The short answer
Latter-day Saints teach that little children are redeemed through Christ and need no baptism before accountability. They distinguish the Fall’s effects from punishment for Adam’s act. Moroni 8:8–12 · Articles of Faith 2–3
Ask which teaching is being discussed
- Catholic: Original sin is an inherited state, not a personal fault. Infant baptism is understood as new birth and grace. Catechism 404–405 · 1250–1252
- Westminster: Adam’s guilt is imputed to his descendants, together with a corrupted nature. The confession also says elect infants can be saved through Christ and the Spirit. Chapters 6 and 10
- Latter-day Saint: Children’s redemption comes through Christ without baptism. Baptism at age eight is taught in LDS revelation. Doctrine and Covenants 29:46–47 · 68:25–27
The argument to address
Romans 5 connects Adam with condemnation and Christ with righteousness. Read verses 12–21 as a whole. Explaining individual accountability alone does not settle every claim about an inherited condition. Romans 5:12–21
A reply you could give
“I believe Christ redeems little children without baptism. I understand you may mean an inherited condition rather than personal blame. What does your tradition teach children need from baptism, and how does that follow from Romans 5?”
The short answer
For biological origins and the chronology of death, see evolution and death before the Fall. This case compares the Fall’s consequences for children and baptism.
Latter-day Saints teach that little children are redeemed through Jesus Christ and need no baptism before accountability. They distinguish the Fall’s effects from punishment for Adam’s transgression. Catholic teaching also denies that original sin is a personal fault in Adam’s descendants, while teaching that infants receive new birth through baptism. The disagreement needs that distinction at the start. Articles of Faith 2–3 · Catechism 404–405 · Catechism 1250–1252
What does each tradition teach?
Keep three questions distinct: what people inherit from Adam, whether they bear personal blame, and how Christ redeems them.
| Source | Its teaching |
|---|
| Catholic Catechism 404–405 | Original sin is an inherited deprivation of original holiness and justice. It is a state, not a personal act or fault in Adam’s descendants. |
| Westminster Confession 6.3 | Adam’s guilt is imputed to his descendants, and death in sin and a corrupted nature are conveyed to them. This account of imputation differs from the Catholic definition above. |
| Articles of Faith 2; Moroni 8 | People are accountable for their own sins. Little children are whole through Christ’s redemption and should not be baptized. |
These are specific sources, not interchangeable definitions held by every Christian. Catholic Catechism · Westminster Confession, chapter 6 · Moroni 8:8–12
Romans 5 is a serious textual challenge
Paul connects Adam’s act with death and condemnation, then contrasts it with Christ’s obedience and the gift of righteousness. Verses 18–19 are central to the inherited-sin argument. A response that discusses only one phrase in verse 12 leaves that wider argument unanswered. Romans 5:12–21
A Latter-day Saint can affirm that Adam’s Fall affects everyone and that everyone needs Christ. The remaining questions concern what condemnation means in this passage, how Christ overcomes the Fall, and whether Paul makes infants personally accountable for Adam’s act. The distinction between inherited consequences and personal culpability matters here. Ezekiel’s teaching about individual accountability is relevant, but it does not by itself settle every claim about an inherited condition. Ezekiel 18:19–20 · Articles of Faith 2–3
Why children still need Christ
The Latter-day Saint claim is that Christ redeems little children. Moroni 8 calls them alive in Christ and connects their wholeness with his redemption. Doctrine and Covenants 29:46–47 likewise locates their redemption in the Only Begotten and distinguishes it from later accountability. Their innocence gives no reason to remove Christ from the account. Moroni 8:8–12, 19–22 · Doctrine and Covenants 29:46–47
That is the positive LDS answer: the Savior’s grace already reaches children without requiring their baptism. Accepting that answer depends on accepting the Restoration’s teaching about Christ and the Fall; quoting Moroni alone will not establish the Book of Mormon’s authority for someone who disputes it.
Why the baptism practices differ
The Catholic Catechism describes infant baptism as a gift of grace and new birth addressing a fallen condition. Its rationale does not require the claim that an infant personally committed Adam’s offense. A fair LDS response should address what baptism is understood to do. Catechism 1250–1252
Moroni 8 rejects baptizing little children because they are redeemed in Christ. Doctrine and Covenants 68:25–27 directs parents to teach their children and provides for baptism at eight years old. The age is explicit in LDS revelation; the biblical passages debated here do not supply the number eight. Moroni 8 · Doctrine and Covenants 68:25–27
Infant baptism and inherited personal guilt are therefore separate propositions to examine. Westminster says elect infants who die in infancy are saved through Christ and the Spirit (10.3). It also explicitly denies that grace and salvation are inseparably tied to baptism (28.5). Its teaching cannot fairly be reduced to a claim that every unbaptized infant is damned. Westminster Confession 10.3 · 28.5
A response you could give
“I believe children are redeemed through Christ and do not need baptism before accountability. I understand that Catholic original sin means an inherited state rather than a personal fault. Our disagreement concerns what the Fall leaves children needing and whether baptism supplies it. Let’s read Romans 5 alongside what each tradition teaches about Christ’s grace.”
