At what age do you think you could have learned enough about another religion to break away from your upbringing as a Mormon?

13?

Like I said before, baptism at 8 years old is a ritual and a custom. Let's not argue that it isn't.

Is that question really relevant?

I'm just saying that 8 year olds are capable enough to understand (imperfectly as it might be) the importance of baptism and decide for themselves that it's something they want to do.

Let me ask this question again

Indy, maybe there shouldn't be a specific age. Maybe it should be based on maturity and undertanding and education.

That makes the most sense to me.

But it would certainly be older than at 8 years of age?

The law says that an 8 year old doesn't have the competency to make decisions about medical treatment.

Isn't eternal salvation more important than pedestrian medical treatment?

I don't have a problem with 8 year old baptism. It is what it is however.

I don't know. I think 10yo would be a much better age in terms of reasoning and intellect.

Translation: Temples are important.

I taught primary for 4 years to pre-baptism aged children.

I'm not sure what the huge bone of contention is all about here anyway. What are we agreeing to when we are baptized as children? Is it more of a "I'm getting baptized because the church is true and the other ones will send you to hell and if I don't get baptized Mommy and Daddy will go to heaven and I will go to hell and I certainly won't be playing Nintendo for several weeks", or is it more of a "I'm getting baptized because baptism was important enough that Mommy, Daddy and even Jesus got baptized and church is a place where we learn about Jesus and I want to be more like Jesus and if we choose the right we will be happy"?

The weightier covenants we make aren't at baptism and those covenants can't be made until we're much older. Baptism is just the gateway.

I'm sorry you guys got strong-armed into the church, but don't begrudge every 8 year old that gets baptized as being done under duress or as being some underhanded way of spritually kidnapping them before they have a chance to know what hit them.

Indy, answer this:

Why is a 9 year old raised in the church required to get all of the missionary discussions, whereas a 8 year old raised in the church (or not raised in the church) is not required?

Because the assumption is that a 9 year old that hasn't been baptized is likely in a family that has been completely inactive or less active for a period of time and are unlikely to have been taught by their parents or in church about the gospel. I've seen tons of examples of this; my nephew for one.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I can't think of a single instance where a child that had been going to church all their life with an active parent or parents that decided not to get baptized until after age 9.