Alma 26:32 Textual Variants

Here Oliver Cowdery initially wrote ever in 𝓞, then virtually immediately corrected it to even by overwriting the final r with an n (there is no change in the level of ink flow). Since either word will work here, the critical text will accept the corrected reading in 𝓞, “than even to take the life of their enemy”. There are no other instances in the text of either “than even to” or “than ever to”, so no precise comparison with other passages is possible. But it should be noted that elsewhere in the text there are five examples of “even to”, where to is the infinitival marker:

• 1 Nephi 18:18 they were brought near even to be carried out of this time
• Alma 4:9 even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God
• Alma 34:4 yea even that ye would have so much faith as even to plant the word in your hearts
• Alma 49:14 yea even to exceed the strength of the city Ammonihah
• Mormon 1:11 even to exceed the number of thirty thousand

On the other hand, there are no instances of “ever to” in the text. There is no reason then to reject the corrected reading in 𝓞 for Alma 26:32 (“than even to take the life of their enemy”).