The wormhole is the home of powerful non-corporeal beings, known as the "Prophets", who are worshiped by the natives of the nearby planet Bajor as gods; the Bajorans consider Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), the human commanding officer of the space station, to be the Prophets' chosen "Emissary".
A subplot in this episode involves Keiko O'Brien's return to the station after a research expedition to Bajor and her husband Miles re-adapting to life with her after her extended absence.
Sisko, who never felt comfortable being the Bajorans' messiah figure, immediately cedes the title to Akorem without question.
Porta, a Bajoran priest who supports Akorem, tells Major Kira that she must resign her military commission and become an artist, which was her family's traditional profession under the caste system.
In a side plot, Keiko O'Brien and her daughter Molly return from a research trip to Bajor; Miles is glad to have his family back on the station, but he misses the free time he had to spend with his friend Bashir.