The people of Alma understandably accept him as their benevolent and charitable leader. They want him to be their king, for they love him and know of his goodness. However, Alma sees beyond the present moment and perceives the potential danger of an unrighteous king. He therefore declines the invitation to serve as king and uses the opportunity to teach an important lesson about the need to be cautious in facilitating the rise of people to leadership. After all, the people have just experienced the lethal dangers of being under the influence of King Noah. In a sense, they have allowed this to happen because they did not stand up for truth and righteousness. Alma therefore teaches the people that they should trust no one to be a teacher or minister unto them save he be a man of God, walking in His ways and keeping His commandments.
The application to our own situation today is this: Let us always stand for truth and righteousness. Let us expect integrity and honesty from our government leaders and from those whom we choose to heed. It is our duty to follow our living prophets—not the voice anti-Christs like Sherem, Nehor, or Korihor. The erroneous philosophies of men and misguided secular teachings of men can lead us away from our Savior. By following the Spirit, we can discern such falsehoods and avoid them.