Alma quoting King Benjamin and Abinadi

It is expected that talks in church, in sacrament meeting, Stake Conference or General Conference include quotes from the scriptures. Typically, they are announced and then read out loud. But other times, quotes from the scriptures are just blended into our talks without announcement. We may for instance talk about "putting off the natural man", "carry each other's burdens" or "an opposition in all things". We don't necessarily have to open our scriptures and read, everybody recognizes it. In the Book of Mormon, there are several examples of Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi and others announcing their quotes and then sharing passages from the brass plates. In 2 Nephi 11 for instance, Nephi announces that he will read from Isaiah and then quotes Isaiah in 2 Nephi 12-24.

There are also examples of subtly mixing writings from the brass plates into sermons without announcement. We have seen many examples on this blog. But sometimes, Book of Mormon prophets would also refer to each other that way. Consider this example from Alma 38:9.

And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.

Compare with Mosiah 2:17

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that

Mosiah 3:17

there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

and Mosiah 16:9

He is the light and the life of the world

Alma seems to be quoting from King Benjamin and Abinadi. They are not direct word-for-word quotes, they are unannounced, but still very recognizable.

Come Follow Me resources for July 20-26: Alma 36–38: “Look to God and Live”

This week's Come, Follow Me lesson covers Alma 36-38.  Below you will find links from related posts from this blog to supplement your studies:

Alma 36 -- Joy, Crying out to God for Mercy (a pattern), Zion and Beautiful Feet, etc.



Alma 37 -- A curse for our sakes, The brightness of the scriptures, Past/Present/Future symbolism, The Word of God, etc.



Alma 38 -- Internal consistency in Alma's words to Shiblon, A note about the usage of Psalms, Messengers and angels, similarities to Alma 7 (also here), intentional parallels, etc.

Internal Consistency in Alma's commandments to Shiblon

In his commandments to his son Shiblon, Alma-2 says:

13 Do not pray as the Zoramites do, for ye have seen that they pray to be heard of men, and to be praised for their wisdom.
14 Do not say: O God, I thank thee that we are better than our brethren; but rather say: O Lord, forgive my unworthiness, and remember my brethren in mercy—yea, acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times. (Alma 38)

This is consistent with the earlier account of the prayers of the Zoramites:

14 Therefore, whosoever desired to worship must go forth and stand upon the top thereof, and stretch forth his hands towards heaven, and cry with a loud voice, saying...
16 Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ. (Alma 31)

We know from Alma 31:7 that Shiblon was among the missionaries Alma-2 took with him, so the statement "ye have seen" in Alma 38:13 is confirmed as accurate from the previous account. Had he said the same thing to Helaman we'd have a problem.

An interesting note about Alma's use of Psalms in the Book of Mormon (internal consistency alert)

Occasionally, I discover something about the text of the Book of Mormon that blows my mind.  This happened again recently as I was studying the use of Psalm-language in the Book of Mormon.  The dozens of examples I've studied are not randomly distributed.  Certain authors use a lot of it (Nephi, Jacob, Alma-2), other authors use little or none of it (Mormon, Moroni). That alone is an interesting detail.

Then I noticed something even more specific.  Alma-2 (commonly known as Alma the Younger) uses Psalm-language a total of 15 times (according to these two relatively comprehensive sources -- source 1 from John Hilton III and source 2 from Book of Mormon Central). In all but two or three of the examples, the Psalm-language Alma-2 uses matches Psalm-language found on the small plates.  This fits very well with another theory I have about Alma-2 having diligently studying the small plates and incorporating their message into his ministry, much more so than other Book of Mormon figures. I'll provide specifics to back up my assertion below.

One caveat before moving on to the specifics -- I personally don't know the Psalms by heart, and so finding additional examples has been difficult for me even with the aid of modern computers. This goes to show how hard it would have been for Joseph Smith to devise this on his own.

Usage of Psalm-language in the first two thirds of the Book of Alma provides us with a very distinct opportunity to test out a theory, because the 21 examples come from just two individuals. Alma-2 is responsible for 15.  Ammon gives us 6.

Let's consider Alma-2 and Ammon as individuals. They are contemporaries who were miraculously converted at the same time. Ammon's father was the Nephite King. Alma-2's father was the leader of the Nephite religion.  Both were incredible missionaries -- Ammon served among the Lamanites for 14 years, and Alma-2 gave up his position as the chief judge and preached among the Nephites for many years.

