170 years ago today - Apr 1, 1842

[General] In his article "Try the Spirits" (Times and Seasons, Friday April 1, 1842 p. 745), Joseph Smith quotes from Buck's Theological Dictionary (1825): "after a catachumen was dead they hid a living man under the bed of the deceased; then coming to the dead man they asked him whether he would receive baptism; and he making no answer, the other answered for him, and said that he would be baptized in his stead; and so they baptized the living for the dead."

[Source: Grunder, Rick, Mormon Parallels: A Bibliographic Source]