Was It Correlation or Causation?

President Donald Trump ordered the borders to be closed, and there was a dramatic drop in crime. Was it a causation situation or a correlation coincidence? The media tried to tell us that there was no relationship or at best correlation. However, Jarrett Stepman does not agree. 

The restoration of law and order in America is happening in large part because of President Donald Trump, in particular, his insistence that immigration laws be enforced and criminal illegal aliens be deported.

The administration should double and triple down on this message. America’s return to normalcy is contingent on making border security and deportations a top priority.

This much is undeniable: Trump’s deportations and focus on border security have run alongside a remarkable national drop in crime. To dismiss this as a mere coincidence is as absurd as when we were told there was no crime surge following the George Floyd riots and police defunding in 2020 and the explosion of border crossings during the Joe Biden presidency.

The media – always quick to reinforce whatever narrative Democrats and the Left choose to peddle – have mostly tried to wave away the connection between crime and immigration law enforcement. They’ve run misleading headlines saying that Trump’s deportations are not targeting criminals – let’s leave aside the fact that all illegal aliens have broken U.S. law – and that if they are, then the numbers of criminal aliens are negligible, they say.

But that’s not true.

Earlier in October, Independent Women President Carrie Lukas wrote about how it would be a mistake to take plummeting crime for granted and linked at least some of the good news on crime directly to Trump’s immigration policies.

“Five thousand Americans are still living, working and loving their families because of policy changes that have brought down crime rates to historic lows,” Lukas wrote. “it is difficult to comprehend the one-year, 18% drop in the homicide rate from 2024 to 2025. Still, that dry statistic adds up to thousands of families – the equivalent of nearly one 9/11 – spared from mourning that would have been unavoidable if the Biden-era approach to crime and border policies had been in place these past 18 months.”

Lukas further explained that the fast-dropping crime rates are not random happenstance and that even the most conservative measures of how much mass deportation has led to reduced crime show that it had a profound effect on our country.

This change was the result of a dramatic policy shift.

The Trump administration is taking people off the streets who have not only committed crimes but are more likely to commit further ones in the future.

And that work continues even years after Trump was elected.

For instance, Immigration and Customs Enforcement nabbed over 2,000 illegal aliens in New York in July and August as part of Operation Rotten Apple – with no help from local authorities like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, of course. Among those arrested were “murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and violent assailants,” according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin….

[After a list of arrested illegal immigrants]

“Crime has fallen to record lows under the Trump administration, including murders on pace to drop to the lowest level in 126 years,” former Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis said in July. “It’s no surprise that this drop in crime coincides with deportations of dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”

Having these people in the U.S. puts Americans in harm’s way. Blue sanctuary jurisdictions in places like New York and California irresponsibly allow the problem to fester by not only refusing to deport criminal aliens but by doing everything in their power to impede federal authorities.

And federal authorities should continue to do so no matter the media narratives.

This is the “hidden” benefit of deportation. Countless Americans have escaped injury, predation, rape, and death at the hands of criminals because the Trump administration is doing what the Biden administration refused to do: enforcing U.S. immigration laws.

As infuriating as every case like that of Laken Riley – who was murdered by an illegal alien – is, there are now countless incidents that haven’t happened because of the switch from Biden to Trump.

How many horror stories haven’t happened because the administration decided to not only aggressively seal the border but to track down the criminals, from petty to heinous, who should have never been here in the first place?

Make no mistake, if the Left seizes power, the borders will open once again, criminal illegal aliens will breathe a sigh of relief, Americans will suffer a surge in violent crime, and the media will be quick with the excuses.

Who Will Vote in the Midterms?

            My VIPs for this week are the American citizens who will cast their votes in the midterm elections. The result of the midterm election is much in the news, but those who actually look at the midterms are few. In his article published by the Daily Signal, Victor Davis Hanson explains that there are “two ways of looking at the midterms.” 

One is as a simple referendum on the issues and politicians of the day. The other involves a far deeper conflict of visions (as Thomas Sowell puts it): socialism versus capitalism, intrusive versus limited government, and the destruction of time-honored institutions and traditions versus their preservation and renewal.

