Mosiah 26 - 29

During the reign of King Mosiah -

"...there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers.
2 They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 26:1 - 2)

And because of their unbelief -

"...they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened...for they would not call upon the Lord their God." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 26:3 - 4)

Among these unbelievers were four sons of King Mosiah and a son of Alma, the high priest over the Church. Not only were these men unbelievers but they also went about secretly to destroy the Church. Of the son of Alma, also called Alma, Mormon tells us he was -

"...a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.
9 And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:8 - 9)

And -

"...while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and ...rebelling against God..." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:10 - 11)

"...the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood..." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:11)

"And so great was their astonishment, that they fell to the earth, and understood not the words which he spake unto them.
13 Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? " (Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:12 - 13)

This being very similar to what would happen to Saul of Tarsus a little over a hundred years later when he came near to Damascus and -

"...suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (New Testament Acts 9:3 - 4)

As I read these two events in scriptural history, I wondered, "why would the Lord provide such a miraculous and wonderful visitation to Paul and these men who -

"...were the very vilest of sinners..." ?(Book of Mormon Mosiah 28:4)

As I read, the answer seemed that it may have had nothing to do with them. For the angel tells Alma -

"Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:14)

The Lord may have heard similar prayers of faith from early Saints that lead to the life-changing event for the apostle Paul.

Like Paul, these men repented and became some of greatest and valiant missionaries in scripture. And again like Paul, their repentance wasn't a simple - I'm sorry and I'll never do it again, but required remorse, suffering, and humility. Alma said -

"...I was in the darkest abyss;...my soul was racked with eternal torment..."
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:29)

He later tells his son Helaman -

I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins...even with the pains of a damned soul." (Book of Mormon Alma 36:12 - 16)

The sons of Mosiah also relate -

"...they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 28:4)

The faith and prayers of the people did not end with the angel's command to -

"...go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more..." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:16)

For -

"...they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God that he would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak, and also that his limbs might receive their strength—that the eyes of the people might be opened to see and know of the goodness and glory of God.
23 And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort..." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:22 - 23)

It is after their fasting and prayers that Alma receives strength and announces -

"I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 27:24)

We are commanded to pray always. We may never really know of the power or the impact our prayers have in our lives and the lives of others.