Baptisms for the Dead

"29. 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?"

1 Corinthians 15:29

My companion and I had a conversation with someone yesterday who wasn't so sure she believed in fully "believed" in baptisms for the dead. This scripture that President Taylor asked us to memorize helps to explain the purpose of it a bit. As a part of the Plan of Salvation, we are taught there will be life after death. After our spirits and our bodies are separated, our spirits will go to the spirit world, where we will have the opportunity to share/learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is where we will be until the Second Coming of Christ to the Earth, after which, we will all be "resurrected" and our spirits and our bodies will be reunited forever. There will be some people however that will have lived their entire lives without knowing about Christ's Gospel, or some who will have not followed it during their earthly life. It is for those people that we do temple work such as baptisms for the dead. We do as many of the earthly ordinances that need to be performed in order to fully accept the Gospel and Jesus Christ for those that didn't have or take the opportunity to do so for themselves while they were alive. We are not forcing the Gospel or these ordinances on them at all, it simply gives them the opportunity to choose to follow it or not. This seems like a complicated topic, but it is truly very simple. I apologize that this explanation is so short, but I am out of time. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments. Otherwise, always look to the scriptures for answers! Heavenly Father will answer you through His written word EVERY time you ask.