There are many who are servants of evil; they are those who have become subject to the temptations of hell and have yielded to its blandishments. With no thought of repenting, they give little heed to else than worldly things. “If there be a hereafter,” they say, “we hope to be saved.” But Alma offered no excuses for them, or for those who defiantly reject God’s commands. There is another class for whom Alma presented no apology. They are they who, with spirits untroubled, do as the devil wishes; for them who continue in so doing, Alma said that there is no hope for everlasting life in God’s Kingdom. Besides that, many are careless of what the Lord requires; they have no just provocation in relaxing their efforts to further His cause; they are given to dalliance and are trifling with the Lord. They care nothing for His holy word, and decry every endeavor to please Him. Carelessness is wickedness; we rank it next to a wanton disregard of God’s holy laws.
Early in the history of Alma’s people, Nephi, after whom the Nephites received their name, prophesied concerning this same class as did Alma:
For behold, at that day shall he [the devil] rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. (II Nephi 28:21)
Yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain. A good and proper comment on this verse may be had by reading the following passages of Book of Mormon Scripture:
And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood.
And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: these are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him. (I Nephi 12:10-11)
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 with 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. (Alma 7:25)
Now, as I said concerning the holy order of this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish.
Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.
Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceeding great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God. (Alma 13:11-12)
And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb. (Alma 34:36)
And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof. (III Nephi 19:25)
And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. (III Nephi 27:19)
And these things are written that we may rid our garments of the blood of our brethren, who have dwindled in unbelief. (Mormon 9:35)
And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.
And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood. (Ether 12:37-38)
And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel. (Ibid., 13:10)