We are told in Mosiah 23:14 that one Amalekite was converted. Why might this have been mentioned? They worked so hard to convert these people by preaching in the synagogues of the Amalekites, and yet they came away empty except for this one.
Missionaries, take hope wherever you are, the worth of souls is great, even if it be only one soul! (D&C 18:15). It would have been easy for the account of the four sons to have said that they worked real hard but did not have much success among the Amalekites. But even one soul was worth mentioning in the record. Think of other stories in the Book of Mormon where just one was converted. Alma the Elder was the only convert of Abinadi in the courts of Noah. Was he worth something? In the city of Ammonihah, Amulek was initially the only one who listened to Alma, and what a convert and ally he became! Together, Amulek and Alma converted only Zeezrom. As far as we know, the others were driven out or killed. At times, missionaries in the Book of Mormon converted thousands, but that is not always the case. It begins so often with just one, and that one is important.
President Bateman gave a talk in which he reminded us that the Savior invited the people at the temple in Bountiful to “Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and … feel the prints of the nails in my hands and … feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world” (3 Nephi 11:14). President Bateman went on to say:
“The record indicates that the multitude went forth ’one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety’ (3 Nephi 11:15; emphasis added). Although the multitude totaled 2,500 souls, the record states that ‘all of them did see and hear, every man for himself’ (3 Nephi 17:25). If each person were given 15 seconds to approach the resurrected Lord, thrust their hand into his side, and feel the prints of the nails, more than 10 hours would be required to complete the process."
That is the way the gospel works—one at a time. We all go through the same process. There are no missed steps for anyone.
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Jesus Minister to the People One by One? (3 Nephi 17:21),” KnoWhy 209 (October 14, 2016).
Merrill J. Bateman, “One by One,” BYU Speeches (September 9, 1997).