In the context of the way Alma sees the relationship of pains and afflictions to Jesus, the reference here to “he will take upon him death” comes into higher focus. Just as the function of Jesus’ acceptance of the peoples pains and afflictions was to remove them from the people, so to his acceptance of death is particularly to remove it. This is confirmed by the very next phrase, that indicates that Jesus will “take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people. He has used the acceptance of pain and death as a mode of removal of those consequences (perhaps in the same way as the community of Israel cast their sins upon the scapegoat, and they were removed from the people and placed onto the goat – see Leviticus 16:20-22).
In the final phrase of this verse, Alma expands his meaning. Not only does the Messiah take upon himself sin as a means of removal, but also so that Jesus’ experience will allow him empathy for mankind.