After the Lord had instructed Alma concerning those who were worthy to be received into the Church of God, He further commanded Alma to go his way and judge the transgressor "according to the sins which he had committed." As we have noted, Alma greatly desired to judge righteously, and we may imagine that he being so disposed resolved to regulate, or adjust and settle peaceably all departures from Church regulations. No doubt Alma determined not to judge him guilty who is only supposed to be in error; neither, we presume, would he condemn any who were the victims of lying tongues, nor those who were helpless and had no helper. The rich in the things of the world and the poor were to be equal when they stood before him as their judge.
But one condition served to ameliorate any punishment Alma might pronounce: if the one taken in sin "confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also."
One of Satan's most cunning ways to lead men on in wrongdoing is craftily to make them believe in the uselessness of repentance. "I have gone too far to repent; there is no forgiveness for me." That is not true. "Yea," the Lord said to Alma, "And as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me." Of course there is forgiveness for everyone, if it were not so, God's great purposes would fail and this we do not believe. The poor sheep may be lost in the wood, hungry and helpless and cold, hunted by the wolf, falling over the precipice. "But the Good Shepherd is on His way and is looking for it, and will find it. And will take it into His arms and will carry it to the fold" and will rejoice that the lost is found and the dead is again alive.