Rarely in American history have the two parties been so far apart or the choice between them so stark. In brief, Islamist-sympathizing socialism is on the ballot against free-market capitalism and American exceptionalism.

The new Islamist-allied socialist Democratic Party is confident, largely because the party holding the White House has increased its share of House seats in a midterm election only three times since 1900. Each of those exceptions arose under unusual circumstances.

In 1934, FDR was still riding the wave of his New Deal promises to end the Depression.

In 1998, Bill Clinton enjoyed backlash support after the Republicans’ unpopular impeachment inquiry, at a time when the economy was robust, and the budget was finally being balanced.

In 2002, George W. Bush had united the nation after 9/11 and had not yet begun what proved to be an unpopular Iraq War.

In other words, the party in the White House has gained House seats in only about 10% of the 31 midterms over the past 126 years. Pundits also point to President Donald Trump’s approval rating, now below 40% in most polls, and the persistently high price of regular gasoline ($4.33). Uncertainty over the 33-week Iran war, they argue, makes it difficult for Trump to preserve his majorities in either the House or the Senate.

Those are the issues ostensibly at stake. But the choice goes much further than that: Voters face a “deep” midterm election that will help determine the very future existence of the nation.

The new Democrat agenda is not about lowering gas prices. Americans are being asked to hand Congress to what has become the most radical major party in U.S. history, as socialists and neo-communists believe they can finally win statewide races across the country….

Hanson discussed numerous issues, including lawfare, the Iran war, energy, immigration, fraud, DEI, demands for reparations, and Islamism. He ends his article: “In short, treat this midterm election as the deep choice that it is.”

What Does Constitution Say About Power of the People?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the phrase “We the People” and how it works. A good example of how the power of the people works took place in Texas recently. Emily Medeiros reports on the situation in her article published in The Daily Signal. 

A new Heritage Action poll has found that Texas voters, despite party affiliation, support election integrity.

The poll, commissioned by Cor Strategies, surveyed 1,409 likely Texas voters between Oct. 10 and Oct. 15, asking them a series of questions on election integrity and whether they supported different measures to protect elections.

A majority of voters in all categories – Republican, independent, and Democrat – supported proof of citizenship to register to vote. Ninety-four percent of Republicans, 83% of independents, and 66% of Democrats agreed that proof of citizenship should be required. Twenty-four percent of Democrats said they oppose it, and 9% said they were unsure.

Additionally, a majority of Texas voters also supported the Texas secretary of state reporting rejected voter registrations each year that are rejected for failure to verify citizenship, as well as reporting how many existing voter registrations are removed each year for failure to verify citizenship.

Eighty-two percent of Republicans supported the secretary of state releasing a report on rejected voter registrations, while 57% of independents supported the measure. More than half of Democrats, 57%, supported it.

For reports on existing voter registrations that were removed, 82% of Republicans supported the measure, 66% of independents supported it, and 59% of Democrats supported it.

Heritage Action’s poll also asked voters who they are supporting in the Texas Senate race. Eighty-one percent of Republicans support Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, while just 23% of independents and 3% of Democrats back him.

Meanwhile, 10% of Republicans said they would vote for state Rep. James Talarico, 36% of independents said they supported him, and 90% of Democrats said they would vote for him.

Forty-one percent of independents, along with 8% of Democrats, said they were still undecided. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.61 percentage points.

A Fox News poll released on Oct. 21 showed that Paxton and Talarico were tied at 49% as Election Day nears.

What Can You Do to Help Gather Israel?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to the book of Jeremiah in a lesson titled “Before I Formed Thee in the Belly I Knew Thee” (Jeremiah 1-3; 7; 16-18; 20). The following information introduced the lesson. 

At first, Jeremiah didn’t think he would make a good prophet. “Behold, I cannot speak,” he protested (Jeremiah 1:6). But the Lord reassured him, “I have put my words in thy mouth” (verse 9). Jeremiah felt that he was an inexperienced “child” (verse 6), but the Lord explained that he was actually more prepared than he realized – he had been ordained to this calling even before he was born (see verse 5). So Jeremiah set aside his fears and accepted the call. He warned Jerusalem’s kings and priests that their pretended holiness would not save them. The “child” who thought he could not speak came to feel God’s word “in [his] heart as a burning fire” and could not be silent (Jeremiah 20:9).

