I happened to be wandering through Famous Dead Mormons, and was astonished to see a lengthy list of mormon ceremonies performed posthumously for C. S. Lewis.

Obviously my knowledge of LDS culture is thinner than I knew: are all of the following "normal" proxy rites that can be initiated by any LDS member, or is some relationship to the deceased required?




http://famousdeadmormons.com/index.php?id=211

C. S. Lewis

Baptism Completed
16 January 1976
Salt Lake City Utah Temple

Confirmation Completed
16 January 1976
Salt Lake City Utah Temple

Initiatory Completed
30 March 1999
Oakland California Temple

Endowment Completed
20 February 1976
Salt Lake City Utah Temple

Sealing to Parents Completed
23 January 1990
Washington D.C. Temple

Sealing to Spouse Completed
6 May 1977
Salt Lake City Utah Temple
Helen Joy Davidman

Are you really surprised? After the desecration dunkings of holocaust survivors, I can't imagine any surprises. Mormons have had a hard-on for old Clive's immortal soul for years. One of the myths I learned in seminary was that he wanted to join the church but was afraid of alienating his public.

I think he'd fit right in; he could transition from Xtian apologist to Mormo apologist without too much trouble.

Baptism & confirmation kind of go together, as well as the initiatory & endowment. I wouldn't be surprised if his work was done by an enthusiastic member who was not related. When multigenerational LD$ run out of their own family names, instead of researching the descendants like they are told, some do unapproved "projects" like famous people they sympathize with, they copy entire printed genealogies of families or towns, etc.

Most likely explanation? His name has been submitted multiple times, and his ordinances have all been done multiple times, and The Corporation's record keeping sucks.

Other than general ignorance that so many Ordinances for the Dead existed, I'm curious about _which_ of the mormon membership would be entitled to initiate the full set of them. (And I know that BOD can basically be initiated by anyone.)

So is there even a remote possibility that a relative is involved, or is this just more LDS self-stimulation by whichever member(s) are so inclined?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2012 09:33AM by 3X.

Here's another question, even if the church is no longer baptizing holocaust victims in mass, what it keeping individuals from submitting individual victim names and having the work done for them? If the church's record keeping suck enough that CS Lewis could be baptized multiple times, and receive his endowment before his baptism, then isn't likely they have no idea of knowing if holocaust victims are still being baptized by individual members?

The mormon church has paid for dead names to museums and churches.

The Rusian Orthodox Church was outraged to find out about a Moscow museum taking a few cents per name for this purpose. They stpped in and stopped the practice and demanded that the morg remove these names from its list of mormonized dead.

Mormons find names for dunking in the obits, on cemetary stones, and in encyclopedias.

It's a myth that they only dunk their own relatives.

Does his stepson Douglas Gresham know that he was baptized & confirmed in 2009? And he's still alive

Here's a quote from him in 2008:
BH: Can you give some advice that you would offer regarding their world of faith or the world of spirituality? Something maybe you’ve shared with your kids or grandkids about it as they reached the age of our 20 and 30-something audience?

DG: Well all of my children are Christians, I think—committed Christians. All my three sons are committed Christians and they’re the ones who have children, so we have nine and about-to-be-ten grandchildren coming from committed Christian families already. I’m not quite sure what their difficulties are going to be; I’m sure they’re going to have some. But yes, I think that one of the best pieces of advice I can give to young people, particularly, is stop looking at things and look into them. Don’t try to find a religious belief that is comfortable for you to wear and to follow. Don’t try to find something you want to believe in. Just spend your life searching for the ultimate truth. If you search for truth long enough, eventually it’s going to bring you face-to-face with Jesus Christ.


Doesn't sound like a morgbot to me

Was there resignation letters between each baptism?