Everyone who sins must be baptized, as explained in, "Why Be Baptized?" But what about babies, little children, and the mentally disabled. Do they need to be baptized?
Baptism at Age of Accountability: Everyone born on this earth who reaches the age of accountability (being able to understand right and wrong) commits sins and must be baptized. Children under the age of eight are not required to be baptized, nor are those who do not mentally reach the age of accountability.
Baptism of Babies and Little Children: Children are free of sin and do not need to be baptized until they are old enough to comprehend right and wrong. The prophet Mormon, from The Book of Mormon, said:
"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them.
"Little children need no repentance, neither baptism." (Moroni 8:8,11.)
"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them.
"Little children need no repentance, neither baptism." (Moroni 8:8,11.)
Little Children Alive in Christ: Children who die before the age of accountability and the mentally disabled will be saved because of Christ. Mormon continues:
"But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!
"Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell."
"For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism" (Moroni 8:12,13.)
"But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!
"Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell."
"For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism" (Moroni 8:12,13.)
Baptism at Age Eight: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the age of accountability is at age eight. "Children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands" (D&C 68:27.) The laying on of hands is for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
How to Be Baptized?: What is the proper way to be baptized? Continue reading with this article, "How to Be Baptized" to find out.
