What happens to people who die without baptism?

We are taught in the scriptures that baptism is an essential ordinance to return to live in God's presence. Baptism, along with other essential ordinances, prepares us to receive exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of God. (See John 3:5; 2 Nephi 9:23; 2 Nephi 31:5-9, 17-21.)

There are millions of people who have died without the opportunity to be baptized, and there are many who will not have the chance to be baptized in their lifetime. What happens to those who were not able to participate in this essential saving ordinance?

In LDS Temples, we perform baptisms for the dead, or baptisms by proxy for those who were not baptized by proper authority in their lifetime. We do family history to find records and names of our ancestors who need these saving ordinances. D&C 128:16-18 explains why we do baptisms for the dead: "We without them [our ancestors] cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also." But even then, there are still many who have died for whom we do not have records saved. How can the proper saving ordinances be performed for them?

The scriptures prepare us for the time when Jesus Christ will come to earth again to rule and reign for one thousand years on earth (see Articles of Faith 1:10; Revelation 20:4; D&C 88:110). During this time, "all things which have been revealed unto the children of men shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time" (2 Nephi 30:18).

The Gospel Principles manual used in Sunday School discusses the work that will be done during the Millennium. The two main works we will do are missionary work and temple work. For one thousand years, mortals and resurrected beings who lived righteously will build temples and participate in ordinances of salvation. The lesson states, "There is too much work to finish before the Millennium begins, so it will be completed during that time. Resurrected beings will help us correct the mistakes we have made in doing research concerning our dead ancestors. They will also help us find the information we need to complete our records" ("The Millennium," Gospel Principles Manual, pp. 263-67; See Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954-56], 2:167, 251-52.).

Every person will have a chance to receive all the ordinances of salvation before being sent to one of the three degrees of glory (see 1 Corinthians 15:40-42; D&C 76:50-112). God will provide a fair chance for everyone to receive those ordinances, but it is up to each individual to accept or reject them. After the Millennium, when all of the work has been done, the earth will be turned into a celestial kingdom (see D&C 29:22-29).