“Where does a prophet begin to change things? What could he do to turn things around in the land? Notice that he did not begin with a general conference, though he was the prophet, nor did he call a press conference to gather public support. He chose instead to start at home. In fact, perhaps Mormon, in making his abridgment, felt this point was so critical for us as a latter-day people to understand that he put aside his account of wars and difficulties that Alma faced in governing his people and instead detailed in his transcript how a prophet may have helped change the entire social order. He began at home!” (Anderson and Anderson, “One by One,” 55).
The superscription to Alma 36 was part of the ancient record translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith and dictated by him to his scribe (see also, for example, 2 Nephi, Mosiah 9, and Alma 38).
The italicized words “Comprising chapters 36 and 37” were not part of the ancient record but were added later to printed editions of the Book of Mormon.