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Question

 

Gramps,

24 Behold, my son, this thing ought not to be; for repentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse of a broken law. (Moroni 8:24)  What do you think the curse of the broken law is? 

Sarah

 

Answer

 

Sarah,

In order for one to understand this scripture, one must read the rest of the chapter in which this verse is found.

Moroni Chapter 8 discusses the baptism of children before the age of accountability.  As Latter-day Saints we know that the age of accountability starts at 8 years old.

Mormon was quick to respond to rumors of disputations and responded to Moroni via an espistle.

In Moroni 8:4-5, Mormon writes:

4 And now, my son, I speak unto you concerning that which grieveth me exceedingly; for it grieveth me that there should disputations rise among you.

 

5 For, if I have learned the truth, there have been disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little children.

Mormon goes on to explain in Moroni 8:9-15,

9 And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.

 

10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.

 

11 And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.

 

12 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!

 

13 Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.

 

14 Behold I say unto you, that he that supposeth that little children need baptism is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; for he hath neither faith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought, he must go down to hell.

 

15 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.

Joseph Field Smith also had this to say regarding this,

There is no principle taught in the scriptures which is more clearly and definitely stated as to its nature and purpose than is the principle of baptism. There is no reason, except willful perversion of the word of the Lord, for anyone to misunderstand this principle. We are definitely and emphatically taught that baptism is for the remission of sins.” (The Way to Perfection, p. 196)

Now what is the curse of the broken law?

We know that when we were baptized we promised we would do many things.  One of them was to keep and obey God’s laws.  When we break one of those laws we need to repent.  Repentance is for those that are accountable.  Children under the age of accountability (age 8) need no repentance.  They have not sinned.

We know that for those who have been baptized and know the laws of God, the lack of repentance can be somewhat of a curse.  We can lose the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  We can lose some of the blessings we might have received if we had followed the commandments and teachings.  The feelings of peace within us can also be lost.  

Gramps

 

 

 

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