18 Now those priests who did go forth among the people did preach against all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and malice, and revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing adultery, and all manner of lasciviousness, crying that these things ought not so to be—
19 Holding forth things which must shortly come; yea, holding forth the coming of the Son of God, his sufferings and death, and also the resurrection of the dead.
20 And many of the people did inquire concerning the place where the Son of God should come; and they were taught that he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy and gladness.
21 And now after the church had been established throughout all the land—having got the victory over the devil, and the word of God being preached in its purity in all the land, and the Lord pouring out his blessings upon the people—thus ended the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
Alma 16:18-21 (Emphasis mine)
The priests went out among the people, preaching against all forms of wickedness. But, the highlight of their message was the coming of Christ, his sufferings, death, and resurrection.
They also told them that, after his resurrection, he would appear unto them. That had to be exciting, the knowledge that the Savior of the world would appear to them.
The church gained a major victory over the devil. The people were righteous and the Lord poured out his blessing on the people.
I like the choice of words Mormon made. The people didn’t just receive blessing from the Lord, the Lord poured them out upon them. The pouring of blessings paints a vivid image about the workings of the Lord.
If I were to select the most important point in this set of scriptures, it would be the prophecy that Christ would come appear to the Nephites after his resurrection. This was very important to the people.
Hugh Nibley commented that:
“They naturally wanted to know since the coming of Christ was the big thing. Where would he come and when would he come? Will we get to see him? ‘And they were taught that he would appear unto them after his resurrection.’ Well, that satisfied them. He wouldn't appear to them here, but after the resurrection he would, they were told.” [1] (Emphasis mine)
Richard Dilworth Rust wrote:
“Righteous Nephite people anticipated two great events: the mortal birth and ministry of Jesus and his promised visit to the Nephites after his resurrection. Just as Nephite Saints knew the approximate time of Jesus's birth (e.g., through prophecies by Lehi and Samuel the Lamanite), so they knew in advance when and where the resurrected Savior would visit them in the New World. Those who gathered at the temple in Bountiful had long anticipated and prepared for their experience, having been taught that Jesus ‘would appear unto them after his resurrection’ (Alma 16:20). One can imagine a continuing heritage of anticipation among the faithful. For instance, Mormon connects some righteous members of the church described in Alma 16 with persons 112 years later who continued their ancestors' belief system and were carefully prepared in advance to be at the Bountiful Temple and meet the Savior when he came.” [2] (Emphasis mine)
Matthew Roper commented:
“Alma wants to prepare the people in his land, so that they will prepare their children for Christ's coming among them. So Alma appears to know that Christ will not come in his lifetime, but in the lifetime of at least some of the rising generation, information which, it is reasonable to assume, he learned from the records in his possession. So when Mormon states a few years earlier, ‘And many of the people did inquire concerning the place where the Son of God should come; and they were taught [why not by Alma who would already have known from the scriptures in his possession?] that he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with joy and gladness’ (Alma 16:20).” [3] (Emphasis mine)
Richard Dilworth Rust writes about the victory over the devil as the church grew.
“… in Alma 16 the Nephites win a physical victory over the desolating Lamanites who have made incursions into the land of the Nephites. But there is another battle as well—the battle of righteousness. First, the wicked people of Ammonihah, who had imprisoned Alma and Amulek and burned the wives and children of their followers, are destroyed at the hands of the Lamanites; second, Alma and Amulek go forth to preach the word throughout all the land and get ‘the victory over the devil’‘ (Alma 16:21).” [4] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Lecture 50: Alma 14-17, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 11, 2011.
[2] Letters (Richard Dilworth Rust), Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture: Volume - 20, Issue - 1, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 11, 2011.
[3] A More Perfect Priority? Matthew Roper, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 11, 2011.
[4] "Great Things the Lord Hath Done" - Epic Elements, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 11, 2011.
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