Despite all of these similarities, they have one very distinct difference: Alma-2 was a keeper of the records.  Ammon was not.  Alma-2 had significantly greater access to the small plates than Ammon. My theory is that for this reason, Alma-2 incorporates more of the small plate themes into his literary work than Ammon. He knew the small plates better.

Apparently, this extends to the use of Psalms, too.

Below you'll find two tables. The first table shows the 15 examples of Alma-2's use of Psalm-language.  The second table shows Ammon's 6 examples.  If the row is colored green, it has a clear match to Psalm-language in the small plate writings.  If it is yellow, it has a questionable match.  If it is red, it doesn't have a clear match on the small plates.

Table 1. Alma as a Student of the Small Plates

Alma Reference	Psalm-Language	Small Plates Reference
Alma 7:27	From this time forth and forever (Psalm 113:2; 115:8; 121:8)	1 Nephi 12:18; 2 Nephi 29:9
Alma 7:19	In the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3)	1 Nephi 16:5
Alma 36:28	I will praise thee forever Psalm 52:9)	2 Nephi 4:30
Alma 7:22	That I may walk (Psalm 56:13)	2 Nephi 4:32
Alma 33:11*	I will cry unto (Psalm 57:2)	2 Nephi 4:35
Alma 36:1	Give ear to my words (Psalm 5:1)	2 Nephi 9:40
Alma 38:1	Give ear to my words (Psalm 5:1)	2 Nephi 9:40
Alma 5:19	Clean hands . . . pure heart (Psalm 24:4)	2 Nephi 25:16
Alma 14:6	The pains of hell (Psalm 116:3)	Jacob 3:11
Alma 36:13	The pains of hell (Psalm 116:3)	Jacob 3:11
Alma 12:35	Swear in my wrath (Psalm 95:11)	Jacob 1:7
Alma 37:12	Over all his works (Psalm 145:9)	Jacob 4:10
Alma 36:27	Put my trust . . . deliver (Psalm 7:1; 25:20; 31:1)	2 Nephi 4:31,34?
Alma 5:50	The king of all the earth (Psalm 47:7)	not found
Alma 37:15	As chaff before the wind (Psalm 35:5)	not found
*	Quoting Zenos, a prophet also quoted on the small plates

It is also worth noting that similar examples of the Psalm-language in the two red examples can be found in other Old Testament passages, so perhaps Alma-2 is referencing the brass plates or some other lost source rather than the Psalms in those cases.  Even so, 12-13 out of the 15 examples fit this pattern very neatly.

Ammon, on the other hand, did not seem to limit his Psalm-language to examples also found on the small plates.  In his well-known praise to God in celebration of the astounding missionary success he and his brothers enjoyed among the Lamanites, we find 6 examples of Psalm-language. In Table 2 below, we see that only one of these examples has a clear correlation on the small plates, and there is a plausible explanation for this -- that one instance is also used by Alma-2 twice, once in connection with his conversion story. (In other words, it is possible Ammon is actually quoting something he first heard Alma-2 say in reference to the miraculous conversion event for which Ammon was present.)

Table 2. Ammon as a Control

Alma Reference	Psalm-Language	Small Plates Reference
Alma 26:8	Praise ... his holy name ... forever (Psalm 145:21)	not found
Alma 26:12	Will praise . . . name forever (Psalm 145:2)	not found
Alma 26:13	The pains of hell (Psalm 116:3)	Jacob 3:11*
Alma 26:23	laugh...to scorn (Psalm 22:7)	not found
Alma 26:36	Hath been mindful of us (Psalm 115:12)	not found
Alma 26:37	I will give thanks unto [God] forever (Psalm 30:12)	not found
*	This phrase is also used by Alma-2, twice, once in reference to his conversion, during which Ammon was present.

