a
salvation
of
the
dead
who
should
die
without
a
b
knowledge
of
the
gospel.
6 And
further,
I
want
you
to
remember
that
John
the
Revelator
was
contemplating
this
very
subject
in
relation
to
the
dead,
when
he
declared,
as
you
will
find
recorded
in
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
a
the
books,
according
to
their
works.
7 You
will
discover
in
this
quotation
that
the
books
were
opened;
and
another
book
was
opened,
which
was
the
book
of
life;
but
the
dead
were
judged
out
of
those
things
which
were
written
in
the
books,
according
to
their
works;
consequently,
the
books
spoken
of
must
be
the
books
which
contained
the
record
of
their
works,
and
refer
to
the
a
records
which
are
kept
on
the
earth.
And
the
book
which
was
the
b
book
of
life
is
the
record
which
is
kept
in
heaven;
the
principle
agreeing
precisely
with
the
doctrine
which
is
commanded
you
in
the
revelation
contained
in
the
letter
which
I
wrote
to
you
previous
to
my
leaving
my
place—that
in
all
your
recordings
it
may
be
recorded
in
heaven.
8 Now,
the
nature
of
this
ordinance
consists
in
the
a
power
of
the
priesthood,
by
the
revelation
of
Jesus
Christ,
wherein
it
is
granted
that
whatsoever
you
b
bind
on
earth
shall
be
bound
in
heaven,
and
whatsoever
you
loose
on
earth
shall
be
loosed
in
heaven.
Or,
in
other
words,
taking
a
different
view
of
the
translation,
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
c
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
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
b
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
c
Jehovah.
This
is
a
faithful
saying.
Who
can
hear
it?
10 And
again,
for
the
precedent,
Matthew
16:18,
19:
And
I
say
also
unto
thee,
That
thou
art
Peter,
and
upon
this
rock
I
a
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.
11 Now
the
great
and
grand
secret
of
the
whole
matter,
and
the
summum
bonum
of
the
whole
subject
that
is
lying
before
us,
consists
in
obtaining
the
powers
of
the
a
Holy
Priesthood.
For
him
to
whom
these
keys
are
given
there
is
no
difficulty
in
obtaining
a
knowledge
of
facts
b
in
relation
to
the
salvation
of
the
c
children
of
men,
both
as
well
for
the
dead
as
for
the
living.
12 Herein
is
a
glory
and
honor,
and
immortality
and
eternal
life—The
ordinance
of
baptism
by
water,
to
be
b
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.
13 Consequently,
the
a
baptismal
font
was
instituted
as
a
similitude
of
the
grave,
and
was
commanded
to
be
in
a
place
underneath
where
the
living
are
wont
to
assemble,
to
show
forth
the
living
and
the
dead,
and
that
all
things
may
have
their
likeness,
and
that
they
may
accord
one
with
another—that
which
is
earthly
conforming
to
that
which
is
b
heavenly,
as
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
a
sealing
and
binding
power,
and,
in
one
sense
of
the
word,
the
b
keys
of
the
kingdom,
which
consist
in
the
key
of
c
knowledge.
15 And
now,
my
dearly
beloved
brethren
and
sisters,
let
me
assure
you
that
these
are
principles
in
relation
to
the
dead
and
the
living
that
cannot
be
lightly
passed
over,
as
pertaining
to
our
salvation.
For
their
a
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
b
perfect.
16 And
now,
in
relation
to
the
baptism
for
the
dead,
I
will
give
you
another
quotation
of
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?
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