Alma appeared to indicate (v. 12) that the Atoning Messiah will actually learn something, a concept that must have been puzzling to his listeners. As believers in Yahweh-Messiah, they would assume that Yahweh had nothing to learn. Alma clarifies that “the Spirit knoweth all things.” In other words, pain, affliction, and death will not teach the Messiah anything that he would not have already understood on some level. Nevertheless, not the understanding, but the experience allows the Messiah to be merciful and “blot out their transgressions.” Alma testifies that this process is essential to the mission of the Atoning Messiah.