Verses 13 and 14 have parallel instructions about who the people should trust. Verse 13 speaks of the political arena and verse 14 speaks of the religious sphere. In both cases, Alma teaches that they do not trust the position, but rather the quality of the person in that position.
In the political realm, Alma sees a danger in the position of king itself. Without knowing the adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely, he understood it and feared it. Alma wanted his people to be able to live under a just leadership based on the person, and not establish a powerful position that could be subverted by an unjust leader.
In the case of religious ideas, the selection of the leadership was similarly based on the righteousness of the person rather than a position. To understand this argument fully, we must remember that even religious positions tended to be hereditary among the Nephites. Even after Mosiah creates the rule of judges with a separate leader over religion, positions still tended to be hereditary.
As with most teaching in the Book of Mormon, walking according to Jehovah’s commandments had social implications. Those who walked in God’s ways would “love his neighbor as himself.” Additionally, “there should be no contention among them.”