No Unclean Thing

One of the principles that Alma focused on was the fact that no unclean thing can dwell with God.  He taught the people of Gideon, “And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God” (Alma 7:21).  To those as Zarahemla he exhorted them to stay away from that which is unclean: “And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous” (Alma 5:57).  To be a part of the people of Christ we must stay away from unclean things.  Alma similarly taught his son Corianton, “But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out” (Alma 40:26).  His final words that we have similarly teach the same principle: “The Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (Alma 45:16).  We cannot be accepted by the Lord into His kingdom with our sins or uncleanness. 

I don’t think it is by chance that Alma would focus on need for purity before the Lord because he was one who was very wicked and unclean for much of his life.  He knew the contrast, and he knew what it felt like to come before the Lord unclean.  Alma told his son Helaman, “But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.  Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments….  So great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror. Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds” (Alma 36:12-15).  He similarly described this time to Shiblon saying, “I was three days and three nights in the most bitter pain and anguish of soul” (Alma 38:8).  That is the feeling we will have if we must go before our God with unrepentant sins.  We will want to cease to exist rather than to stand in the presence of God if we have not become clean before the Lord.  He put it even more dramatically to the people of Ammonihah: “Our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence” (Alma 12:14).  He was certainly speaking from experience here, for he knew what it meant to want the mountains to hide himself from the Lord because of his sins.

This teaching to the people of Ammonihah can help us see how to focus our own efforts to be clean before the Lord.  We must purify our works, our words, and our thoughts.  What we do surely can make us unclean, but what we say and what we think can similarly taint our souls.  Of course, every day we will do, say, and think things that are unbefitting a disciple of Christ and unworthy before Him, so it is only consistent repentance that can keep us clean through the Savior’s grace.  Alma taught the people of Ammonihah this truth, “Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest” (Alma 12:34).  Just as we do things daily to keep our physical bodies clean, so too must we frequently clean our spirits as we come before the Savior in repentance, seeking this request from Him: “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean” (Luke 5:12).  The great encouragement of Alma’s story is that though “great had been [his] iniquities,” he did find mercy through the Savior’s grace and ultimately was so pure that Mormon suggested the Lord “received Alma in the spirit, unto himself” (Alma 36:14, 45:19).  He was made clean and could indeed return to dwell with God.