The Apostle Paul testifies of the Resurrection

Many scriptures have opened my eyes to eternal truths. One such scripture is from the writings of the Apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Christian converts of Corinth and deals with the doctrines of the resurrection.

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?" (1 Corinthians 15:29).

In fact, this verse is included in the inspiring section concerning the resurrection of the dead (see verses 20-34). The Apostle Paul has just testified in an earlier verse -- "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22).

As the Apostle Paul bore witness of the resurrection for all people, he stressed that the early Christians were performing baptisms for the dead.

This doctrine was familiar to the Christians of Corinth. After the resurrection of the Savior, early Christians performed baptisms for the dead until Christ's church fell into apostasy and the proper priesthood authority was taken from the earth.

When the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth in this last dispensation, the doctrine of salvation for the dead and the ordinance of baptizing proxies in behalf of the dead were again revealed and restored as part of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While living in Nauvoo, Illinois and surrounding areas, early members of the restored Church performed these vicarious baptisms for the dead -- particularly for their own ancestors. The Prophet Joseph Smith emphasized the importance of baptisms for the dead when he declared:

"The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 179-180).

Today, baptisms for the dead are only performed in the temples built and dedicated by the Church. This is one of the primary reasons that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wants to build and dedicate temples throughout the world.

Temples stand as witnesses for the resurrection of all Heavenly Father's children, as well as the eternal nature of the human soul.

Start Climbing Your Family Tree at www.FamilySearch.org

When you want to climb a family tree, there is one place to begin -- www.FamilySearch.org. This website is sponsored and managed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is available for FREE to anyone who wants to use it. One does not have to be a Latter-day Saint to reap the benefits of this wonderful website.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to explore many features available on www.FamilySearch.org. Unfortunately I won't be able to do it justice with my small effort on "Life is a Homeward Journey" because the website contains so many great aspects.

Several times I have learned "one more tip" about using www.FamilySearch.org. It is a place to ponder and search for information about our ancestors. No matter what a researcher's experience level there is always another lesson to learn there. In addition, new items are posted regularly.

FamilySearch.org also opens up the door to millions of other sources through the online family history catalog. While I plan to post some information about the online catalog at the end of the month, let me say now that the online catalog displays records which can be ordered at local Family History Centers for a modest fee.

If a researcher will be able to visit the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, the online catalog can provide a wealth of information beforehand. Planning ahead can avoid disappointments and bring a lot of success in a short amount of time.

The online catalog is also a link to a family history collection at the Harold B. Lee Library of Brigham Young University. More family histories are coming online regularly at BYU but many researchers don't even know the opportunity exists to read these works over the internet.

Another point worth mentioning now is that the staff members at www.FamilySearch.org are very willing to help researchers. There is a "hotline number" for FamilySearch which is open to anyone -- 866-406-1830. An email form is also available if the researcher would prefer writing out their questions for a staff member's response. (Emails are a good choice for more complicated questions because the email can be easily forwarded to an expert in that category in the Family History Library.)

The adventure of climbing a family tree is far better with a friend's guidance and kindness. Using www.FamilySearch.org is such a friend to any and all researchers.