Alma 12:9 Textual Variants

In this passage the word only means ‘except’. The scope of negation for the preceding not in “they shall not impart” ends with that clause, but speakers of modern English tend to misinterpret the only as coming within the scope of negation for the not. In other words, the passage here is misinterpreted as meaning that those who know the mysteries of God should impart not only according to God’s word but in some other (unspecified) way as well. One way to help the reader correctly interpret the use of only in such passages would be to place a comma (or perhaps a dash) before the word only, thus showing that the scope of negation has ended.

There are other places in the Book of Mormon text where only has the meaning ‘except’ and thus the scope of negation ends before the only. For nearly all these cases, the 1830 typesetter placed a comma before only, thus helping to convey the correct interpretation:

• Mosiah 3:17
  • and moreover I say unto you that there shall be no other name given nor no other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men [ 1|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] only in and through the name of Christ the Lord Omnipotent
• Mosiah 3:21
  • and behold when that time cometh none shall be found blameless before God except it be little children [ 1|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent
• Mosiah 3:22
  • and even at this time when thou shalt have taught thy people the things which the Lord thy God hath commanded thee even then are they found no more blameless in the sight of God [ 1|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] only according to the words which I have spoken unto thee
• Alma 38:9
  • and now my son I have told you this that ye might learn wisdom that ye may learn of me that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved [ 1|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] only in and through Christ
• Alma 42:13
  • therefore according to justice the plan of redemption could not be brought about [ 01|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state
• Helaman 5:9
  • yea remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved [ 1|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ which shall come
• Moroni 10:19
  • and that all these gifts of which I have spoken which are spiritual never will be done away even as long as the world shall stand [ 1|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] only according to the unbelief of the children of men

In two other places in the text, as in Alma 12:9, the 1830 typesetter neglected to provide a comma before only; nor have any of the subsequent editions added an interpretative comma:

• Alma 22:34
  • therefore the Lamanites could have no more possessions only in the land of Nephi and the wilderness round about
• Alma 32:24
  • now I do not desire that ye should suppose that I mean to judge you only according to that which is true

Adding a comma (or a dash) before only in these two passages would be particularly helpful in interpreting only as meaning ‘except’ and thus blocking the scope of negation. For additional discussion of the use of punctuation in the LDS scriptures to help readers properly interpret only when it has the meaning ‘except’, see the discussion on pages 7–8 of Royal Skousen, “Through a Glass Darkly: Trying to Understand the Scriptures”, Brigham Young University Studies 26/4 (1986): 3–20.