Literary: Alma now expands the personal focus. Here are the things that Helaman should do to be personally prepared. Clearly these admonitions form parallel sets:
Cry unto God for all thy support
let all thy doings be unto the Lord
whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord
let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord
let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever
Each of these parallels presupposes two participants, Helaman and the Lord. Beyond the specifics, there is the assumption of the relationship. Helaman is being told to dedicate himself to this particular relationship. He is kin with the Lord, and he should understand his relationship as one of mutual obligations. If Helaman “belongs” to the Lord, then the Lord is obligated to extend a relationship to Helaman. Implied in each of these commands is the beneficial response of the Lord should Helaman perform the action. For instance, “cry unto God for all thy support” presumes that upon the cry that God will hear and provide the support.