Jeremiah’s story is also your story. God knew you, too, before you were born and prepared you for your mission in life. Among other things, that mission includes something Jeremiah foresaw; gathering God’s people, one by one, to “bring [them] to Zion” (Jeremiah 3:14). And even if you don’t know exactly what to do or say, you can “be not afraid …; for I am with thee, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:8, 19).

There are four principles in this lesson. They are (1) Prophets are called to speak God’s word (Jeremiah 1:4-19; 7;1-7; 20:8-9), (2) God knew me before I was born (Jeremiah 1:5), (3) “They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2; 7), and (4) The Lord will gather His people (Jeremiah 3:14-18; 16:14-21). This essay will discuss principle #4 about God gathering His people.

Jeremiah compared the gathering of Israel in the latter days with the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. (See Jeremiah 16:14-15.) Jeremiah 3:14-18 says, “I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” Verses 15-18 tells us that pastors will “feed [them] with knowledge and understanding.” Jerusalem would be the “throne of the Lord” and “all the nations shall be gathered unto it.” In that day, “the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel” and come out of the north.

Jeremiah 16:14-21, tells us that God will gather “the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them.” He will “send for many fishers” and “many hunters” to hunt the people from every mountain and hill and out of caves. No one can hide their faces or their iniquity from God.

President Russell M. Nelson, like Jeremiah, taught that the gathering of Israel “is the most important thing taking place on earth today” (“Hope of Israel,” worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018, Gospel Library). In his address, he told the youth: 

My dear young brothers and sisters, these surely are the latter days, and the Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it. You can be a big part of something big, something grand, something majestic!

When we speak of the gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: every one of our Heavenly Father’s children, on both sides of the veil, deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They decide for themselves if they want to know more. Those whose lineage is from the various tribes of Israel are those whose hearts will most likely be turned to the Lord. He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Those who are of the house of Israel will most easily recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and will desire to be gathered into His fold. They will want to become members of His Church, make covenants with Him and Heavenly Father, and receive their essential ordinances.

The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that now, meaning our day, is the eleventh hour and the last time that He will call laborers into His vineyard for the express purpose of gathering the elect from the four quarters of the earth.

My question tonight to every one of you between the ages of 12 and 18 is this: Would you like to be a big part of the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth today? Would you like to help gather Israel during these precious latter days? Would you, who are the elect, be willing to help find the elect who have not heard the message of the restored gospel? Would you like to be among those “swift messengers” of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke?

Now, participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifices on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents. Are you interested?

Just think of the excitement and urgency of it all: every prophet commencing with Adam has seen our day. And every prophet has talked about our day, when Israel would be gathered and the world would be prepared for the Second Coming of the Savior. Think of it! Of all the people who have ever lived on planet earth, we are the ones who get to participate in this final, great gathering event. How exciting is that!

Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits – perhaps, I might say, His finest team – for this final phase. Those noble spirits – those finest players, those heroes – are you!

I testify that the gathering is now, and it is real….

My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing. This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth….

So, now I am inviting every young woman and every young man between the ages of 12 and 18 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel.

What will help you? As you continue to read daily from the Book of Mormon, you will learn the doctrine of the gathering, truths about Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and the fulness of His gospel not found in the Bible. The Book of Mormon is central to the gathering of Israel. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur.

And now I invite you to prepare yourself by doing five more things – five things that will change you and help you change the world….

Now, let me summarize by reviewing my five invitations for you to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to help gather Israel:

1. Hold a seven-day fast from social media.

2. Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord for three weeks.

3. Keep on the covenant path. If you are off, repent and get back on the path.

4. Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. Stand out. Be different. Be a light. Give to a friend one copy of the booklet For the Strength of Youth.

My beloved younger brothers and sisters, you are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world. You have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation!

Why Are Family Bonds Essential to Creating Strong Families?

