Alma 7:5 Textual Variants

Royal Skousen
nevertheless I do not desire that my joy over you should come by the cause of so much afflictions and sorrow which I have had for the brethren at Zarahemla for behold my joy cometh over them after wading through much [afflictions 1ABCDEGHKPS|affliction FIJLMNOQRT] and sorrow

In this passage, the 1852 LDS edition omitted the plural s at the end of the word afflictions in the second occurrence of the phrase “much afflictions and sorrow”. The earlier occurrence of this same phrase in this verse was left unchanged, which argues that the 1852 change from the plural afflictions to the singular affliction was unintentional. As noted under 1 Nephi 16:35, there are three instances in the original text of much afflictions. Also see under Enos 1:21 for evidence that much can occur with plural nouns in the original text. The critical text will restore in Alma 7:5 the original instance of much afflictions that was changed to much affliction.

Summary: Restore the original reading for the second occurrence of “much afflictions and sorrow” in Alma 7:5; this reading makes the passage consistent in phraseology and in agreement with the earliest textual sources.

Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part. 3

References