studiobu

“Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5). Many people, however, have died without being baptized. Others were baptized without proper authority. Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism. By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors. Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf.”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topi...

I never got to meet any of my great grandparents. But it turns out that if you find the birth certificate (or other document) of your deceased grandparent [1], that document also has the names of your great-grandparents. And if you find their birth certificate, you can know the names of your great-great grandparents. And so on. I now know the names and even the stories of my ancestors of over five generations.

[1] https://www.familysearch.org/