Books to Share: "Annotated Records of Baptisms for the Dead 1840-1845 ..."

The "Annotated Records of Baptism for the Dead 1840-1845; Nauvoo Hancock County, Illinois" is a seven volume set which is vital when researching ancestry of Latter-day Saint heritage.

The author, Sister Susan Easton Black (BYU professor of Church History), explained in a talk on the baptisms for the dead which were done in Nauvoo, that many individuals were baptized but no other ordinances were ever done for them. This reference work is a good place to begin.
Volume 7 is an all-name index.

Let me illustrate the series' usefulness with an example from my husband's Drollinger line. Hannah Kidd Drollinger lived in Nauvoo and was the oldest woman (age 76 years) at the creation of the Relief Society in 1842

In the book, Hannah is listed as the Proxy "Hannah Drollinger". Her maiden name of Kidd is listed as well as her parents' names. Her own mother's maiden name is also there. Hannah's birth date and place are also listed, as well as her spouse and their marriage date and place. The death date for Hannah is also added (Hannah died 04 Nov 1845 in Hancock County, Illinois). Sources are listed as (1) Nauvoo Baptismal Records of the Dead; (2) Family Search; and (3) Ancestral File.

The next ten pages for Hannah Drollinger include many names with their information and their relationship to the proxy (ie. Hannah Drollinger). Her husband is listed, along with her parents, children, grandchildren, siblings, sister and brother-in-laws, cousins, etc. Everyone has all the information that is known about them from the minimum of sources (temple records, Ancestral File, and FamilySearch).

Some individuals listed in the books have additional sources (Nauvoo tax lists, 1842 Nauvoo federal census, or the Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register).

While the set of books seems expensive, it is a recommended purchase for Family History Centers. For those of us living thousands of miles from the Family History Library or Brigham Young University, we still need to be sure that ALL of the temple ordinances are done for these family members. Finding their baptismal dates at Nauvoo is a good beginning and leads to further result.

Title:"Annotated Records of Baptisms for the Dead 1840-1845; Nauvoo Hancock County, Illinois"; Seven Volumes; AuthorsSusan Easton Black and Harvey Bischoff Black Cost: $150.00
Publisher: Center for Family History and Genealogy, Brigham Young University, 1031 JFSB, Provo, Utah 84602-4482

Temples and Baptisms for the Dead

Sometimes the distance between the living and the spirits who have already passed on is very close. At times, events occur which emphasize the importance of efforts to redeem the dead.

Brother J. Hatten Carpenter served as the recorder in the Manti Temple (located in Manti, Utah) in the early 1900s. Another man (whom Br. Carpenter referred to as 'Brother C') related the following experience to Br. Carpenter.

One day as this 'Brother C' was watching baptisms for the dead being performed in the font of the Manti Temple, he saw the spirits of deceased people waiting their turns. "as the Recorder called out the name of a person to be baptized ..., the [brother] noticed a pleasant smile come over the face of the spirit whose name had been called, and he would leave the group of fellow spirits and pass over to the side of the Recorder. There he would watch his own baptism performed by a proxy, and then with a joyful countenance would pass away [to] make room for the next favored personage who was to enjoy the same privilege."

As time passed, the brother noticed sad expressions on the faces of some spirits. He then noticed that the baptisms for the dead were completed for that day's temple session. The spirits with the sad countenances had not yet received their baptismal ordinances and were disappointed in having to wait until another time.

While these occurrences do not happen for all of us, sharing such experiences with others helps build faith in family history and temple work.

(adapted from the Primary 5 manual, Lesson 34; initially published in The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, 11 Jul 1920, p. 119.)