There is no greater testimony than the giving of one’s life for a cause. With the shedding of blood, the testimony is sealed. The martyr gives up all. There is no pretense, no last-minute recanting, no rationalization or apology. In the words of John Taylor, The testators are now dead, and their testament is in force (DC 135:5). For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead (Heb 9:16-17). Robert J. Matthews has said:
“I can imagine them dancing and cavorting about Abinadi, and hear them shouting, exulting, and gloating over what they were doing. And during it all, Abinadi was pronouncing prophecies of God’s vengeance upon them- prophecies that were literally fulfilled. The noise, the din, the stench would be awful! Wickedness and righteousness, life and death, are real, and Abinadi’s martyrdom really did happen. It was necessary that it happen so the righteous might be justified and the wicked might be condemned. Sadly, we read that ’Abinadi was [only] the first [among the Nephites] that suffered death by fire because of his belief in God’ (Alma 25:11).” (Book of Mormon Symposium Series, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 103)
Nowhere in scripture is there a more comprehensive discussion of the requirements and performance of baptism in the pre-Christian era than in this story of Alma and his people. Alma is interested in baptizing his little flock. He inquires whether they have the same interest asking them several questions to determine their readiness. The qualities of a prepared candidate include: 1) a desire to come into the fold of God, 2) a desire to be called his people, 3) a willingness to bear one another’s burdens, 4) a willingness to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and 5) a readiness to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places…even until death.
These requirements are similar to the standard revealed to Joseph Smith in DC 20, 1) humility, 2) a desire to be baptized, 3) a broken heart and contrite spirit, 4) a witness of true repentance, 5) a willingness to take upon them the name of Christ, 6) a determination to serve him to the end, and 7) a manifestation by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins (DC 20:37). These latter-day requirements focus more on the manifestation by the candidate that they have truly repented and received a remission of their sins. Alma may have known that his flock had already met this requirement by their diligent efforts to travel to the place called Mormon to hear his teachings about resurrection and redemption (v. 2).
All candidates for a convert baptism must meet these requirements in their baptismal interview before they can receive this ordinance. In our desire to offer baptism to everyone who will accept it, there is a tendency among those giving the interview to allow a candidate to pass when not all of these conditions have been met. However, to baptize someone who is not prepared or is only getting baptized at the request of the missionaries without a real desire to change their lives, does not bless the life of that individual in any way. It acts more as a cursing because they are given a responsibility that they will likely not meet. Those performing the baptismal interview must remember these requirements so that all things may be done in order (DC 20:68). In the case of Alma’s people, they had no lack of desire for they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts (v. 11).