This must have been a great shock to Alma. Ten years earlier this angel had appeared to Alma and the four sons of King Mosiah. The powerful voice of this angel had knocked them to the ground twice and the second time Alma had been left unconscious. When he came out of his coma three days later, he had completed a crash course in the spirit world and had learned to love and accept the Savior. That of course had changed everything. Now here he was ten years later and completely frustrated because he was prevented from preaching to the people of Ammonihah. But the angel delivered a surprising message to Alma:
“And behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city; yea, preach unto them. Yea, say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy them. For behold, they do study at this time that they may destroy the liberty of thy people, (for thus saith the Lord) which is contrary to the statutes, and judgments, and commandments which he has given unto his people. Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah.”