Nothing could have been more shocking to these five notorious apostates than to have an angel of God suddenly appear in glory before them and denounce them with a voice that was so strong it knocked them to the ground. In verse 8 it even describes Alma as having being idolatrous. The angel specifically addressed Alma and told him to stand up. A portrayal of the appearance of the angel before the five young apostates may be found in volume two of Treasures from the Book of Mormon on page 139.