This verse, though obliquely stated, is directly aimed at the Ammonihahites. These priests were ordained after the order of the Son (in whom the Ammonihahites do not believe) because of their faith (which the Ammonihahites do not have). Alma mentions that “others” might have had this great privilege, except for their “hardness” and “blindness.” Much of chapter 12 has dealt with the fate of the hard-hearted. The call to repentance in Alma 12:33–35 clearly told the people of Ammonihah not to harden their hearts.
Possibly another subtheme is also at play here. The order of the Nehors, professes priestcraft—or asserts “priest” as a professional ranking. By emphasizing personal righteousness rather than social standing as the prerequisite for priesthood, Alma may be identifying and denouncing another tenet of the Nehorites. (See “Excursus: Religion of the Nehors,” following Alma 1.)