In a discourse dated between June 26 to August 3, 1839, Joseph Smith taught that:
Being born again comes by the Spirit
of God through ordinances. (William
Clayton version; the
Willard Richards account reads the same)
This
shows that Joseph did believe in baptismal regeneration; it also shows that he understand
the difference between various “causes” (here, ordinances are not meritorious causes;
they are instrumental causes, with the Spirit working through physical means [water of baptism; laying on of hands in confirmation, etc]).