Alma The Younger

WHY WERE ALMA THE YOUNGER AND THE SONS OF MOSIAH ACCORDED A CALL TO REPENTANCE BY AN ANGEL WHEN SO MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE LEFT THE CHURCH AND WARRED AGAINST IT, DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN GRANTED A LIKE PRIVILEGE?

A similar thing happened on the Damascus Road to the Apostle Paul in the New Testament and no doubt others.  I have always wondered about this and thought that perhaps these men had been valiant in the premortal realm and had earned a warning.  From the book, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2, by McConkie and Millet, pages 304-305 we read:

"First, it ought be observed that if all rebellious souls were accorded a personal visit from an angel assuring the reality of the world to come with its rewards and punishments, there would be little need for faith on anyone's part.

Second, such appearances of angels would create the temptation to obtain a testimony by negative behavior rather than through righteousness.  Given that few among the faithful are privileged to enjoy the ministering of angels, it would seem a strange system of theology that freely granted such a privilege to the wicked.

Third, it could be that some appreciable number of people have had such an experience and have rejected the divine counsel and chosen not to repent and thus we have no record of the experience.  We know, for example, that Laman and Lemuel were rebuked by an angel and that they disregarded it.  (1 Nephi 3:29) And there is no evidence that they ever recorded such things.

Fourth, the Savior explained that those who reject the testimony of scripture and living prophets would also reject the testimony of angels, were they to appear to them (Luke 16:31). 

Fifth, we have the testimony of scripture that 'some have entertained angels unawares' (Hebrews 13:2) and we might suppose that in many instances angels have sought to entice transgressors from their course in unobserved or less dramatic ways than this appearance to Alma and the sons of Mosiah.

Sixth, the prayers of the righteous cannot go unheard.  Alma the Elder and Mosiah were both men of great faith who no doubt implored the heavens night and day with a plea of help to save their wayward sons.  Nor did they pray alone, for their pleadings were joined by those of all the faithful of the Church in and around Zarahemla. 

Seventh, it need be remembered that the Lord who can manifest his power in a great variety of ways is hardly limited to angelic ministrations or open visions. Many have had conversion experiences of spiritual impact and consequence equal to Alma's experience, which are the result of a growing together of circumstances divinely contrived: life-changing experiences involving such things as a confrontation with death, an inspired sermon, a caring parent or relative, or a sensitive priesthood leader."  Thus we see that a combination of factors resulted in the heavenly visitation.