As I understand it merely from reading about this case, baptisms for the dead are different from sealings between couples. I'm not LDS though, so someone correct me.
The ordinances performed in LDS temples:
-
Baptism/Confirmation for the dead - performed by those 12+ for the deceased (usually relatives, ancestors)
-
Endowment - an initiatory rite of washing/anointing performed before a mission or marriage, or anytime after high school; is done for yourself the first time and then by proxy for the deceased
-
Sealing - married couples can be sealed to each other and their children for eternity; again, it's done for yourself the first time and then by proxy for the deceased
(There's also a highly secretive "
Second anointing," but that's very selective/rare and has to be initiated by the leadership.)
So yes, "sealings for the dead" are different than "baptisms for the dead." Since CD (and LVD? not sure on that) were both already sealed to prior spouses, they would have not been able to perform a sealing for
themselves, but they
could perform one for a deceased married couple. I'm not sure what point Prior was trying to make with the hair-splitting that he was doing on that cross-examination, since the jury has already learned how CD & LVD believed that they
were James & Elena, so either way, they were trying to establish themselves in an "eternal marriage"
(I should note that I am not LDS but am a Utahn who has studied the subject in depth)
