1  Behold my beloved brethren, seeing that I have been permitted to come unto you, therefore I attempt to address you in my language; yea, by my ^aown mouth, seeing that it is the first time that I have spoken unto you by the words of my mouth, I having been wholly confined to the judgment-seat, having had much business that I could not come unto you.

  1  Now it came to pass that Alma began to ^adeliver the word of God unto the people, first in the land of Zarahemla, and from thence throughout all the land.

  5  And now, as the ^apreaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.

  2  Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and ^cpowerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my word.

  23  And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up ^dcontinually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them.

  6  So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and ^bprepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

  16  And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—

  7  Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings.

  18  And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were ^anot possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily.