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.
(Moroni 8:10)
In this epistle to his son Moroni, Mormon corrects the false doctrine that children must be baptized to be saved. He urges Moroni to “labor diligently, that this gross error should be removed from among you” (Moroni 8:6). For most of the chapter, he emphasizes the purity of children and the fact that, because they are incapable of sin, they are “alive in Christ” and “partakers of salvation” without needing repentance or baptism. Partway through the chapter, however, he discusses the other side of the coin: little children don’t need repentance or baptism, but adults most certainly do. In fact, parents need to “humble themselves as their little children” if they want to be saved with their children.
During the mortal ministry of the Savior, when His disciples asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He invited a child to join them. He said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4).
Today, I will be grateful for the influence of children in my life. I will remember that, even as I teach them, I need to learn from them as well. I will strive to humble myself as a little child, recognizing that only by emulating the humility of a child can I access the grace of God and be saved.