Alma, Purification Rites, and Priestly Authority

Alma Baptizes in the Waters of Mormon by Minerva Teichert

In the Book of Mosiah we read one of the most beautiful accounts of repentance and covenant making through the account of Alma the Elder. Having been ordained a High Priest under King Noah, he alone listened to Abinadi's teachings and repented of his sins. "Nevertheless," he told the people, "after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth. Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself." (Mosiah 23:10-11).

Alma's ministry begins with this account of the believers gathering at a place called Mormon (1) and being baptized in the waters of Mormon. Helam is the first to enter the waters, and Alma says a baptismal prayer and baptizes Helam. One thing stands out about Helam's baptism, however. Alma also lowered himself into the water to be baptized. That naturally begs the question: Can we baptize ourselves? Why was Alma baptized like that?

I used to ask this myself a lot. But, there is a precedent in both biblical times and modern Church history that has helped me receive an answer to why Alma was baptized in this manner that could be a great help for other people.

Were People Baptized in the Old Testament?

To get into that, first let's talk about baptism in the Old Testament. It has long been a criticism of the Church that the Nephites were almost too Christian. After all, where does "baptism" show up in the Old Testament?

Well, it does. But the Israelites didn't call it "baptism."

Baptism comes from the Greek word βάπτισμα, or baptisma, which generally translates to mean an immersion or washing rite to purify and cleanse the adherent. Since the New Testament was written in Greek, it should be an obvious fact that a Greek word would appear in a Greek text. For the Hebrew Bible, however, it was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, so we should look for Hebrew (or Aramaic in the Aramaic portions) words. Or, look for the word wash. In fact, look through the Topical Guide entry for wash in your free time. Very often it deals with a rite of cleanliness and purity for the Israelites and is seen as a way to be cleansed from sin. (See, for example, Psalm 51:2, 7, Isaiah 1:16, and Isaiah 4:14 for starters).

Alma, as a High Priest, would have been intimately familiar with a cleansing immersion rite that we today call baptism. Joseph Smith, as the translator, would then be free to use a word that was familiar to him and use it in the text even though it is originally from the Greek language because it fit into the context of the narrative.

Did Alma have the Authority to Baptize?

The next hurdle we then face is if Alma had the authority to baptize or if he didn't. The people of Limhi knew about the importance of having authority from God as did Ammon from Zarahemla, as we read that "king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant. Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord." (Mosiah 21:33-34).

Priestly authority was critical in the ancient world, as it is today, to administer saving ordinances. Without that authority, baptism does not have any saving power in the world to come. It stands to reason, then, that Alma also knew of that priesthood authority and felt comfortable performing this rite because he knew that he had that authority. 

We may not know exactly how Alma received that authority — perhaps, like Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, he was met by an angel holding those keys, although no record of that meeting can be found in The Book of Mormon record. Another very real possibility is that when Alma was consecrated a High Priest (see Mosiah 11:5) he was given that authority, especially since this is the story that Mormon provides to give context to Alma's actions. However, the matter of whether or not he was worthy played a large role in his life up until that time, and only after he repented could he administer those ordinances again.

Speaking about whether or not Alma had priesthood authority, Joseph Fielding Smith wrote:

We may conclude that Alma held the priesthood before he, with others, became disturbed with King Noah. Whether this is so or not makes no difference because in the Book of Mosiah it is stated definitely that he had authority [see Mosiah 18:13]. 

If he had authority to baptize that is evidence that he had been baptized. Therefore, when Alma baptized himself with Helam that was not a case of Alma baptizing himself, but merely as a token to the Lord of his humility and full repentance. (2)

 The Practice of Rebaptism

Similar to Alma's baptism in Mosiah 18, the practice of being baptized again is actually found in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the most direct evidence I personally know of places its origin in the Nauvoo era when Joseph Smith was alive. One history of the Church relates the following about the practice:

For many years [in the nineteenth century] it had been common for members to rededicate themselves to building up the Kingdom through rebaptism. This practice was not considered essential to salvation but was a symbol of rededication. On other occasions the Saints were rebaptized as a symbolic gesture related to blessings for their health, entry into the United Order, preparation for marriage and even for going to the temple if they had not been there for some time. (3)

By showing a rededication to the Lord, the early Saints hoped to receive blessings according to their faith. While current Church policy does not allow this practice to focus more on other ordinances such as blessings of health and the sacrament, this actually relates to a purification rite found in Judaism similar to baptism but not limited to one time.

The Purification Rite in Judaism

In Judaism, there is a font of sorts called a mikvah where a purification rite of washing by immersion would occur. If someone converts to Judaism today (as in ancient times), they first must be tested by a Rabbi to be sure the prospective convert is ready for the commitment to become a Jew, then they would dip themselves in the mikvah to wash away their iniquities and enter into the covenant God made with Israel.

Men regularly recommit to this covenant each Friday before the Jewish Sabbath. Women also recommit to these covenants but on other occasions, such as after child birth or before a wedding, and other times.

Conclusion

Alma, as an Israelite, would have been deeply familiar with the prospect of a ritual immersion as a form of entering a covenant with God — a rite that could be repeated on certain occasions in order to recommit oneself to living the commandments and following the Lord. It is very possible and even more than likely that Alma had been ritually immersed in the past, as with many others who followed him to the waters of Mormon. In the Church today, we not only perform this rite for ourselves, but also for our ancestors, allowing them to enter the House of Israel through covenant as well, and perhaps allowing us to remember why we ourselves were baptized and recommit ourselves again to serving the Lord.

NOTES

1. One possible translation for the name Mormon can be found in the Book of Mormon Onomasticon. MR, an Egyptian word meaning "love," "beloved," "desire," etc. and MN meaning "firm or steadfast, enduring forever." Hence, Mormon could be a name given to the waters as the people were baptized and felt the enduring and eternal love of their Savior as they entered into a covenant with him that day.

2. Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 3:203.

3.  James B. Allen and Glen M. Leonard, The Story of the Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976), pp. 425–26.