Alma 31:3 Textual Variants

now the Zoramites had gathered themselves together in a land which they called Antionum which was east of the land [NULL > of 0|of 1ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] Zarahemla which lay nearly bordering upon the seashore which was south of the land [ 01|of ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] Jershon

As discussed under Alma 2:15, the original text consistently has the of in the expression “the land of Zarahemla”. Here in Alma 31:3, Oliver Cowdery initially wrote “the land Zarahemla” in 𝓞, but then almost immediately he inserted the of inline (there is no change in the level of ink ﬂow). On the other hand, the earliest text read “the land Jershon” later in this verse, but the 1830 compositor set “the land of Jershon”. As explained under Alma 27:22–24, there are instances of both “land Jershon” and “land of Jershon” in the original text. In each case, we follow the earliest reading; thus “the land Jershon” will be restored here in Alma 31:3.

Summary: Follow the earliest textual evidence regarding the of in phrases of the form “land (of ) X”; thus in Alma 31:3, the original of in “the land of Zarahemla” will be maintained, but the intrusive of in “the land Jershon” will be removed.

Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part. 4

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