The baptism of little children is a pernicious doctrine. It is a doctrine that seems to always creep into the church as apostasy begins to set in. The first scriptural record showing that baptism or washing of little children was a false doctrine was in the days of Abram (Abraham). It was refuted by the Lord in a revelation to Abram: “And God talked with him, saying, My people have gone astray from my precepts, and have not kept mine ordinances, which I gave unto their fathers; And they have not observed mine anointing, and the burial, or baptism wherewith I commanded them; But have turned from the commandment, and taken unto themselves the washing of children, and the blood of sprinkling” (JST, Genesis 17:4–6). The Lord on this same occasion made the covenant with Abraham that every male child should be circumcised when eight days old. 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 for ever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old. The law of circumcision being performed at eight days was symbolic of the children’s becoming accountable at the age of eight years (JST, Genesis 17:11; see also D&C 68:25–27).
Another example found in the New Testament days of the Apostle Paul when the tradition that little children were unholy was among the Jews (see D&C 74). Thus Mormon’s grief and stern stand on the “gross error” being removed (vv. 5–6) was justified. The source of the disputations is not given, but Satan “is the father of contention” (3 Nephi 11:29). His influence was certainly there, for the Nephite church had been dwindling in unbelief for the past two hundred years (see 4 Nephi 1:24–26).