Joseph Smith says in an article on this subject in the "Times and
Seasons," for April 15th, 1842.
"What has become of our fathers? will they be damned for not obeying
the Gospel, when they never heard it? Certainly not. But they will
possess the same privilege that we here enjoy through the medium of
the _everlasting_ priesthood, which not only administers in earth,
but in heaven, * * * they will come out of their prison upon the
same principle as those who were disobedient in the days of Noah
were visited by our Saviour, * * * and in order that they might
fulfil all the requisitions of God, their living friends were
baptized for their dead friends, and thus fulfilled the requirements
of God: 'Except a man be born again of water, and of the Spirit, he
can in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven;' they were baptized
of course, not for themselves, but for their dead. _Crysostum_ says,
that the _Marchionites_[A] practised baptism for the dead, 'after a
catechumen was dead, they hid a living man under the bed of the
deceased; then coming to the dead man, they asked him whether he
would receive baptism; and he making no answer, the other answered
for him, and said that he would be baptized in his stead,--and so
they baptized the living for the dead."
It appears by the above extract, that the prophet is beginning (in his
own way) to quote the fathers.
Footnote:
[A] This is the prophet's own orthography.
PAGE 57. "The amiable and patient missionary bishop of Missouri," &c.
It is pleasing to turn from Joseph Smith, to the contemplation of the
truly estimable person in question. Bishop Kemper is of German descent;
his immediate ancestors having emigrated from Manheim on the Rhine. For
many years he was assistant minister to the late bishop White, in the
parochial charge of Christ-Church, Philadelphia. He was subsequently
elected and consecrated by the House of Bishops, as the first missionary
bishop. The expenses of his mission are borne by the committee for
domestic missions in the United States. He is absolutely _without a
home_, being almost perpetually engaged in visiting various portions of
the enormous region committed to his ecclesiastical superintendence. A
more difficult field of missionary duty can scarcely be imagined.