Why does Alma wait until after dining to formally introduce himself, since Amulek has already proclaimed him the prophet seen in his vision? Perhaps Alma required the atmosphere of the shared meal to make sure that he truly was in the home of a sympathizer, though we may suspect that the Spirit had already confirmed Amulek’s assertion of divine preparation. Perhaps the declaration was for the benefit of Amulek’s family. There is no textual explanation for this delayed introduction.
Variant: The printer’s manuscript reads “churches” (plural) rather than “church.” While this word was changed even in the first edition, the plural in the printer’s manuscript may actually better describe the reality of the organization of the Nephite religion. It may be appropriate to use “church of God” as a collective for the way of belief, but there were almost certainly divisions that followed city lines, if not kin lines within a city.