“Perhaps the central lesson [in Alma 9–16] is that there is a God in heaven to whom people on earth are accountable. He loves us. He has implemented a ‘plan of redemption’ whereby we can ‘be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.’ (Alma 12:33; 13:29.) Through his Spirit he reaches out to all: the righteous exemplified in these chapters by Alma and the Ammonihahite believers; the temporarily distracted but decent people like Amulek; and even enemies to the cause of truth, whether they will repent as did Zeezrom, or reject the invitation as did most of the people of Ammonihah. And everyone is accountable for how they respond to that Spirit” (Dahl, “Plan of Redemption—Taught and Rejected,” 316).
“This [superscription, or preface,] is part of the 1830 edition. … Mormon specifies that, while it discusses the sons of Mosiah, it comes from Alma’s record. A similar preface appears before our chapter 21; although its source is not cited, it must also be from Alma’s record. These prefaces inform us that Alma’s record contains either insertions or copies of other source records. The two separate headings give accounts from two separate sub-records contained in the larger record of Alma. It is also possible that the ‘record’ was oral rather than written” (Gardner, Second Witness, 4:259).
The italicized words “Comprising chapters 17 through 27” were not part of the ancient record but were added later to printed editions of the Book of Mormon.