First, Latter-Day Saints believe that one needs to be baptized in order to enter into heaven (based on the teachings of Jesus Christ recorded in John 3:16). For this to come about for those who never had the opportunity to be baptized (let alone the countless individuals who never even heard of Jesus Christ while alive), they perform proxy baptisms on behalf of dead individuals. Obviously they don't baptize corpses; instead, they have a member of their faith baptized again, on behalf of an individual who has passed away.
To find out who of their family tree needs to be baptized, Latter-Day Saints perform tons of genealogical work, which includes indexing handwritten censuses into digital form. Hence the census sheets.
First, Latter-Day Saints believe that one needs to be baptized in order to enter into heaven (based on the teachings of Jesus Christ recorded in John 3:16). For this to come about for those who never had the opportunity to be baptized (let alone the countless individuals who never even heard of Jesus Christ while alive), they perform proxy baptisms on behalf of dead individuals. Obviously they don't baptize corpses; instead, they have a member of their faith baptized again, on behalf of an individual who has passed away.
To find out who of their family tree needs to be baptized, Latter-Day Saints perform tons of genealogical work, which includes indexing handwritten censuses into digital form. Hence the census sheets.