This is all just very much against Romans 5-8... See also Philippians 3.

I'm pretty sure this is the order of salvation given in this verse:

1. Penitence
2. Atonement
3. God has mercy
4. Resurrection

I keep wanting to switch 2 and 3, but I don't know if that's because it's so contrary to what I know or because it ought to be switched. In any case, it does say that "mercy cometh because of the atonement", sooo...

Speaking of contrary, Romans 5:6-8 and 6 flips all of that on its head:

1. God has mercy
2. Atonement
3. Resurrection (though this is probably in a different sense than what I think is meant here in Alma?)
4. Penitence

So why did the second child choose that toy?

This and the sentences preceding it seem to be the only references to founding. Israel is not mentioned.

This chapter had a bunch lists in it, which makes the author's points clear and to the point (1 and 2 on the list). They also add variety (4).

An illustration of number 4 from the list, variety and wit.

Are we to take Cain's murder of Abel as something leading directly to the founding of Israel, or a different society?

Each one of us has a set of presuppositions that we bring to everything we interpret, which is why there are so many different views on, well, everything (of course, that statement is itself a presupposition). So seeing what sort of consensus, or lack thereof, this hunt for definite connections results in should be very interesting.