In making a personal appeal to the Ammonihahites that they would hearken unto his words, Alma brought his great sermon to a glorious close. Alma was filled with an unquenchable zeal to lift up his fallen brethren, and to lead back to the right path those who had lost their way. No rant or rancor stifled his entreaties. He offered no apologies, pretexts, or excuses, for coming among them. He knew that the Lord had called him into His service, and Alma strove to be found worthy to be His witness. Alma's patience under trial, his faithfulness in every sphere of duty, his compassion for the sinful, proved the strength of the mission to which he was dedicated. He proclaimed the truth in earnestness, yet his zeal in doing so found charity not lacking. He knew that charity is the pure love of God, and on his lips was found the Law of Love.
Alma's salutation, "And now, my brethren," shows his humility, also his willingness to forgive. Christ's grace which in Alma was abundant, cast aside all bitterness, even the suggestion of reprisal, for the abuse the Ammonihahites had heaped upon the missionaries. Calling them "My brethren" showed that the Lord whom Alma proclaimed, was "the God of all goodness, the Father of all men, that to serve Him is perfect freedom and to worship Him the soul's purest happiness."
In closing his testimony of what the Lord required of them, Alma offered a prayer in behalf of the people of Ammonihah. Their wickedness was painful to his heart (v. 27), and in anxiety that they might procrastinate the day of their repentance, Alma bowed in humble supplication before the Majesty on High and implored the Great Giver of All Good to grant them repentance "that," Alma said, "ye may not bring down His wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second death."
Mormon, who abridged Alma's record, notes that Alma spoke many more words than are herein written. No doubt it was difficult for Mormon to engrave all that he found written upon the numerous plates that had fallen into his hands. In fact Mormon's son, Moroni, so states. Moroni was the last to write in the Sacred Record, Nephi was the first. About a thousand years separate their times. Moroni was commanded of the Lord to include in the record he was making somewhat concerning the promise his fathers had received that a knowledge of Christ should come unto their brethren [the Lamanites] through the Gentiles.
Moroni did as he was commanded, but, nevertheless, he felt incapable of fully complying with the Lord's requirements. He sought the help of the Lord, and in his prayer to the Almighty Father, Moroni said: "And I said unto Him: Lord, thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but Thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for Thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which Thou hast given them. And Thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, Thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for Thou madest him that the things he wrote were mighty even as Thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them. Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words. (Ether 12:23-25)