Expanding Consciousness Through Temple Covenants
In Alma chapter five, Alma the younger preaches to the people of Zarahemla, recounting the story of his father’s conversion and the subsequent conversion of many others. In verses seven and nine, he describes how their souls were illuminated and expanded. In last week’s thoughts, I discussed a transformation of consciousness when the people were born anew of the Spirit. Today, I hope to continue discussing what happens after a spiritual rebirth, which is the beginning of a new life.
When we are born into the world, we arrive quite helpless but full of potential. Our growth, progress, and learning result from much nurturing; without it, we would die. The same could be said of a spiritual rebirth. Without heavenly nurturing, which is usually accomplished through other like-minded mentors, our chances of spiritual survival are slim. Alma talked about the need to retain in our remembrance the feelings of our spiritual transformation. These memories cause us to keep the spiritual fires burning.
However, simply harkening back does not necessarily move us forward. The aim is to illuminate and expand our soul. When light begins to fill our souls, perhaps the first things we see are the sins that hold us back. Seeing and acknowledging the fetters that bind us is critical to beginning the process of spiritual growth. We discover a path forward when we covenant to live the Law of Obedience. However, we must travel light and leave behind most of our old baggage to traverse the path.
Deciding what we must leave behind is essentially the Law of Sacrifice. Alma told the people of Zarahemla that they needed to strip themselves of pride, envy, mockery, and persecution of others to prepare to meet God. As we strip away the vices associated with these things, we must clothe ourselves with humility, love, and understanding. The Law of Sacrifice does not mean that we end up with nothing; instead, we have exchanged bad with good, good with better, and better with best.
The Law of the Gospel is how we continue the refining process. Alma extended the Savior’s invitation to repent and come unto him so that we may make our way to the Tree of Life, eat the bread, and drink the water of life. Following Jesus and doing his works causes us to bring forth good works. In turn, the good works we do prepare us for eternal life with our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ. The majority of chapter five describes the blessings of gospel living and how they will bless us, and conversely describes the consequences that accompany pursuing worldly ambitions alone.
Another interesting theme throughout chapter five is the many references to garments and clothing relating to sin and atonement. The idea of costly apparel appears as a sign of vanity and pride. Having filthy garments symbolizes the stains of sin that accumulate when we fail to repent. It is almost like the stains that appear on the garments of the wicked come from the person wearing the defiled clothing rather than external means. The only way the garments are made clean and white is, ironically, being washed in the blood of the Lamb. These ideas of filthiness and cleanliness extend to our hands, meaning our works or actions. Having clean hands and white garments permits us to be in the presence of God, while filthiness will exclude us from heaven.
While the Law of Chastity is not mentioned in the text, the implications are clear: Workers of iniquity will not be allowed in God’s presence.
Each of the laws that are explained in the temple is illustrated in the words and teachings of Alma. As we go on in the story, we will see that Alma spoke, “according to the spirit of prophecy which was in him, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who should come to redeem his people from their sins, and the holy order by which he was called.” It is important to note that Alma held the keys of the priesthood because I think that when he taught the more righteous people in the city of Gideon, he revealed more things about the coming of Christ, explained his mission, and promised them the blessings we learn about in the temple.
In the latter portion of Alma 7, Alma perceives that the people are “in the paths of righteousness” and pronounces additional blessings on them. He says, “I perceive that ye are making his paths straight.” He speaks of God’s course as “one eternal round.” This is followed by, “I have said these things unto you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received.” Later, Alma promises this, “And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out.”
If I weren’t convinced enough that Alma shared other sacred blessings with the people of Gideon, a portion of verse one of chapter eight reads, “And now it came to pass that Alma returned from the land of Gideon, after having taught the people of Gideon many things which cannot be written, having established the order of the church.”
So, what does all this mean when expanding our consciousness? Because Alma perceived greater faith and commitment by the people of Gideon versus those at Zarahemla, he was able to give them more according to the holy order of God; in other words, priesthood blessings that result in eternal life with God. When we contemplate these special blessings accompanying temple covenants, our minds expand, and our understanding deepens.
For those who have been to the temple, I invite you to reread these chapters of Alma and examine them through a temple lens. The parable of the talents applies here: “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” I hope we will seek to expand our consciousness through temple covenants.