Alma Baptizes in Mormon
Book of Mormon Notes - Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Mosiah 18
As I study this chapter in the Book of Mormon it occurs to me that it is the perfect moment to introduce, or re-introduce the covenant of baptism.
If the modern readers of the Book of Mormon, the audience for whom Mormon and all of the Book of Mormon authors wrote, had not already been converted and baptized through Nephi’s teachings on his small plates, then this episode at the waters of Mormon is a great reminder about what to do. Of course the Gospel of Jesus Christ is taught throughout the Book of Mormon, but this chapter is a particularly poignant reminder of the covenant of baptism.
It is also the perfect example of the formation of the Church of Christ in the midst of a degenerate people. Remember that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon very early on in his prophetic ministry, and that the translation of this chapter preceded the organization of the Church of Christ in the last days. Joseph Smith was like a modern Alma, fleeing persecution and organizing the Church of Christ. In fact, many of the revelations that came to the Prophet Joseph Smith came as a result of the process of translating the Book of Mormon.
The ordinance of baptism was a matter that rested upon the Prophet’s mind already because the translation of the Book of Mormon began with the Book of Mosiah after the first manuscript was lost. Joseph and Oliver probably translated this particular chapter from the Book of Mosiah early in April of 1829. About a month later, while Joseph and Oliver were translating the book of Third Nephi, they went into the nearby woods to pray about baptism for the remission of sins, which they had found mentioned in the translation, presumably in 3 Nephi 11:21–12:2.
There was a fountain of pure water in the place of Mormon. Remember that Mormon is the prophet-historian who writes this abridgment from the large plates of Nephi. Mormon is telling the story of Alma and his people. He is also telling the story of his name, or where his name comes from. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that Mormon tells the story of the place of Mormon in this way. Just as there was a fountain of pure water in which Alma and other followers of Christ were baptized, the teachings of Abinadi through Alma were like a fountain of pure water, living waters, to renew the people. In the place of Mormon that was infested at times by wild beasts, now the fountain of pure water became a sacred grove where the Church of Christ was renewed and brought forth, restored once again.
What did Alma teach and preach?
And he did ateach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord. (Mosiah 18:7)
The place was called Mormon, and the pure fountain was called the waters of Mormon. This was obviously a special place and a special event for Mormon the author. Mormon not only traced his name back to this place, but he and his son could trace their spiritual heritage back through Alma and Abinadi to Nephi and Lehi.
Mormon gives us a detailed record of Alma’s work in the place of Mormon. After preaching repentance, redemption, and faith on the Lord, Alma taught the first fruits (Moroni 8:25) of these principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, namely baptism:
And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are adesirous to come into the bfold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
Yea, and are awilling to mourn with those that bmourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as cwitnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the dfirst resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being abaptized in the bname of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a ccovenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? (Mosiah 18:8-10)
I have too often seen these passages interpreted from the skewed perspective of what one author has called “The Idol of Our Age,” or in other words, from the perspective that the baptismal covenant means that we must ally ourselves with modern ideological and political movements that promote aberrant sexual behavior. There is a counterfeit of love, compassion, and mourning with those that mourn that attempts to obscure the other vital elements in the baptismal covenant, such as standing as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places. Mourning with those that mourn and comforting those that stand in need of comfort does not mean condoning or celebrating sin. Quite the contrary. In fact, the kind of mourning and comforting of which Alma taught, and that Mormon recorded, can only be accomplished by those who also stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places. Elder Maxwell put it this way:
Our capacity as Church members to love and to forgive will be freshly and severely tested as battered and bruised souls come into the Church in ever-larger numbers. Some come in from the cold shivering. Others are breathless, having caught what was for them the last train out of Babylon. Their own continued process of repentance will be much aided if they see, all about them, more regular emphasis in the lives of the rest of us on faith unto repentance.
Alma’s people were so excited to be baptized that they clapped their hands for joy. Interestingly, Alma and Helam were the first to be baptized, and they both submerged themselves in the water together. This baptism of Alma and Helaman has a great parallel in the baptism of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, even though they baptized each other separately:
He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and that afterwards he should baptize me.
Accordingly we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me—after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood—for so we were commanded.* (Joseph Smith-History 1:70-71)
About 204 souls were baptized in the waters of Mormon at that time. These people became the Church of Christ. Alma also ordained priests to teach the people. What did they teach?
And he commanded them that athey should bteach nothing save it were the things which he had taught, and which had been spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets.
Yea, even he commanded them that they should apreach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people. (Mosiah 18:19-20)
Alma began to establish a Zion community:
And he commanded them that there should be no acontention one with another, but that they should look forward with bone eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts cknit together in unity and in love one towards another.
And thus he commanded them to preach. And thus they became the achildren of God.
And he commanded them that they should observe the asabbath day, and keep it holy, and also every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God.
And he also commanded them that the priests whom he had ordained ashould blabor with their own hands for their support.
And there was aone day in every week that was set apart that they should bgather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to cassemble themselves together.
And the priests were not to depend upon the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the agrace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the bknowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God.
And again Alma commanded that the people of the church should impart of their substance, aevery one according to that which he had; if he have more abundantly he should impart more abundantly; and of him that had but little, but little should be required; and to him that had not should be given.
And thus they should impart of their asubstance of their own free will and good desires towards God, and to those priests that stood in need, yea, and to every needy, naked soul.
And this he said unto them, having been commanded of God; and they did awalk uprightly before God, imparting to one another both temporally and spiritually according to their needs and their wants. (Mosiah 18:21-29)
Mormon then reminds us where all of these things were done:
And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the awaters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall bsing to his praise forever.
That’s six mentions of his own name in one verse. This was obviously a very important event for Mormon, and for the Book of Mormon.
But King Noah’s servants eventually discovered Alma’s movement, and Alma and his people, about 450 of them, were forced to flee once again.