Alma shows us a little of the nature of his particular prophetic calling. There is some of the future he sees, and some that he does not. He clearly sees the increasing hardening of the hearts among the Nephites. This is his word. What is happening in socially definable terms rather than religious terms is that the people are being brought into the greater cultural trends around them, and the increasing acceptance of part of “the world” is also increasing the pressure to accept more of the social, political and economic traits of that surrounding “world.” The Nephites are rapidly accepting a hierarchical society instead of the traditional Nephite egalitarianism. They are increasingly accepting the worlds mode of politics, and the desire for a king will increase. As a final insult to a prophet’s sensibilities, they are increasingly adopting revisionist religious views that deny the Atoning Messiah.
For all of these things Alma has a clear vision. What is a mystery to him is the future return of his people to the true gospel. The apostasy he sees, the return he does not. Nevertheless, what he does see he keeps mostly hidden, for he notes that he “shall forbear.” He does not tell Helaman all he knows. Perhaps it is best, for the hints of Alma’s knowledge suggest that he understands all too well the war in which his son will become embroiled.