Mormon abbreviates the moment of arrival to stress the experience’s ultimate import, which is that Alma1 recognized Yahweh’s hand and rejoiced. That ultimate rejoicing, however, was probably preceded by anguish when he first saw his son being carried in helpless. If he assumed, as would be natural, that his son was unconscious from an injury or perhaps even dead, much of his joy must have been sheer relief at realizing that his son was not near death—but, in a very real sense, very near true life.