Alma 16:16 - 16:21

Alma 16:16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—

The work of Alma and Amulek had produced an environment such that the Lord was able to increase the influence of the Spirit in the lives of the people. This outpouring would be the precursor to the greater outpourings of things to come in relation to the coming of the Messiah which was to happen soon.

Alma 16:17 That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God.

The purpose of this outpouring of the Spirit is so that the people would believe in the coming of the Messiah. That they would act in such a way as to avoid the destruction that would always be the case if they faltered and lost the influence of the Spirit. It is compared to being one of the vines of the plant that lives in the present of the Lord to enjoy the benefits of His constant care.

Alma 16:18 Now those priests who did go forth among the people did preach against all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and malice, and revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing adultery, and all manner of lasciviousness, crying that these things ought not so to be—

The outreach to the Nephites by Alma through the priests and teachers set apart by him was to convince the people to not fall prey to the devises of the devil such as being envious, lying for gain, being angry at your neighbor, committing all forms of thief, immortality, not working for you needs, in short, behaving in a manner that would only cause sorry and destruction to themselves and each other.

Alma 16:19 Holding forth things which must shortly come; yea, holding forth the coming of the Son of God, his sufferings and death, and also the resurrection of the dead.

Further, that they were teaching about the what the savor would have to go through in the form of pain and suffering to bring about the atonement and resurrection.

Alma 16:20 And many of the people did inquire concerning the place where the Son of God should come; and they were taught that he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy and gladness.

This teaching about the coming of the Messiah, prompted many to ask where He would be born and die. They were taught where that would happen but that He would appear to them after His resurrection and they or their descendants would hear His voice in person.

Alma 16:21 And now after the church had been established throughout all the land—having got the victory over the devil, and the word of God being preached in its purity in all the land, and the Lord pouring out his blessings upon the people—thus ended the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

By the end of the 14th year, the church was well established in the land. The devil’s influence had been minimalized and the Lord was pouring out blessing upon the people in great abundance.