It is difficult to imagine the sense of guilt which the four sons of Mosiah now felt as they tried to repair the damage which they had done to the Church. But they were overjoyed with the changes that had come into their own lives that they felt compelled to ask permission from their father to undertake something many thought was impossible.
The missionary zeal in the hearts of these sons of Mosiah was equal to that of Paul, who would arrive on the scene a century later. The intensity of their feelings is portrayed in the next two verses.