Alma 5:47 Textual Variants

Here scribe 2 of 𝓟 initially wrote the plural manifestations; then he immediately erased the s at the end of the word. The original manuscript, not extant here, undoubtedly read in the singular. Elsewhere, the earliest textual sources support the plural manifestations rather than the singular manifestation; all occur in contexts that refer to these manifestations as coming by the Spirit of God:

• Mosiah 5:3
  • and we ourselves also through the infinite goodness of God and the [manifestations 1ABCEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST|maniifestations D] of his Spirit have great views of that which is to come
• Alma 7:17
  • and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the [manifestation >+ manifestations 1| manifestation ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] of the Spirit which is in me
• Mormon 3:16
  • and I did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come
• Ether 4:11
  • but he that believeth these things which I have spoken him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit
• Moroni 10:8
  • and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men to profit them

In Alma 7:17, at two different times, the correct manifestations was replaced by the singular manifestation: (1) initially in 𝓟, scribe 2 wrote manifestation, but soon thereafter (perhaps after redipping his quill) he added the plural s (the s is written with somewhat heavier ink flow); and (2) in setting the word, the 1830 compositor reverted to the singular manifestation. In Alma 7:17, the singular is in the following relative clause (“which is in me”) seems to have been the source for the singular manifestation. Of course, the invariant plural usage for the four other occurrences of manifestation(s) in the text supports the plural reading in Alma 7:17. Moreover, it is quite possible that the singular manifestation here in Alma 5:47 (presumably the reading in 𝓞) is an error for manifestations.

On the other hand, there is independent evidence for the singular manifestation in the scriptures. In the King James Bible, for instance, we have the following example:

• 1 Corinthians 12:7
  • but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal

And in two revelations given to Joseph Smith in the first part of 1829 (during the time the Book of Mormon was being translated), we also have the singular for this expression:

• Book of Commandments 4:4 (Doctrine and Covenants 5:16) [March 1829]
  • and behold whosoever believeth in my word them will I visit with the manifestation of my Spirit
• Book of Commandments 7:1 (Doctrine and Covenants 8:1) [April 1829]
  • believing that you shall receive a knowledge concerning the engravings of old records which are ancient which contain those parts of my scripture of which have been spoken by the manifestation of my Spirit

Thus the singular “6+by the manifestation of the Spirit of God”, the immediately corrected reading in 𝓟 for Alma 5:47, is possible. For each case of manifestation(s), the critical text will rely on the earliest textual sources in determining the number. The two corrected readings in 𝓟 will therefore be accepted: the singular manifestation in Alma 5:47 and the plural manifestations in Alma 7:17.