Baptism For Seriously Disabled

[DBMormon]

Does the church ever make an exception for baptism by full immersion? Say an individual has serious physical disabilities where being under water for any amount of time is a serious concern.

In the temple if someone has no arms they are given the signs and tokens as if they had arms and hands.

Are there adaptations for Baptism?

[The Nehor]

Not that I know of. On my mission we had an investigator who due to throat problems had a hole in his throat and could not get it wet. We called the Mission President who said we do not do sprinkling and to find a way. We were getting an airtight diving suit built for deep sea diving when the baptism fell through.

[Calm]

I've known of one baptism performed at a pool at a hospital that allowed the person to be sitting on her wheelchair to be lowered into the water at which point the baptism proceeded as usual.

I would assume this is considered one of the cases where desire will have to do until opportunity arises such as in cases of polygamous families in countries where polygamy is legal.

[Saints Alive]

I would assume this is considered one of the cases where desire will have to do until opportunity arises such as in cases of polygamous families in countries where polygamy is legal.

Not to derail the thread but... Are there countries where both the church and polygamy are legal? India is the only one I can think of but I am not sure if they allow polygamy.

Back on topic... I cant think of a single physical disability that would prevent someone from being baptized. Stoma's can be plugged (temporarily), there are all sorts of lowering devices for para and quadriplegics, am I missing something?

[Calm]

Not to derail the thread but... Are there countries where both the church and polygamy are legal? India is the only one I can think of but I am not sure if they allow polygamy.

My memory says it was reported in a discussion about a country in Africa.

[Calm]

Not to derail the thread but... Are there countries where both the church and polygamy are legal? India is the only one I can think of but I am not sure if they allow polygamy.

Back on topic... I cant think of a single physical disability that would prevent someone from being baptized. Stoma's can be plugged (temporarily), there are all sorts of lowering devices for para and quadriplegics, am I missing something?

Being in traction?

[thesometimesaint]

Saints Alive:

Zimbabwe.

[Sis W.]

When we (Elder W. and I) were serving in Zimbabwe, the Elders baptized a paralyzed young man---two elders made a "chair" for him using their arms and a third Elder performed the odinance and the elders holding the young man just bent thier knees---it was performed in a swimming pool. Though polygymy is legal in Zimbabwe--we were not allowed to baptize anyone involved----ummm we did baptize one sister---she was a 2nd wife----we figured SHE had only ONE husband---she wasn't practising polygamy----Mission Pres didn't agreee----but it really is easier to receive forgiveness then permission.

[3DOP]

Does the church ever make an exception for baptism by full immersion? Say an individual has serious physical disabilities where being under water for any amount of time is a serious concern.

In the temple if someone has no arms they are given the signs and tokens as if they had arms and hands.

Are there adaptations for Baptism?

According to some LDS, adaptations such as you are asking about are evidence of apostasy:

We believe that the Gospel has been restored. This restoration required an apostacy to have occurred. In another thread 3DOP stated that he disagreed with our views that an apostacy had occurred. This thread is created to discuss the evidences of the apostacy.

The following are a few of the items that we believe are indicative of the apostacy:

Baptism no longer by immersion

Infant baptism

Concept of Infants not being innocent at birth

Governmental Change in the Church (the calling of Apostles done away with and the introduction of Cardinals and Archbishops)

The use of the term "the Holy Father" when referencing the Pope (i.e. see Matthew 23:9-10)

Celibacy requirement of bishops and priests

The worship and elevation of Mary

The praying to saints as advocates instead of only praying to God with Christ as advocate.

Grace without works leading to complete salvation

Etc.

What evidences exist for or against these claims?

