Alma 46:30 Textual Variants

The original manuscript reads “come down to battle”, although only the last two letters of down are extant in 𝓞. There is precisely room in the lacuna for the first two letters of down. In copying to the printer’s manuscript, Oliver Cowdery accidentally omitted the adverb down.

The Lamanite territory is at a higher elevation than the Nephite territory to the north. The Lamanites, when they attack the Nephites, are characteristically referred to as “coming down to battle against the Nephites”:

• The Words of Mormon 1:13
  • the armies of the Lamanites came down out of the land of Nephi to battle against his people
• Alma 49:11
  • but behold Amalickiah did not come down himself to battle
• Alma 51:13
  • when the men which were called kingmen had heard that the Lamanites were coming down to battle against them they were glad in their hearts
• Helaman 1:15
  • and they came down again that they might pitch battle against the Nephites
• Helaman 4:5
  • and in the fifty and seventh year they did come down against the Nephites to battle

Thus the use of down in Alma 46:30 is expected.