The influence of Alma the elder is clear in the arguments that Mosiah is presenting. In the previous verses Mosiah had indicated that if a people always had righteous men as kings, that it would be best to have a king. Nevertheless, as Mosiah points out, the example of King Noah proves that this does not always happen.
Alma the elder personally experienced the problem of an unrighteous king. When his people asked him to be their king in Helam, note how similar his argument was to that we are seeing from Mosiah:
“7 But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king.
8 “Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king.
9 “But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord.” (Mosiah 23:7–9)
Although Mosiah does not credit Alma the elder with this perspective, it is clear that Alma had an influence on Mosiah’s thinking. Therefore, not only did Alma the elder influence the creation of churches, which changed the religious landscape in Zarahemla, but he also influenced the political landscape. Perhaps more than any single person since Nephi himself did one man so dramatically affect the nature of Nephite society.