Redaction: This next literary unit is Ammon’s address to his brethren. As noted at the end of our chapter 25, Mormon provides an abrupt transition into this unit. The original manuscript of the Book of Mormon did not have punctuation nor paragraph breaks, so I have taken the liberty of slightly recasting this transition so that it better replicates how I think Mormon would have seen the conceptual development of his text:
(Alma 25:17) And now behold, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni, and their brethren did rejoice exceedingly, for the success which they had had among the Lamanites, seeing that the Lord had granted unto them according to their prayers, and that he had also verified his word unto them in every particular. (Alma 26:1) And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus:
My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?
This rearrangement reveals Mormon’s logic in creating this transition. He first describes the rejoicing, then begins Ammon’s record. As usual, Mormon has provided a minimal historical record to provide essential context for the larger sermons. That is the pattern here, even though he did not create a chapter break for this unit. He did not feel that he needed one since he is dealing with the missionary labors of Mosiah’s sons as a large unit. He is taking this record from a different source, apparently Ammon’s, if the emphasis on Ammon is any indication. Mormon therefore saw this entire story (chaps. 21–26) as a quoted text. Thus, he located chapter breaks at the beginning and end of the quoted section but considers the entire insertion as a whole unit.