---Post 1, Was There an Apostacy in the Early Christian Church,

The Catholic Church permits baptism by immersion. When Philip was traveling with the Ethiopian eunuch they came to a sufficient water source for the eunuch to be baptized, apparently by immersion, as they both came up out of the water, according to the Scripture. But if there weren't such a ready water source? What then? Too bad for those not near a river or pond? The Catholic Church teaches that as important as baptism is, it must not be withheld if because of the infirmity of the recipient, or a lack of water, immersion is impractical. We are aware that the Greek word for baptism originally meant "immersion", but Jesus used it to signify other things such as suffering and cleansing. The word has a meaning of its own for Christians. The Koine Greek cannot be insisted upon as the only legitimate usage of the term as it came to be used in the Scriptures and later.

It seems unlikely that the three thousand who were converted in Jerusalem on the Feast of Pentecost all received baptism by immersion. If someone in the city had a large pool adapted for the purpose, it seems likely that it would have become very filthy before very many had been completely immersed. Assuredly complete immersion gives a more complete symbol, but clean water is an important symbol too. I do not deny that one can be baptized in dirty water, but it seems inappropriate. It seems even less likely that St. Paul's jailer at Philippi would have had access to a big enough receptacle in his home for full immersion of his family. But even if we suppose that all of these were some how completely submerged, we just have a difference of opinion about the necessity of it.

What is supposed to be done if baptism was needed in a desert place, or when the rivers and lakes were frozen? I don't think those of us who live in a day and place of immediately available hot and cold running water can appreciate the practical impossibility for most of the centuries since Christ, of baptism for those in urgent need in circumstances of drought, or ice, or of infirmity, who if complete immersion were an absolute requirement, must have faced their God without the cleansing waters. So we don't believe that all the baptisms in Scripture are by immersions, but even if we did, Catholic Tradition teaches us that God permits easier methods, especially if there are difficulties with immersion.

3DOP

---post # 103,

It would seem that some LDS hold that the only reason for modifying the mode of baptism from total immersion is a desire to pervert the Gospel.

[Cobalt-70]

Back on topic... I cant think of a single physical disability that would prevent someone from being baptized. Stoma's can be plugged (temporarily), there are all sorts of lowering devices for para and quadriplegics, am I missing something?

What about aquagenic urticaria?

What about aquaphobia? It's a psychological disorder, but it is real, and it isn't something that someone can necessarily just "get over."

Personally, I don't see what the big deal is. Yes, immersion is symbolically superior if it can be done. But baptism is not a form of magic where the exactness of the ritual is required to invoke the supernatural powers. We do sprinkling too, in the temple. They used to put you naked into a big bathtub during the washing and anointing ritual and pour water over you. It was a form of baptism by pouring. So it can't be all bad. Plus, I'm sure there are plenty of Mormons in good standing who did not literally go all the way under water, but nobody notices, or the witnesses notice but don't say anything. As I said, it's not magic.

Also, there are some creation science Mormons who insist that the great flood was a baptism of the earth by immersion because even though the earth was not completely immersed, there was at least a microscopic layer of water over all the earth's surfaces at one time. Can't that be achieved with a person, too, by pouring?

[mfbukowski]

For those who are intellectually disabled and unaccountable it is not even an issue, so in the extreme theoretical example proposed, which probably doesn't exist in reality, I am sure that God would handle it in the same way he would handle the case of someone unaccountable.

I wouldn't worry about any of this. It's like worry about if you are really baptized if someone missed saying the correct word and no one caught the mistake.

The atonement is a powerful thing.

[The Nehor]

What about aquaphobia? It's a psychological disorder, but it is real, and it isn't something that someone can necessarily just "get over."

I baptized two people with that fear. It was hard but they were both glad they did it.

[BCSpace]

What is the definition of immersion? If every part is wet at the same time, is someone immersed? The ancient Greek root for baptism does mean literally to be overwhelmed with water. It is an interesting question.

[Garden Girl]

In the temple if someone has no arms they are given the signs and tokens as if they had arms and hands.

edit to add: Sorry DB... I just reread above and notice it is a statement and not a question... I had read it as a question and so that is the basis of my reply... sorry.

Hello DB...

