Alma introduces the concept of the paths as a logical consequence of Zarahemla’s dilemma. A dilemma has at least two aspects, and Alma depicts them as paths, further complimenting his audience by repeating his reference to Isaiah (implied in verse 9):
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isa. 40:3–5)
When Alma tells his audience that they “are making his paths straight,” he is telling them that their choices are preparing them for the coming of the Messiah.