2 Nephi 32:3 Textual Variants

The 1858 Wright edition introduced that in place of what. In this passage, the word what functions as a relative pronoun whose antecedent is the preceding noun phrase all things. Such usage is dialectal but has nonetheless not been generally edited out of the text (namely, by replacing the what with that or by deleting it). In fact, we find the same usage a couple of verses later:

• 2 Nephi 32:5
  • it will shew unto you all things what ye should do

Notice in this later verse that the 1858 edition did not change the what to that. This difference implies that the change in verse 3 was unintended and was probably a typo on the part of the 1858 typesetter.

One instance of where the relative pronoun what has been edited involves the phrase “but what”:

• Mosiah 6:2
  • and it came to pass that there was not one soul save it were little children but [what 1ABCDEFGHIJKLOPS|what > who M| N|who QRT] had entered into the covenant

Here in the 1906 LDS large-print edition, the what was omitted, while in the third (1907) printing of the 1905 LDS missionary edition, the what was edited to who. This second emendation (who in place of what) has persisted in the LDS text. Yet another instance in the text of this same “but what” has never been edited:

• Mosiah 2:34
  • I say unto you that there are not one among you except it be your little children that have not been taught concerning these things but what knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to your Heavenly Father

For further discussion of these two examples involving “but what”, see under Mosiah 6:2.

In general, editors have not removed the dialectal use of the relative pronoun what. The critical text will, of course, retain this nonstandard usage.