3 Nephi 12:8 Textual Variants

Matthew 5:8 (King James Bible) blessed are the pure in heart

When compared with the Matthew version, the Book of Mormon version has all added in five of the Beatitudes (as well as other words, also set in bold in the following):

book of mormon text

• verse 4 and again blessed are all they that mourn
• verse 6 and blessed are all they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness
• verse 8 and blessed are all the pure in heart
• verse 9 and blessed are all the peacemakers
• verse 10 and blessed are all they which are persecuted for my name’s sake

More generally, the Book of Mormon Beatitudes all begin with a narrative connector, either and (eight times, including one instance of and again) or yea (one time). The critical text will accept these differences, especially since they are so pervasive and obviously intended.

Here in 3 Nephi 12:8, the typesetter for the 1858 Wright edition accidentally omitted the all, perhaps because of his familiarity with the King James version of the Beatitudes. Yet only in this beatitude did he omit the all. The RLDS text, beginning with the 1874 edition, has in this case followed the reading of the 1840 edition, thus maintaining the all.