Alma recognized that the souls of the apostate Zoramites were precious to God. Thus, Alma prayed for the power and wisdom to bring them back to the Lord. Alma’s prayer exemplifies the attitude all members and missionaries must develop. All people are of great worth, and through the power of God they can be brought back to Him.
While serving as a member of the Seventy, Elder Carlos E. Asay (1926–99) taught that all people are precious to God and should be to us:
“The souls of our brothers and sisters who may seem to be more feeble and less honorable are precious. The Church has need of them. We should make every attempt to know them and to help them claim the full blessings and joys of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our prayers should be as Alma’s: ‘Give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.’ (See Alma 31:35.)
“We must remember that our salvation is intertwined with the salvation of others. We must care more for those who seem to care less for their faith” (“Nurturing the Less Active,” Ensign, Oct. 1986, 15).