2 Nephi 25:8 Textual Variants

In the printer’s manuscript, the 1830 typesetter corrected the plural days to day, probably because in the following clause the text has the singular “in that day”. Nonetheless, he did not implement this change in the 1830 edition itself. Of course, it is possible that the original text read in the singular (“in the last day”) and that early on in the transmission of the text Oliver Cowdery replaced an original day with days. (It is also possible, of course, that Joseph Smith accidentally dictated days.) Elsewhere in the manuscripts, there are numerous examples where Oliver mixed up day and days, although the examples show that almost always his tendency was to accidentally replace the plural with the singular:

• 1 Nephi 15:13 (initial error in 𝓟)
  • in the latter [days 0ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST|day > days 1]
• Jacob 1:7 (initial error in 𝓟)
  • in the [day > days 1|days ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] of temptation
• Mosiah 18:7 (error in 𝓟)
  • after many [day 1|days ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST]
• Alma 36:16 (error in 𝓞)
  • for three [day 0|days 1ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST]
• Helaman 13:2 (error in 𝓟)
  • he did preach [many day 1|many-day A|many days BCEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST|manv days D] repentance unto the people
• 3 Nephi 2:5 (initial error in 𝓟; here both 𝓟 and the 1830 edition derive from 𝓞) since the [day > days 1|days ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] of Mosiah

Apparently, there is only one case where Oliver replaced an original day with the plural days:

• Helaman 15:16 (error probably in 𝓟; here both 𝓟 and the 1830 edition derive from 𝓞
  • ) in the [days 1|day ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] of my wisdom

For discussion, see the analysis of that passage.

The use of the plural phrase “the last days” in 2 Nephi 25:8 is expected, especially since it consistently refers to the days close to Christ’s second coming. Consider the plural usage in the following passages:

• 2 Nephi 12:2 (quoting Isaiah 2:2)
  • and it shall come to pass in the last days when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established …
• 2 Nephi 26:14
  • but behold I prophesy unto you concerning the last days concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth
• 2 Nephi 27:1
  • but behold in the last days or in the days of the Gentiles …

Lehi also uses this plural phraseology to refer to his own last days in this life: “I have spoken these few words unto you all my sons in the last days of my probation” (2 Nephi 2:30).

On the other hand, the singular “last day” always refers to the day of judgment in the Book of Mormon (57 times), including the following nearby occurrence in 2 Nephi 25:18: “wherefore he shall bring forth his words unto them / which words shall judge them at the last day”. Thus the 1830 typesetter’s emendation (but only in 𝓟) of “the last days” to “the last day” in 2 Nephi 25:8 is inappropriate, despite the fact that the immediately following clause refers to these last days prior to the second coming of Christ as “in that day”.