What was the purpose behind Mormon's account of Alma's group being "brought into bondage" (Mosiah 23:23) when Mormon had already chronicled the story of how they had fled the wickedness of king Noah and had been baptized in the waters of Mormon? Perhaps chronology can help us with an explanation. First, the bondage came upon all of the people of Noah because of a prophetic promise given by Abinadi (Mosiah 12:2). The true lesson, however, emerges by comparing the length of the bondage imposed on Alma's repentant and faithful group with that of the bondage imposed on the people of Limhi. According to the chronology in Appendix A, while Limhi's bondage lasted about 18 years, the people of Alma were only in bondage about one 1 year. Additionally, in Mosiah 24:13-14 the Lord said to Alma, "Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]