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While gathered with leading members of the Church, Joseph Smith gave the following account of a vision he had concerning the Celestial Kingdom (highest of the three worlds Mormons believe will be used to spend eternity in).
The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof.... I saw Father Adam and Abraham, and my father and my mother, my brother, Alvin, that had long since slept, and marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins.
Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying --- 'All who have died without a knowledge of this Gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; also all that have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom, for I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts. And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability, (this would be 8 years old) are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.'
Source: Documentary History of the Church, Date: 21 Jan. 1836. 2:380 - 81.
In this vision, God told Joseph that whoever dies without receiving the Gospel will be saved as long as they would have accepted it or accepted it in heaven. No mention of baptism by proxy as a pre-requisite for entrance into the celestial kingdom.
Four years later, this belief had evolved.