Social: These verses provide a description of some important features of Zoramite society, and also of Nephite society since they are presented in a way that tells us that they are different from the Nephite norm. First, we again have the discussion of the “selfsame” prayer. What we have added to this information is the implied communality in previous verses explicitly stated in verse 23. This is a prayer that is given when “they had assembled themselves together.” The function of this prayer is not individual worship, but communal worship. This public statement of communal unity is clearly not a part of Nephite worship since it is obviously the subject of criticism. From this we learn not only that the Zoramite worship maintains distinct political and communal overtones, and that the Nephite worship did not use public prayer in this manner.
The second criticism appears to be that this is a practice that is relegated to a specific day, and that the Zoramites do not speak of their God in the intervening days. The Zoramite practice of relegating worship to an event is not all that different from many religions, where worship is associated with days and functions. Where the emphasis of religion in on the community rather than the individual, the focus is logically on events that may be planned for the gathering of that community. The Nephite worship is, on the other hand, an individual worship as well as a communal one. There are communal functions, but the essence of religious practice is individual.
Of course the gospel of Christ is intended to be internalized. It is intended that the practice of religion be personal and not uniquely communal. We continue to participate in communal religious gatherings because those also have value, but in addition to Sunday meetings, religion happens in personal prayers and in the moral lessons we teach our children and in the moral lessons we attempt to live ourselves each day.