As Alma explains the difference between the self-humbled and those who are compelled to be humbled, he moves away from the external circumstances of poverty, and concentrates on one of the most pernicious of internal hindrances to true humility: pride.The transition from verse 16 to 17, from a discussion of those who are “baptized without a stubbornness of heart” is a direct lead-in to those people who seek signs. Those who seek signs are those who still have a “stubbornness of heart,” and have an internal hindrance to humility rather than an external one.
They have a way of seeing the world, and are not open to seeing it change. They typically ask for a sign from heaven not because they would truly believe if they received it, but because they are certain it will not come, and therefore the absence of that miracle can be the reason that they continue to hold on to their previous understanding. The truly humble ask questions that lead to learning and understanding, the prideful ask questions that are designed to defend their own position.