newsblogs.chicagotribune.com - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has launched an investigation of church members who posthumously baptized President Obama’s late mother last year and possibly baptized his late father as well.

On June 4, the day after Obama secured the Democratic presidential nomination, a church member baptized by proxy the president’s mother Stanley Ann Dunham inside a temple in Provo, Utah.

Though it’s still unclear whether the submission of Dunham’s name was a prank or sincere gesture, church spokeswoman Kim Farah said baptizing someone who is not related is a “serious breach” of church policy.

“The offering of baptism to our deceased ancestors is a sacred practice to us and it is counter to Church policy for a Church member to submit names for baptism for persons to whom they are not related,” Farah said in a statement. “The Church is looking into the circumstances of how this happened and does not yet have all the facts. However, this is a serious matter and we are treating it as such.”... Read full article »