Alma had been a priest for Noah where the priests had influence but it was ultimately the king’s prerogative what punishment an accused person might receive. In Zerahemla he was a high priest for God but he knew that he was also a subject to Mosiah so it is understandable that he would turn the people over to Mosiah who had been found guilty of various sins. Mosiah, who has been raised in righteousness unlike Alma, recognized the value of keeping ecclesiastical and legal judgments independent of each other. Since the people had been accused and find guilty through an ecclesiastical court he allowed the ecclesiastical leader to handle the penalty.
I’ll bet that the sins of Mosiah cubed with their friends Alma before they went to their father to sell Kenison to preach to the Lamanites. He might have felt a desire to go with them but with an assurance that his work was among the Nephites.
I had always assumed that Ammon was the oldest son of Mosiah but the people first choose Aaron which raises the possibility that Aaron was the oldest.
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