In 1920, a stake president, Heber Q. Hale, had a visionary experience, one that he was asked to report to the then-president of the Church, Heber J. Grant. As Richard Hemsley wrote:
Note:
My father, Richard Hemsley, was in the Presiding Bishop’s office in Salt Lake
City. One day President Heber J. Grant came in. In a few minutes President
Heber Q. Hale, president of the Boise Idaho Stake came in. President Grant
asked President Hale to relate the manifestation to those present; which he
did. My father asked President Hale for a copy of it which he promised to send
to him later. My father received the copy through the mail. —Job Hemsley
What is interesting about this vision is that Hale reported that,
in the spirit world, ordinances were performed, and they are made effectual by
the same ordinances taking place in our mortal realm:
All
worthy men and women were appointed to special and regular service under a
well-organized plan of action, directed principally towards preaching the
gospel to the unconverted, teaching those who seek knowledge and establishing
family relationship and gathering genealogies for the use and benefit of mortal
survivors of their respective families, that the work of baptism and sealing
ordinances may be vicariously performed for the departed in the Temples of God
upon the earth. The authorized representatives of families in the world of
spirits have access to our Temple records and are kept, fully advised of the
work done therein; but the vicarious work done here does not become
automatically effective there. The recipients must first believe, repent and accept
baptism and confirmation; then certain consummating ordinances are performed
effectualizing these saving principles in the lives of those regenerated
beings, and so the great work is going on. They are doing a work there which we
cannot do here, and we doing work here, which they cannot do there; both
necessary, each the complement of the other, thus bringing about salvation of
all God’s children who will be saved. (Heber Q. Hale, "A
Heavenly Manifestation" [1920])
