Alma repeats the basic theme of the priests who receive their holy order due to their righteousness. In addition, he specifically links the priesthood to the Atonement, noting that these priests are "washed white through the blood of the Lamb."
Textual: This verse begins with a slight recapitulation. This may be an indication that there was some type of break in the sermon that Mormon does not record. Since Mormon typically breaks between discourses, he must have considered this a separate discourse. Perhaps it was given at a different time, or some unnamed event separated the two discourses in time. In any case, Mormon considered them different enough to break a chapter, and the beginning does tend to indicate a slight recapitulation that might have been necessary after a lapse of time. This original chapter will continue through the end of our current chapter 15. Most of 14 and 15 are narrative development rather than inserted text, even though there are inserted texts. It would appear that Mormon was looking for an introduction to this next narrative section, and elected to begin that narration with part of its initial cause, which is the preaching of Alma.