Alma - Chapter 4

 3 And so great were their afflictions that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty. 

This little scripture came as a pretty big personal indictment to me.  Many of us, like myself, are experiencing hard times with the economic slow down.  It is easy to blame Wall Street, Congress, this President, that President for the struggles we are having.  Perhaps placing blame is not very productive.  Perhaps accepting blame might assist me more.  Perhaps my personal circumstances are as they are because of my own wickedness and focusing on that fact and making the appropriate course corrections through sincere repentance will do me much more good in terms of returning to personal prosperity, than placing the blame elsewhere does.

18 Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being high priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.

19 And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.

Always, the trouble in society reflects the trouble in our own personal lives.  If we collectively repent and improve our own lives, society will improve as a result.  Alma knew this.  The gospel, working in individual hearts will pull down pride, craftiness and contention, now as in the past.