Alma’s instructions to Shiblon are short compared to those given to Helaman and Corianton, but apparently all three sons were present and listened to their father instruct each of them (v. 1). Alma may have been brief to Shiblon because he had been such a good boy, and was not given the responsibility of the records. He just encouraged him to endure to the end (v. 2). Furthermore, Shiblon had been with Alma on their mission to the Zoramites, and Helaman had not been (see Alma 31:6–7). Therefore, Helaman was given more instructions because he had missed the great sermons given by Alma and Amulek, and possibly others.
We have no record of Shiblon’s experiences of suffering among the Zoramites, except what Alma gives us here (38:3–4). Alma does repeat some of the same concepts to Shiblon that he had given to Helaman: Keep the Commandments (v. 1) and trust in God and you will be delivered out of your trials and be lifted up at the last day (v. 5). He also repeats briefly his born again experience (vv. 6–8). He admonished Shiblon to learn wisdom in his youth (v. 9), as he had admonished Helaman (37:35), but he adds two more precepts. Alma equates wisdom with learning saying there is only one way to gain salvation—through Christ (v. 9). Wisdom, as the application of knowledge, certainly fits here. In fact, it is the epitome of the wisdom that we should learn. Alma then identified Christ with “ the light and life of the world” and with “truth and righteousness” (v. 9). While these are well-known New Testament teachings (see John 1:4–9; 8:12; and 8:32), they are somewhat unique to this part of the Book of Mormon. They are also a great contrast to the warning of the darkness of the secret combinations of the Jaredites (37:21).