Alma 24:7 Now, these are the words which he said unto the people concerning the matter:

A1) I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us,

B1) and to convince us of the traditions of our wicked fathers.

C1) a) 8 And behold, I thank my great God that he has given us a portion of his Spirit to soften our hearts,

b) that we have opened a correspondence

D1) with these brethren, the Nephites.

C1’) a) 9 And behold, I also thank my God,

b) that by opening this correspondence

B1’) we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed.

A1’) 10 And I also thank my God, yea, my great God,

A2) a) that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things,

b) and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed,

c) and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.

d) 11 And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do

a) (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent

b) of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed,

c) and to get God to take them away from our hearts,

d) for it was all we could do

A2’) to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain—

A3) 12 Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains,

B3) and our swords have become bright,

C3) then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren. 13 Behold, I say unto you, Nay,

C3’) let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren;

B3’) for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright

A3’) through the blood of the Son of our great God,

which shall be shall be shed for the atonement of our sins.

A4) 14 And the great God

B4) has had mercy on us,

C4) and made these things known unto us that we might not perish;

yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand,

D4) because he loveth our souls

D4’) as well as he loveth our children;

C4’) therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels,

that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations.

B4’) 15 Oh, how merciful

A4’) is our God!

A2) d) And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do

A3) to get our stains taken away from us,

B3) and our swords are made bright,

a) let us hide them away

b) that they may be kept bright,

c) as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged,

C3) that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.

16 And now, my brethren,

Z) if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold,

a) we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth,

b) that they may be kept bright,

c) as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day;

Z) and if our brethren destroy us, behold,

A1) A4) we shall go to our God and shall be saved.