In the early church, it was never taught to do baptisms for the dead, perform marriage sealings, and ordain people to the priesthood.
#1, Baptisms For The Dead:
None of these practices were taught and kept by believers in Jesus’s time and after. The verses that Mormons use to say otherwise are taken out of context. Thus, they are cherry-picked and used in order to attempt to prove their doctrines, although they fall flat on their faces when the chapter is studied in detail. They know this and don’t care. I can see past their lying when they tell people that Paul taught baptisms for the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:29. This is so sad to see, for the chapter and verse talks about a group of heretics that didn’t believe in the resurrection but still did baptisms for the dead. In verse 12 it says this, “some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” and in verse 29 it continues and says, “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?” It is so easy to see that Paul was rebuking these heretics. That is why we never hear about this ever again in the Bible. Over the last two thousand years, nothing was ever taught about doing works for dead people. This changed when Mormons came on the scene in the 1800s through the power of Satan.
#2, Marriage And Family Sealings:
Mormons frequently cite this verse. “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18) They teach that to bind on earth as it is bound in heaven means to seal spouses and families together. However, the Bible says differently. The apostles had the authority to forbid sinful and unlawful practices on earth. They also had the authority to declare things as improper and unlawful in heaven. The same goes for them loosing things on earth. They allowed various things, all the while proclaiming certain things as permissible. This is also proclaimed in Heaven. This goes along with what we read above in Matthew, in regard to someone sinning against us and not repenting. These wicked practices are then forbidden in the church. And the right things to do, with regard to people sinning against us, is also declared for people to know about in the church. Does this have anything to do with marriage sealings? Absolutely not. Jesus already declared that “in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” (Matthew 22:30)
#3, Ordained To The Priesthood:
When it comes to people being ordained to the priesthood, they use this verse to say that people need to be called into the priesthood order. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16) Notice how the priesthood is never mentioned. And when it is mentioned, we learn that every believer is automatically under God’s royal priesthood. God automatically ordains us into it, we don’t do this. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9,10) What does this mean? It means that everyone is a part of the royal priesthood in God’s eyes that are saved. These are men, women, and children. No laying on of hands are necessary, but faith alone brings God’s priesthood upon us.