As an Ordinance Worker, we received training in how to assist a person with physical limitations...

One of my favorite sisters used to attend every week during my shift in her wheelchair. The Worker would assist her in numerous ways, discretely and with compassion. I loved to assist her...

Another sister needed her walker... Another sister that attended regularly was blind... I assisted each one with gentleness and felt it an honor to be of service to these faithful sisters.

As workers we had a "Preparatory meeting" before the start of our shifts. These were for the purpose of training to meet any situation, including heart attacks, people falling down, etc etc. The workers were prepared to make each patrons visit as pleasant as possible.

GG

Edited September 12, 2012 by Garden Girl

[Freedom]

I have baptized people without full immersion. If it needs to be done again, we have the millennium. As a missionary, we had the mission president blessing for a best effort. It is up to the discretion of the presiding priesthood holder.

[Saints Alive]

Being in traction?

I believe traction is temporary, the baptism could be scheduled later.

What about aquagenic urticaria?

In the rare event that some one had a case of aquagenic urticaria so bad that they couldn't be in the water for the 30 seconds it takes to baptize someone I suppose the question might be valid. That would be an incredibly rare instance.

[Alan]

In my view, if someone could not physically go into water there could be a proxy baptism for them in the temple just as we do for the dead, who have a similar problem.

I believe there is precedent for this but it will take me a while to locate.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Does the church ever make an exception for baptism by full immersion? Say an individual has serious physical disabilities where being under water for any amount of time is a serious concern.

In the temple if someone has no arms they are given the signs and tokens as if they had arms and hands.

Are there adaptations for Baptism?

Would not need too...God knows their hearts, or so I want to believe.

[Kenngo1969]

In my view, if someone could not physically go into water there could be a proxy baptism for them in the temple just as we do for the dead, who have a similar problem.

I believe there is precedent for this but it will take me a while to locate.

That's interesting. I wonder how that would work. I suppose one could be baptized "for and in behalf of" someone else, and the phrase "who is dead" could simply be omitted. Hmmm. Interesting.

[Lightbearer]

Does the church ever make an exception for baptism by full immersion? Say an individual has serious physical disabilities where being under water for any amount of time is a serious concern.

In the temple if someone has no arms they are given the signs and tokens as if they had arms and hands.

Are there adaptations for Baptism?

Short answer NO. at least none I have heard of. I did have two experiences in the Mission field. One lady that we baptized was terrified of water because she had scar tissue in her throat that if water got into her wind pipe it would swell up and she could either die or have to go to the ER. However we gave her a priesthood blessing and she was baptized (by immersion) with no ill effects. In fact when she returned to her Doctor for a check up. The scar tissue in her throat was gone.

Also I witnessed a baptism of a woman in a wheelchair where one elder held her in his arms and another performed the ordinance and they successfully baptized her by immersion. I cannot think of any condition that would necessitate not being able to completely immerse anyone. If so the First Presidency must approve such a thing. Of course they could alway be baptized by proxy after death, I am unsure if it would be allowable for a living person. But I can assure you that sprinkling or pouring would never be authorized. At least not in my opinion.

[Ticketyboo]

Just a few weeks ago I was at the Preston Temple baptistry with some of our branch youth. As we waited a disabled lady was being baptised by two brothers in the font. She obviously had great personal difficulty in being immersed because it took quite a while between the baptisms for her to fully compose herself for the next immersion, performing about six in total. I found her faith & courage very touching.

[The Nehor]

Just a few weeks ago I was at the Preston Temple baptistry with some of our branch youth. As we waited a disabled lady was being baptised by two brothers in the font. She obviously had great personal difficulty in being immersed because it took quite a while between the baptisms for her to fully compose herself for the next immersion, performing about six in total. I found her faith & courage very touching.

I was on my mission there when that temple ws built and dedicated. Good to hear great things are still happening there. I want to go back but cannot seem to get funds for it and time for it together at the same time.