Conclusion

A few comments:

1. It is amazing to me that of all the speakers and writers in the Book of Alma, only three of them use Psalm-language at all.  >95% of that is produced by two of them.  
2. Of those two, we have a clear distinction.  12-13/15 times that Alma-2 uses Psalm-language, he is simultaneously referencing the small plates. Ammon appears to do this once out of six examples, however, the single exception could result from Ammon quoting Alma-2, who in turn is borrowing from Jacob.
3. It is really hard for me to believe that Joseph Smith would have been able to keep track of all of this without notes, especially in light of the fact that he dictated the Book of Alma long before he dictated 1 Nephi - Jacob.  
4. Accomplishing this through naturalistic means without notes would require an exceptional memory and an exquisite knowledge of the Psalms. 
• During the dictation of the Book of Alma, Joseph would have needed to remember the "Alma Psalms" (which would later need to be included in the writings of Nephi and Jacob) and the "Ammon Psalms" (which would later need to be excluded from the writings of Nephi and Jacob). All of this information would have to be held in Joseph's mind for at least a few weeks. (In addition to all other internally consistent details.)
• Joseph would also have needed to avoid Psalm-language at all other times while dictating Alma 1-40.
5. This is a lot of information to keep track of even for me using a computer. As I stated above, I doubt my own ability to spot additional examples of Psalm-language in the Book of Mormon.  Thus, it is reasonable to maintain some degree of caution that additional examples could change these numbers and lead me to a different conclusion. 
6. Here we have yet another subtle, consistent example of internal consistency. If you believe the Book of Mormon was written by Joseph Smith, you'd have to believe that he went to these great lengths, and then once the book was published, he never mentioned it or pointed it out to anyone.

Messengers and Angels in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon makes little distinction between messengers and angels.  This is fitting, since the Hebrew word can mean either.

מֲלְאָךְ "malak"

1 messenger,

• a. one sent with a message
• b. a prophet.
• c. priest.
• d. a messenger from God acting as an interpreter and declaring what is right.

2 angel, as messenger of God, 

3 the theophanic angel 

(Source link)

The Book of Mormon contains numerous examples of prophets playing the role of messenger, a tradition which fits in with the High Priestly tradition later suppressed in the Old Testament by the Deuteronomic tradition, which focused more on the law of Moses.  (Interestingly, a similar theological struggle is happening today between those Christians who believe the word of God has already been given and no more is needed, and those who believe in modern revelation given to mankind through divinely called prophets.)

Take for example Alma-2, who experienced a visitation from an angel of God and spoke about it often throughout the rest of his life, using words like these:

7 But behold, the Lord in his great mercy sent his angel to declare unto me that I must stop the work of destruction among his people; yea, and I have seen an angel face to face, and he spake with me, and his voice was as thunder, and it shook the whole earth. (Alma 38)

In her book Temple Theology, Margaret Barker points out a unique passage in 2 Enoch, where Enoch is brought to stand before God and given a divine commission:

2 Thus (in a moment of eternity) I saw the Lord's face, but the Lord’s face is ineffable, marvellous and very awful, and very, very terrible.
...
4 And I fell prone and bowed down to the Lord, and the Lord with his lips said to me:
5 Have courage, Enoch, do not fear, arise and stand before my face into eternity.
6 And the archistratege Michael lifted me up, and led me to before the Lord’s face.
7 And the Lord said to his servants tempting them: Let Enoch stand before my face into eternity, and the glorious ones bowed down to the Lord, and said: Let Enoch go according to Your word.
8 And the Lord said to Michael: Go and take Enoch from out (of) his earthly garments, and anoint him with my sweet ointment, and put him into the garments of My glory.
9 And Michael did thus, as the Lord told him. He anointed me, and dressed me, and the appearance of that ointment is more than the great light, and his ointment is like sweet dew, and its smell mild, shining like the sun’s ray, and I looked at myself, and (I) was like (transfigured) one of his glorious ones. (2 Enoch 22)

Barker points out the following about this passage:

The LORD summons Michael to remove Enoch's earthly clothing -- the symbol of his mortal body -- and to dress him in the garments of glory -- the symbol of the resurrection body. Enoch is then anointed with a fragrant myrrh oil and sees himself transformed into an angel. (Temple Theology, p. 57)

The connection to our modern temple worship is quite obvious, but something else caught my attention, too. I see a symbolic "rebirth" happening as Enoch is given a glorious garment to represent his glorious resurrection.

You can imagine that if a similar garment was worn by the Nephites and symbolized their devotion to the everlasting covenant, taking off the garment (becoming "naked") would have been a very big deal.