Strong families form bonds that hold them together through difficult days. Strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations. An article written by Owen Kessler and reviewed by Jennifer Schulz, LCSW, shares thirteen bonding activities that can strengthen families. 

Family bonding is the bedrock of emotional stability, social development, and the nurturing of values that guide us through life’s challenges. In a world where distractions abound, and schedules are packed, enabling meaningful connections within the family unit can sometimes be overlooked.

Yet, the importance of these connections cannot be overstated. Strong family bonds provide a sense of belonging and support, essential for personal growth and happiness. Hence, finding time and ways to create strong family bonding is more important than ever.

Family bonding is the key to creating memories, supporting each other, and experiencing love that can withstand the test of time. Finding meaningful ways to connect with our loved ones is more crucial than ever.

Our list of family bonding ideas is not just about spending time together; it’s about creating moments that enrich the family bonding meaning and relationships that provide a nurturing environment for all family members.

Here are 13 family bonding activities that can strengthen your familial ties and illustrate why investing in these connections matters deeply:

1. Engage in weekly family dinners.

Making time for regular family meals is a cornerstone of family bonding. These moments allow everyone to share their experiences, challenges, and successes…. The act of eating together and sharing food prepared with love reinforces the sense of unity and belonging among family members.

2. Plan family meetings.

Holding family meetings is a powerful way to encourage open communication and involve everyone in decision-making. It teaches children the value of their opinions, promoting a sense of responsibility and belonging….

3. Create and celebrate family traditions.

Family traditions are the glue that holds the family together through generations. Whether it’s a yearly camping trip, a weekly game night, or celebrating a unique family holiday, these traditions create a sense of identity and belonging….

4. Volunteer together.

Volunteering can offer a dual benefit: it contributes positively to the community and strengthens family bonds through shared experiences of giving back. Working together toward a common goal promotes empathy, gratitude, and a broader perspective of the world, all of which are essential components of strong family relationships.

5. Play and be active together.

Incorporating play and physical activities into your family life is not only beneficial for health but also for building stronger emotional connections.

Whether it’s a bike ride, a soccer game, or a dance-off in the living room, these activities spark joy and laughter, creating lasting memories and reinforcing family bonds.

6. Pursue hobbies as a family.

Sharing hobbies can allow family members to learn from each other and share the joy of discovery and creativity.

Whether it’s cooking, painting, or gardening, these shared interests provide a common ground for family members to connect and express themselves together, strengthening the family bond through shared passions.

7. Travel and explore new places together.

Traveling as a family opens up new avenues for adventure and learning, bringing family members closer as they try new experiences together.

Exploring different cultures, landscapes, and activities not only broadens horizons but also creates a shared repository of cherished memories that can strengthen the family bond.

8. Support each other’s interests and ambitions.

Taking an active interest in what each family member is passionate about is a wonderful way to show love and support. This stays true in romantic relationships as well….

Whether attending a child’s soccer game, supporting a spouse’s career move, or encouraging a hobby, showing up for each other in these personal endeavors strengthens trust and mutual respect….

9. Establish a routine of regular communication.

Open and regular communication is the cornerstone of any strong relationship, and this is particularly true for families.

Setting aside time to check in with each other, share experiences, and openly discuss feelings and challenges helps build a strong foundation of trust and understanding. This routine ensures everyone feels heard and valued, reinforcing the family bond through shared empathy and support.

10. Collaborate on home projects.

Working together on home improvement projects or simple tasks like gardening or decorating can be incredibly rewarding. It not only results in a tangible accomplishment that everyone can take pride in but also teaches valuable lessons about teamwork, responsibility, and the satisfaction of hard work….

11. Engage in educational activities.

Learning something new together can be both fun and enriching. Whether visiting a museum, attending a workshop, or simply watching educational documentaries at home, these experiences stimulate curiosity and conversation.

They offer a unique way to see the world through each other’s eyes, deepening the family bond through shared knowledge and discoveries….

12. Practice forgiveness and understanding.

In any relationship, misunderstandings and mistakes are inevitable. What is family bonding without the practice of forgiveness? …

Demonstrating understanding and offering forgiveness when issues arise not only resolves conflicts but also strengthens the bond by emphasizing love and respect over mistakes. It teaches family members the value of empathy and strength in moving forward together.

