Baptism Day!

Saturday was a special day. My 8 year old nephew Brigham Phelps was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Originally, we were going to have a double baptism. My niece Tristan was going to be baptized on the same day, but she broke her arm over Labor Day weekend and is in a full arm cast. In our church, we baptize by immersion, so she will have to wait a couple of months.

Here's Brig with his Dad (my brother Kent) before his baptism. Isn't he a cutie?

In our church we are baptized at 8 years old rather than as infants. Some people ask why we don’t baptize our infants. Our beliefs are a little bit different than most churches. The Book of Mormon teaches us that children are born perfect and without sin. We believe that we are responsible for only our own sins and not for Adam’s transgression.

So why 8 years old? We believe that this is the “age of accountability”. The age where children are old enough to understand what is right and what is wrong and old enough to make the baptismal covenants with God. Before this age, they are not held accountable for the things that they do. Babies and young children are in the process of learning right from wrong and are not capable of committing sin.

So what do we believe happens to babies/children who die before they are baptized? God is not a partial God. He is a just and a fair God and because of His mercies and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ALL children who die before the age of accountability are guaranteed Exaltation. I know many people who have lost children before baptism. What a blessing it is to have the peace of knowing that these children will be denied nothing.