Both the peoples of Limhi and Alma arrived in Zarahemla at nearly the same time. After arrival, Mosiah introduces them to the people by reading their records. We do not know if he read the whole of their records or selected sections, but ancient audiences would have had a better tolerance for long meetings than do modern readers more accustomed to modern media. Even during Joseph Smith’s time, long sermons were hardly unusual. The level of entertainment was significantly different prior to the modern age.
What follows are descriptions of the reactions to Mosiah’s readings. Mormon shows the various reactions by creating contrasts. There is joy for deliverance and sorrow for loss of life. There is joy in Jehovah’s salvation, but sorrow for the state of the Lamanites.