13. Prioritize quality time, regardless of activity.

The essence of family bonding lies not in the activities themselves but in the quality of the time spent together. Whether it’s a quiet evening at home, a walk in the park, or a spontaneous road trip, the key is to be fully present and engaged with each other.

These moments of togetherness are crucial for building strong emotional connections and ensuring that every family member feels cherished and important.

Will the U.S. Follow Europe into Destruction?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that each nation must control its borders to protect and preserve its sovereignty. The rioting situation in France is an example of a lost nation. Riots are also taking place in Belgium, Italy, and Albania. The riots are so-called “student riots” – students upset about the condition of their schooling. The United States could follow in its footsteps if it does not control immigration, both legal and illegal. Victor Davis Hanson, in a discussion with Jack Fowler, discussed the situation in France. 

Well, it is kind of Orwellian, isn’t it? That you bring in millions of people, many of them illegally, you allow, and then 45% of your budget is social welfare, and you’re up to 125% [gross domestic product] in debt, and you’re giving people cradle-to-grave social support.

The unemployment rate of new immigrants is almost 50%. And with all that, life is heaven in France compared to Somalia, the Sudan, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Syria, Afghanistan, etc. And then you start to riot in league with students who are, I guess, upset about shoddy conditions in their high schools and all of that.

And then you get socialists fanning it on and there’s allegations there’s Chinese money involved. So you’re destroying this place, and you’re a guest in this country, even maybe you’re second generation, some of them. But compared to where you came from, it’s still heaven. And your attitude toward your hosts that welcomed you in is not magnanimity, it’s contempt.

And so, the host is getting very angry.

They are deliberately targeting iconic buildings. They went after a 19^th-century government building that was a historical monument in one French city. There was a really disturbing scene in Milan where they were very close to the Duomo, that historic Christian church, and there were flames and everything.

And when you’re at 16%, 10%, 30% in Sweden maybe, then you start to see things. And one of the things you start to see is that these NATO countries will not support the United States and not even allow us to use their airspace because we are at war with a Muslim nation, and that resonates.

And even though they say, “We are the avatars of democracy and we support democracy,” and then there’s this little democracy in the Middle East, and they never miss an occasion to damn Israel and they’re boycotting produce and goods that are supposedly outside the 1947 or ’48 borders, and they’re siding with these radical Palestinians.

Remember, Europeans, you and the U.N. and the Bush administration said, “Hamas, we’re going to get all the Jews out of Gaza, and you can have an election.” And they had an election. There were no Jews since 2005. And what did they do? They threw all their opponents off high-rises and killed them, the Palestinian Authority rivals.

And then, for nearly 18 years, they didn’t build anything. For $40 billion in foreign aid from the U.N. and Europe, the United States, they built 350 miles of tunnels, and then they hid there while their civilians were used as shields, and then they slaughtered 1,200 Jews. That’s their experiment with democracy.

And you side with that over a free society in Israel. And so that’s their problem.

And it doesn’t do them any good, Jack, because they’re so paranoid about these unassimilated un-integrated populations that they turn on their protector, the United States. The only reason they said you can’t land here was Iran told them that we’re going to go after you.

And they did. They did do it at the RAF base in U.K. And so, they’re so scared of their own population that are Muslim and they get to go, “Well, if we help the United States, the Muslims, they may be mad at us, and they may riot.”

Well, they’re going to riot anyway. What good did that do to offend the United States and say, “You can’t use our airspace. You can’t land in Sicily. You can’t land in Spain. Now, Muslim populations, see what we did for you?”

And they said, “No. No. No. That’s not on our agenda, just, you know, helping Iran out. We’re going to take over the country because you don’t want it or you can’t defend it or you don’t deserve it, and we’re taking it over.”

And that’s their attitude. They don’t get it.

You know, our friend Bruce Thornton in 2007. He wrote a book called “Rise and Fall: The Slow-Motion Suicide of Europe.” And Roger Kimball published it at Encounter. It was a great book. It predated Douglas Murray’s book of nearly the same title by 15 years.

