Original sin

===The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints===
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) rejects the doctrine of original sin. The church's second [[Articles of Faith (Latter Day Saints)|Articles of Faith]] reads, "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression."<ref>{{lds|Articles of Faith|a-of-f|1|2}}</ref> The church's founder [[Joseph Smith]] taught that humans had an essentially godlike nature, and were not only holy in a premortal state, but had the potential to progress eternally to become like God.<ref name="Alexander, p. 64">Alexander, p. 64.</ref> Latter-day Saints take this creed-like statement as a rejection of the doctrine of original sin and any notion of inherited sinfulness.<ref name="Alexander, p. 64"/> Thus, while modern members of the LDS Church will agree that the fall of Adam brought consequences to the world, including the possibility of sin, they generally reject the idea that any culpability is automatically transmitted to Adam and Eve's offspring.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Merrill|first=Byron R.|contribution=Original sin|contribution-url=http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/EoM/id/4025|pages=1052–1053|editor1-last=Ludlow|editor1-first=Daniel H|editor1-link=Daniel H. Ludlow|title=Encyclopedia of Mormonism|title-link=Encyclopedia of Mormonism|location=New York|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishing]]|year=1992|isbn=0-02-879602-0|oclc=24502140}}</ref> Children under the age of eight are regarded as free of all sin and therefore do not require baptism.<ref>[[Book of Moroni|Moroni]] [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/8?lang=eng 8]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-20-baptism?lang=eng "Chapter 20: Baptism"], ''[[Gospel Principles]]'', (Salt Lake City, Utah: LDS Church, 2011) pp. 114–119.</ref> Children who die prior to age eight are believed to be saved in the [[degrees of glory|highest degree of heaven]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Doctrine and Covenants 137 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/137 |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |at=verse 10 |language=en}}</ref>

The LDS Church's [[Book of Moses]] states that the Lord told Adam that "thy children are conceived in sin".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Moses 6 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/pgp/moses/6 |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |at=verse 55 |language=en}}</ref> Apostle [[Bruce R. McConkie]] stated that this means that the children were "born into a world of sin".<ref>[[Bruce R. McConkie]] (1985), ''A New Witness for the Articles of Faith'' (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book) p. 101.</ref>