Also, the pattern established in this passage fits precisely with a pattern we see in the Book of Mormon, particularly in the case of Alma-2. There is a heavenly vision, a "falling down" in fear, a command to arise, and then a fearless proclaiming of the Gospel for the rest of his days.

Notice what Alma teaches immediately upon "arising" after a period of lifelessness, and notice that the fear he had prior to his collapse is completely gone. He speaks of a new birth:

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:
24 For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.
25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. (Mosiah 27)

In the Book of Moses we read Enoch's own words on the same topic (including a description of Adam's questions to God about the need for baptism and an account of Adam's baptism):

58 Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying:
59 That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory; ...68 Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons. (Moses 6)

It makes me wonder if Alma had the same experience Enoch had, or something very similar.

Similarities between Alma 7 and Alma 38 -- "I trust that I shall have joy over/in you"

Here is more evidence that the similarities we find in Alma 5-13 and Alma 36-42 are intentional and not coincidental.

In this post, I pointed out that the word "temperate" only shows up twice in the entire Book of Mormon -- once in Alma 7 and once in Alma 38.

There is another unique expression only found in these two chapters.

Doing a search for sentences in the Book of Mormon which contain both the word "trust" and the word "joy" yields two results:


5 And I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over you; nevertheless I do not desire that my joy over you should come by the cause of so much afflictions and sorrow which I have had for the brethren at Zarahemla, for behold, my joy cometh over them after wading through much affliction and sorrow. (Alma 7)



2 And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end. (Alma 38)

Similarities between Alma 7 and Alma 38 -- "Temperate"

I'm looking into Grant Hardy's theory that Alma's words to his sons intentionally parallel the descriptions of his missionary labors among the Nephites.

I have to say there is quite a bit of compelling evidence to support this theory.

Consider the word "temperate" as an example.  This word shows up 7 times in all of the standard works, and only twice in the entire Book of Mormon.

Once in Alma's words to the people of Gideon:

23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. (Alma 7)

...and once in his words to his son Shiblon:

10 And now, as ye have begun to teach the word even so I would that ye should continue to teach; and I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in all things. (Alma 38)

This, to me, is either a remarkable coincidence or an indication of a pattern.

Intentional parallels between Alma 5-13 and Alma 36-42

Grant Hardy has a very interesting theory about the layout of Alma.  You can watch his entire presentation here.

In short, he finds numerous parallels between the chapters describing Alma's missionary efforts among three Nephite cities (found in Alma 5-13) and his instructions to his sons (found in Alma 36-42).  He offers several lines of evidence to support his reasoning:

1. In each case, there is a header which was part of the revealed text documenting the account (see headers to chapters 5, 7, 9, 36, 38, 39).
2. We know Alma preached in more cities than just the three, but only three get specifically detailed.
3. The relative length of each son/city pairing is similar.
4. Unique language is found each pairing of accounts, including phrases that are not found very often or at all in other scriptures. See below and future posts for more details about this.

Below is an overview of the big picture, which will be followed later this week with three more detailed posts demonstrating each son/city pairing, which I will link here for future reference.

• Zarahemla (5-6) / Helaman (36-37): "Remember captivity" "Put trust in God" "Born of God"
• Gideon (7-8) / Shiblon (38): "Trust that I shall have joy over/in you"
• Ammonihah (9-13) / Corianton (39-42): "Except ye repent/do this, ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God"

Hardy also suggests that the underlying purpose of these pairings might be an attempt by Mormon at creating a chiastic message in the first 44 chapters of the book of Alma.  I'm not sure I completely follow/agree with this idea, but it is definitely intriguing.  I'll post more about this later this week as well. 

The Book of Mormon proverb

20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Sounds familiar? If it does, it is because it is consistently repeated throughout the pre-Christ phase of the Book of Mormon. This is from 1 Nephi 2, the first time this statement is spoken by the Lord himself to Nephi while he was in the wilderness. This is also what Nephi refers to in 1 Nephi 4 when he is back in Jerusalem to get the brass plates

14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

It is repeated several more times in 1st and 2nd Nephi
1 Nephi 17:13

wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land

2 Nephi 1:9

Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land

(It seems that both Nephi and Lehi had received this promise individually directly from the Lord. The "have obtained" refers to a previous occasion probably recorded on the large plates. A couple of times in Alma, this "Book of Mormon proverb" is referred to as something the Lord told Lehi.)

