Alyosha the Baptist hears Ivan's mumbled "Thank God" and asks him why he does not pray more often. Ivan answers that he does not believe in the efficacy of prayer. His pragmatic nature does not place much stock in matters of the spirit, and his personal acquaintance with a worldly and corrupt priest of the Russian Orthodox church in his home village have made him cynical about organized religion. He again affirms his belief in God, but he expresses his skepticism about the outer trappings of religion and its complicated, dogmatic points. Religion does not provide him with a satisfactory explanation for his fate. Consequently, he has no use for it.
When the prisoners are called out for a second roll call, Caesar Markovich shows that he has learned his lesson. He gives Ivan cookies, sugar, and some sausage for his help in protecting his package. When they return, Ivan voluntarily shares some of it with Alyosha and thinks about what he will do with the rest. As he falls asleep, he recounts the triumphs of this day:
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he has not been put into solitary confinement;
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his gang has not been reassigned to a new, harder worksite;
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he has managed to get an extra bowl of mush at lunch;
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Tyurin has gotten them good work rates;
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he has smuggled a valuable piece of metal into camp;
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he was given extra food by Caesar in the evening; and
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he was able to buy some tobacco.
This has indeed been an extraordinarily happy day, and as Ivan drifts off into sleep, he recalls that there are 3,653 days in his sentence; the extra three are due to leap years.
A contented Ivan explains why he rejects organized religion. He compares prayers to the complaints which the prisoners are allowed to put into boxes set up for this purpose in the camp. Either there is no answer, or they come back marked "Rejected." Alyosha tries to persuade Ivan with dogma, but the pragmatic Ivan is unprepared to accept the symbolism of mountains moved by prayer. His literal mind equates the "daily bread" of the Lords Prayer to the prison rations, and he cannot imagine God moving any mountains in spite of Alyosha's intensive prayers.
