Why don’t children who died under the age of 8 need temple ordinances done for them?

Question

 

Gramps,

My wife and I have accepted callings as Ordinance Workers in Manti. I’m confused why children who have died before the age of accountability need no baptism, confirmation, initiatories, or endowments.

Matthew

 

Answer

 

Matthew,

According to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the age of accountability is set at eight years old. This is based on the scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants 68:27, which states,

And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands.

Before this age, children are considered innocent and incapable of sinning. This belief is further supported by Moroni 8:10-12, which emphasizes that little children need no repentance or baptism, as they are alive in Christ and are saved through His grace.

The Church teaches that children under the age of accountability are pure and innocent, and thus, they are received into the Celestial Kingdom without the need for baptism or other ordinances. This doctrine provides solace to parents who have lost children, assuring them that their little ones are safe and secure in the arms of a loving Heavenly Father.

Mortality is viewed as a critical period for testing and growth for those who reach the age of accountability. As Bruce R. McConkie explained,

Mortality is fully upon us when we first breathe the breath of life.

This implies that those who are accountable must undergo trials and challenges to develop their character and faith. However, for children who die before this age, the need for such testing is not applicable. They are seen as having already achieved a state of purity that allows them to bypass the trials of mortality.

Bruce R. McConkie has also said on the subject:

Accountability does not burst full-bloom upon a child at any given moment in his life. Children become accountable gradually, over a number of years. Becoming accountable is a process. … There comes a time, however, when accountability is real and actual and sin is attributed in the lives of those who develop normally. It is eight years of age, the age of baptism.

The Prophet Joseph Smith touched on this subject himself. He lost many to death during his lifetime, including six children:

The Lord takes many away, even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man, and the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on earth.

This perspective emphasizes that the death of a child is not a tragedy in the same way it is for adults; rather, it is a merciful act that allows them to avoid the hardships of a fallen world.

Joseph F. Smith also taught that children who die in infancy will be resurrected and will continue to grow and develop in the afterlife. He stated,

It matters not whether these tabernacles mature in this world, or have to wait and mature in the world to come.

This assurance provides hope to grieving parents, as it suggests that they will have the opportunity to nurture and raise their children in the eternities.

The doctrine of salvation for children under eight is rooted in the belief that they are inherently innocent and free from sin. Moroni 8:12 states,

But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world.

This scripture emphasizes the idea that children are covered by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and their salvation is assured. The Church teaches that they do not require baptism or other ordinances because they are not accountable for their actions.

This belief is further reinforced by the understanding that the Atonement of Christ is all-encompassing. As Elder Melvin J. Ballard noted,

You mothers worry about your little children [who have died]. We do not perform sealings for them… Do not worry over it. They are safe; they are all right. (Bryant S. Hinckley, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, Deseret Book Company, 1949, p. 260.)

This message of reassurance is vital for parents who may struggle with the loss of a child, as it emphasizes the eternal safety and happiness of their little ones.

Given the Church’s teachings on the age of accountability, it follows that children who die before reaching this age do not require endowments. The natural order of ordinances in the Church begins with baptism, followed by confirmation, and then endowments. Since children under eight are not baptized, they do not progress to the point of needing endowments. As stated in Doctrine and Covenants 137:10,

And all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.

This reinforces the idea that their eternal destiny is secure without the need for additional ordinances.

For parents who have lost children, the doctrine of accountability offers a unique perspective on their role in the afterlife. While they may not have the opportunity to raise their children in this life, they can find comfort in the belief that they will be reunited with them in the eternities. Joseph F. Smith’s teachings suggest that parents will have the chance to nurture their children as they grow into their full potential in the afterlife. This belief can provide solace and hope to grieving parents, allowing them to focus on the eternal nature of their relationships.

 

Gramps