1 Nephi 16:1 Textual Variants

In the 1837 edition, the that which that originally followed the comparative more than here in 1 Nephi 16:1 was deleted, although Joseph Smith marked only the deletion of the that in the printer’s manuscript. The same removal of that which after more than is found later in the text, although in this second case there is an adjective, wise, between the more and the than:

• Mormon 9:31
  • but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections that ye may learn to be more wise than[that which >js NULL 1|that which A| BCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] we have been

In this instance, Joseph Smith marked the deletion of both words (that which) in 𝓟.

The Early Modern English construction “(more) than that which” can be found in the King James Bible:

• Luke 3:13
  • exact no more than that which is appointed you

• Galatians 1:8
  • but though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed

So the use of this phraseology in the Book of Mormon is quite appropriate. In fact, there is still one instance of “more than that which” in the current text:

• Alma 58:36
  • behold we fear that there is some faction in the government that they do not send more men to our assistance for we know that they are more numerous than that which they have sent

Here, of course, the editing out of that which would not have worked. In modern English, we expect “more than what”, which is also found in the Book of Mormon:

• Alma 39:1
  • I have somewhat more to say unto thee than what I said unto thy brother
• Alma 55:2
  • for I will not grant unto him that he shall have any more power than what he hath gat