Alma and the Temple

Alma 12:25-33

25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no ^aresurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of ^bredemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.

26 And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the ^atree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the ^bplan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect.

27 But behold, it was not so; but it was ^aappointed unto men that they must die; and after death, they must come to ^bjudgment, even that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end.

28 And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them;

29 Therefore he sent ^aangels to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory.

30 And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore God ^aconversed with men, and made known unto them the ^bplan of redemption, which had been prepared from the ^cfoundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their ^dholy works.

31 Wherefore, he gave ^acommandments unto men, they having first transgressed the ^bfirst commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as Gods, ^cknowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to ^dact, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good—

32 Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made ^aknown unto them the plan of redemption [more commandments than in vs. 31], that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second ^bdeath, which was an everlasting ^cdeath as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of ^djustice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme ^egoodness of God.

33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the ^aplan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will ^brepent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;

One of the things I have become very interested in is the fact that the temple covenants have been around before. Due to their sacred nature, they are obviously not written down in scripture, but have been brought forth by inspired leaders and given to those who are prepared for them. However, their are instances in the scripture and archeology that tell us the ancients had the same practices. This set of scriptures strengthens my testimony that at least Alma understood the temple, and why we learn what we learn there. Everything in the temple points to the atonement that we may repent and turn back to God, and the more we understand that, the more likely we are to live better and actually be able to return to him.