The Age of Accountability
Have you ever wondered how eight was determined to be the age of accountability for Latter-Day Saints? The age when children of record are baptized?
We know Catholics baptize at birth due to their belief in the doctrine of original sin. The Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites, and others) baptize only those eighteen years or older, the age when they believe a person can truly choose for themselves.
Most Protestant denominations do not designate an age for baptism. They leave it up to the initiate to choose for him or herself.
So why eight for Latter-Day Saints?
There is a little-known connection between an ancient Jewish cleansing rite and the age of baptism or accountability for LDS children:
In the summer of 1830, just a few short months after the Book of Mormon was published, Joseph Smith began a translation of the Old Testament intended to restore some of its more plain and precious truths.
While reading in the book of Genesis, Joseph came across these words: “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised…And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you…” (Genesis 17:10-12 KJV)
Believing that the number of days (eight) when circumcision was to be performed on male infants corresponded to the number of years when a child should be baptized, Joseph re-translated these verses from 'days' to 'years'...."And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee, and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know forever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old.” (Genesis 17: 11 JST)
A little over a year later in November of 1831, this “covenant of circumcision” reappeared in modern scripture as the definitive age for LDS child baptism, “And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old....” (D&C 68:27)
And now you know-
Marc K. Ensign
TOC (May 2021)
