Alma 8

Mormon doesn't tell us anything about the church organization or the people of Melek. He only has so much room on the plates and so he only picks those things to write that will offer important lessons and historical happenings. He knows for what people and what purposes he is writing and I wonder how often he agonized over what to write, and especially what to leave out because I'm sure there were things he wanted to include but in the end had to leave out.

It's interesting that the same angel that had struck Alma down now comes and comforts him and gives him reassurance because of his faithfulness. It's probably the same angel that appeared in vision to Amulek. Alma left the people of Ammonihah because they totally and completely and rejected his teaching. When the angel tells him to return, it says that he did so speedily even though he must have known what was waiting for him. That's a little lesson in the Book of Mormon that is good to remember. When we feel an impression that we should do something, we should do it "speedily" and not put it off. If we do, we deny ourselves blessings and opportunities. I think that more often than not, when we give heed to the impressions we receive, we end up blessing someone's life and meeting someones needs.