The Topical Guide next directs us to the phrase "until you are dead as to the mortal body" in verse 13 of Mosiah 18. The chapter as a whole, in fact, is a picture of Christian life here in mortality, framed as it is by a covenant to "serve [God] until you are dead" with an eye towards "eternal life, through the redemption of Christ."
The chapter begins with Alma the Elder secretly circulating the teachings of Abinidi about "the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ" (v. 2). Those who "believed on his words" (v. 7) gathered to hear him preach at the Waters of Mormon. "And he did teach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord" (v.7). A marvelous spirit had taken hold among those who believed and Alma recognized that they were "desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and [were] willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light....willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places, even until death" (v. 8-9).
Alma invited the people to be baptized in the name of the Lord, "as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you" (v. 10). This indeed was the "desire of their hearts."
The wording of Alma's baptismal ordinance made the covenant explicit to each person- "I baptize thee...as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve [God] until ye are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world" (v.13).
The effects of living a covenant life were remarkable. Immediately, they "came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit" (v. 14) and were "filled with the grace of God" (v. 16). Long term, they took part in the "church of God" or "church of Christ" (v.17) where teachers were provided to "teach them the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" (v.18) explicitly focused on "repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people" (v. 20).
Alma took his group of about "four hundred and fifty souls" (v.35) and taught them that "there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and love one towards another" (v.21). Doctrinally, they united around that "which had been spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets" (v.19). They set aside one day in the week "to gather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God" (v. 25). As the bonds of unity began to grow it was natural that they would get together with each other as often they could (v.25).
Economically, all of them (including the priests/teachers) labored "with their own hands for their own support" (24). However, they were also taught to "impart of their substance, every one according to that which he had; if he had more abundantly he should impart more abundantly; and of him that had but little, but little should be required; and to him that had not should be given. And thus they should impart of their substance of their own free will and desires towards God...to every needy, naked soul" (v. 27-8).
The record records that "they did walk uprightly before God, imparting to one another both temporally and spiritually according to their needs and their wants" (v.29). "And thus they became the children of God" (v. 22).
That's it. That's how it's done. Here in a single chapter is described the normal Christian life (lived, interestingly enough, at what is essentially a ward level), the foundation on which that life is based, and the way that the power of the atonement will express itself if an entire congregation takes seriously enough the covenant to serve God "until you are dead as to the mortal body."
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