1 Nephi 3:28 Textual Variants

This passage has some rather complex syntax. After the clause about Laman’s anger towards Nephi and also Lehi, there is an additional clause, but with ellipsis, that refers to Lemuel’s anger towards Nephi and Lehi. This additional clause is unexpected in English. Such constructions involving ellipsis in clauses and phrases are characteristic of the original biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek, and are found in the King James Bible:

• 2 Samuel 15:17
  • and the king went forth and all the people after him
• Matthew 2:3
  • when Herod the king had heard these things
  • he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him

Similar usage is found in the Book of Mormon. Here are some examples with the same kind of delayed conjoined clause (or noun phrase) as in 1 Nephi 3:28:

• 1 Nephi 4:28
  • and it came to pass that when Laman saw me
    he was exceedingly frightened
    and also Lemuel and Sam
• Alma 63:2
  • and he was a just man and he did walk uprightly before God
    and he did observe to do good continually
    to keep the commandments of the Lord his God
    and also did his brother
• Helaman 9:38
  • and he was brought to prove that he himself was the very murderer
    insomuch that the five were set at liberty and also was Nephi
• 3 Nephi 3:19
  • therefore this Gidgiddoni was a great prophet among them
    and also was the chief judge
• Ether 2:16
  • and it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work
    and also his brethren

The example in 3 Nephi 3:19 is confusing: one might misinterpret the text as saying that Gidgiddoni was also the chief judge. In actuality, the chief judge was Lachoneus (3 Nephi 1:1). In other words, the text says that Gidgiddoni (the commander of the Nephite armies) and Lachoneus (the chief judge) were both great prophets. Because of its awkwardness and potential for confusion, this passage was edited for the 1920 LDS edition by replacing the and with as. See the discussion under 3 Nephi 3:19.

In the case of 1 Nephi 3:28, the natural tendency has been to interpret “and also Lemuel” as meaning that Laman was also angry at Lemuel. In the original manuscript, the unknown scribe 2 started to write “and also with Lemuel”, which he immediately corrected by crossing out the with. The 1841 LDS edition actually set the type this way. And even today it is difficult to read the syntax correctly, especially in the current RLDS edition, where only a comma separates “and also with my father” and “and also was Lemuel”. The current LDS text, continuing the original 1830 punctuation in this instance, uses a semicolon, which would normally imply the beginning of an independent clause rather than a delayed conjoined clause. Another possible solution would be to place a dash before the conjoined clause:

• Nephi 3:27 (revised punctuation)
  • and it came to pass that Laman was angry with me and also with my father
  • —and also was Lemuel
    for he hearkened unto the words of Laman