And he said in the book, as Mark Steyn did in his, “If demography continues as it does, if immigration continues as it does, as politics continue as it does, within 20 years, Europe will be unrecognizable.” And it pretty much was a prescient – a prediction….

And so, you have to ask yourself, this is a Western disease, and we’re affluent in leisure at the end of history. We solved all the problems. We have our iPhones, our iPads. We got our Teslas. We got everything we want. And now we’re at the point where we can afford to feel magnanimous.

We have our security, we have our money, and we have our nice ZIP codes, and we have private schools for our kids. But the theories that we advance about revolving door criminality, no bail, and decriminalizing theft, letting murderers out, that will fall on people that unfortunately we don’t really care about….

And that’s true in Europe and the United States. It’s the same thing. The only good thing about this horrific thing that’s happening is that we still have almost three weeks to look at what’s going on in Europe. And we should say what is going on in Europe is about a year and a half of what’s going on here.

And we’ve already seen some of it on the campuses of Columbia, at Stanford, trashing the president’s office in Philadelphia, chasing Jews into a library at Harvard, roughing up somebody and then getting an award at graduation, even though you roughed him up. And George Floyd, you know, 14,000 arrests, 35 people killed, $2 billion in damages, arson, da, da, da.

And you should vote against that….

But my point is the Left always has to hide what they are, because if they told you what they are, nobody would ever want them.

And that’s what we should remember when we go into this election. What you’re seeing in Europe is what you’re going to get here….

So this unrest in Europe should be very didactic. It should really give us a glimpse of the future here if we continue down this path.

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Atonement of Jesus Christ? 7

Article of Faith 3

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved,

by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

This is the seventh essay about the Atonement of Jesus Christ as stated in the third Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first week, I discussed the importance of understanding how the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as the third pillar of eternity, is essential to Heavenly Father’s plan for the eternal happiness of His children. The second week, the discussion was about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the nature of the atonement. The third week, the discussion concerned the Atonement of Jesus Christ as a vicarious sacrifice. The fourth week, the discussion was about Christ’s sacrifice being voluntary and love inspired. The fifth week, the discussion was about the Atonement being foreordained and foretold. The discussion for the sixth week was about extent of the Atonement of Christ. This week, the essay will use the words of Elder James E. Talmage to discuss the general effect of the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Articles of Faith [1913], 87-89).

The General Effect of the Atonement, so far as it applies to all who have arrived at years of accountability and judgment, has been demonstrated by the scriptures already quoted. Its application to children may properly receive attention. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches as a doctrine founded on reason, justice, and scripture, that all children are innocent in the sight of God, and that, until they reach an age of personal responsibility, baptism is neither requisite nor proper in their behalf; that, in short, they are saved through the atonement of Christ. To a degree, children are born heirs to the good or evil natures of their parents; the effects of heredity are admitted. Good and evil tendencies, blessings and curses, are transmitted from generation to generation. Through this divinely-appointed order, the justice of which is plain in the revealed light of knowledge concerning the antemortal state of the spirits of mankind, the children of Adam are natural heirs to the ills of mortality; but through Christ’s atonement they are all redeemed from the curse of this fallen state. The debt, which comes to them as a legacy, is paid for them and thus are they left free. Children who die before reaching the state of accountability for their acts are innocent in the eyes of God, even though they be the offspring of transgressors. We read in the Book of Mormon: “Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy…. For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law” (Moroni 8:19-22).

The prophet Mormon, writing to his son Moroni, expressed in the following manner his conviction of the innocence of children: “Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them…. 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. And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins. But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world” (Moroni 8:8-12).

In a revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith in this dispensation, the Lord has said: “But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten; Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me” (D&C 29:46, 47). President John Taylor, after citing instances of Christ’s affection for little children, and proofs of the innocent condition in which they are regarded in heaven, says: “Without Adam’s transgression those children could not have existed; through the atonement they are placed in a state of salvation without any act of their own. These would embrace, according to the opinion of statisticians, more than one-half of the human family who can attribute their salvation only to the mediation and atonement of the Savior” (Mediation and Atonement, p. 148).