One day as Alma and his company were going about persecuting the members of the Church, an holy angel descended in a cloud and stopped them in the way. When the angel spoke, his voice was as thunder that caused the earth under their feet to tremble. Naturally, this manifestation of God's power spread terror and dismay in the hearts of those who witnessed it. They fell to the ground, and so confused and terrified were they that they failed to understand the words of the holy messenger.
"Alma, arise and stand forth," he cried. And when Alma arose, his eyes were opened to see who stood before him. It was an angel sent down from heaven. He had a divine mission to perform-to rebuke Alma and his companions.
The earth continued to shake as the angel spoke to them; the ground around them seemed ready to come apart. Again, they fell to the ground. We can understand their thoughts more forcibly if the words of the Psalmist are remembered, "Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me." (Ps. 55:5)
"Why persecutest thou the church of God?," the angel asked of Alma. Knowest thou not, "that the Lord hath said, This is my church, and I will establish it." Further the Lord sayeth, "Nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people."
Besides these things, the angel spoke to Alma of his father's prayers in his behalf, and that because of these prayers he, the angel, was sent to convince Alma of the power of God.
He also recounted to Alma the captivity of his forefathers in the Lands of Lehi-Nephi and Helam, and of their miraculous deliverance. But Alma heard nothing of these latter sayings for the terrors of the first salutation had overpowered him.