Why was this phrase uttered by Alma recorded? Alma 2:30

Why was this phrase uttered by Alma recorded? Alma 2:30

There's a big huge battle between the Nephites, the Amlicites, and the Lamanites. Alma the Younger, the righteous religious leader, is fighting this horribly wicked guy named Amlici in hand-to-hand combat. In the middle of their battle, he steps back, gets some breathing room, and prays to God for help.

Verse 31 describes how he manages to slay Amlici, verse 32 describes how the king of the Lamanites runs away.

This really took me back because it's like, huh?

ANSWER:
Probably the men in the battle (kind of stupidly) stopped to watch their leaders fight to see who would win. The words also probably were passed down as a kind of legend, though I tend to think it's not of the tall-tale sort. Maybe Mormon didn't trust the story enough to include embellished details.

It is a clear, obvious example to us, the readers, the value of praying to God. We don't know much about Alma's physical strength. We know he was best friends with the princes, son of the second (or first) most important person in the Nephite society, and by this point he has become both the chief judge and the high priest. Picture President Nelson as the prophet, president of the United States, and the chief general of the army, fighting Hitler...with a sword!

Everyone knew the story of Alma's past. His prayer here was visible, important, significant, and totally impactful. God immediately answered his prayer by filling him with strength to prevail over his enemies.

The main takeaways about prayer here are these:
- When you're in a bad situation, pray. No matter how bad it is.
- Literally, no matter how bad it is, you should make time to pray. Even in a one-on-one death match.
- Pray unselfishly. He prays for God to spare his life so he can be an instrument in God's hand to save and preserve his people. This detail is important.
- When you pray for what God wants you to have, you're more likely to get it. Duh.