Helaman’s pedestal

I wonder how Helaman saw his dad. Was he aware of Alma’s youth or had he minimized any stories he had heard about the past and viewed his father as the amazingly spiritual leader of the church? For Alma to clearly tell his sons of his wicked past and unworthy conversion suggests that they may have seen their present father without considering the context of his past – that can leave the wing impression about grace and repentance even if Alma taught the proper doctrine about those concepts.