2 Nephi 1:20

And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. 

2 Nephi 4:4

For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.

2 Nephi 5:20

Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence.

Interestingly, after the books of Nephi, each of the small books contain this same statement. They write so little, yet they make sure to repeat this particular promise.

First, a variant of this spoken directly by the Lord to Enos in verse 10

I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity

Then a reference to what the Lord had said to "our fathers" in Jarom verse 9. We note the plural and the fact that Jarom's father, Enos, his granduncle, Nephi, and his great-grandfather, Lehi, had all received this promise individually

But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land

Another reference to what the Lord had said to "our fathers" in Omni verse 6

he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land.

Over to the large plates of Nephi. I will not quote every single one but here is an overview:

• King Benjamin to his sons in Mosiah 1:7
• King Benjamin to the people in Mosiah 2:22 and 31
• Alma to the people of Ammonihah in Alma 9:13
• Alma to his son, Helaman, in Alma 36:1 and 30 (beginning and end of the chiasmus)
• Alma to his son, Helaman again in Alma 37:13
• Alma to his son, Shiblon, in Alma 38:1
• References by Mormon in his abridgment in Alma 48:15, 25 and 50:20

Altogether 20 repetitions of this promise. That is a lot! One may wonder why this is repeated so consistently from 1 Nephi through Alma and then it seems to disappear except a few possible allusions, like Helaman 12:21

And if the Lord shall say—Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence—he will cause that it shall be so.

Why this is the case, I don't know. But the rest of the Book of Mormon is a fulfillment of this promise. After the Saviour's visit in 3rd Nephi, the people keep the commandments and prosper as promised in 4th Nephi

7 And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land

Then they turn away from God, and are cut off from his presence (see for instance Mormon 1:14)

And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

Finally, the Nephites, as we know, are completely cut off from the land.

Alma's words to his sons, Helaman and Shiblon

Alma 36 and Alma 38 contain Alma's words to his sons, Helaman and Shiblon, respectively. The similarities between the beginning of these chapters is striking.
In Alma 36:1-5, we read

1 My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.

2 I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.

3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

4 And I would not that ye think that I know of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God.

5 Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself;

In Alma 38:1-6, we read

1 My son, give ear to my words, for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence.

2 And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.

3 I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the Zoramites.

4 For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word’s sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee.

5 And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

6 Now, my son, I would not that ye should think that I know these things of myself, but it is the Spirit of God which is in me which maketh these things known unto me; for if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things.

Obviously, Alma is giving his two sons the same message. But there is one exception marked with green. He asks Helaman to remember the captivity of his fathers. But he asks Shiblon to remember his own captivity. This is consistent with Alma 31:7

Now the eldest of his sons he took not with him, and his name was Helaman; but the names of those whom he took with him were Shiblon and Corianton; and these are the names of those who went with him among the Zoramites

In other words, Helaman did not have personal experience with captivity or bondage for the sake of the word, so Alma asks him to remember the captivity of his fathers. Shiblon was with Alma on his mission to the Zoramites and experienced his own bondage, so Alma asks him to remember that. That makes sense.

Then, as we know Alma goes on to relate his own experience with the angel and his repentance, in a beautiful chiasmus in Alma 36. In Alma 38:7-8, we read the abbreviated version

7 But behold, the Lord in his great mercy sent his angel to declare unto me that I must stop the work of destruction among his people; yea, and I have seen an angel face to face, and he spake with me, and his voice was as thunder, and it shook the whole earth. 

8 And it came to pass that I was three days and three nights in the most bitter pain and anguish of soul; and never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find peace to my soul.

I would like to propose that this really is the abbreviated version of what Alma actually told Shiblon. Since his message started out the same, I think it's reasonable to assume it also continued the same when Alma told his sons about this experience. But it had already been written in Alma 36 and there was no need to repeat everything in writing in Alma 38, so it was kept much shorter. But we see that the two quoted verses in Alma 38 pretty much sums up Alma 36:6-23. Alma 36:24-30 is a repetition of the already quoted beginning, in reverse order, to complete the chiasmus.

Not until Alma completes his message in Alma 36, do the two admonitions to his sons start to deviate. Helaman is the next record keeper so he receives specific instructions in Alma 37, whereas Shiblon receives his personal admonitions in Alma 38:9-15.