Alma pronounces a prophet’s blessing upon the people after having delivered his sermon on faith. He confirms that they can follow his counsel and receive the promised blessings. The Lord offers them eternal life—if they will respond in faith and be obedient. The formula for planting the seed is simply to believe in Christ and follow His word. The essence of the Book of Mormon is the “convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations” (from Moroni’s title page). Thus the seed of faith will flourish in the soil of devotion to the Redeemer and continual humble prayer for His redemptive grace. Elder David B. Haight has formulated this counsel in a wonderful way:
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we testify of Christ. Our hope is in Christ. Our salvation is in Christ.
Our efforts, hopes, and desires to build up the kingdom of God on earth are centered in and through his holy name. We proclaim, as did John the Baptist upon seeing Jesus approaching the river Jordan, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He taught the doctrines of his gospel, so that every soul may have the opportunity to gain the blessings of eternal life. (A Light unto the World [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997], 123)