20 And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness.
21 Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God.
22 And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God.
23 And now the Lord said unto Alma: Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land, for the Lamanites have awakened and do pursue thee; therefore get thee out of this land, and I will stop the Lamanites in this valley that they come no further in pursuit of this people.
The people served the Lord and turned to him in trust. However, the due time of the Lord did not come quickly. Perhaps the Lord was instituting a physical conditioning program in preparation for their extremely strenuous thirteen-day flight to the land of Zarahemla. The terrain was undoubtedly rough and the Lamanites would be in hot pursuit. Without this conditioning, would Alma’s people, including women and children, have been able to endure the trip, as well as to outrun the Lamanite army? Probably not without the Lord’s help. The Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites and all their taskmasters to give the Nephites a head start (v. 19). He further promised to halt the Lamanites in the valley wherein the Nephites had pitched camp (v. 23). The people had complied with their covenant and the Lord delivered his people.