What is the significance of the absence of the conditional phrase “without a cause” from this passage, even though the phrase appears in the Bible?

Thomas R. Valletta

“The Lord expects us to make the choice not to become angry.

“Nor can becoming angry be justified. In Matthew 5, verse 22, the Lord says: ‘But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment’ (emphasis added). How interesting that the phrase ‘without a cause’ is not found in the inspired Joseph Smith Translation … nor in the 3 Nephi 12:22 version. When the Lord eliminates the phrase ‘without a cause,’ He leaves us without an excuse” (Robbins, “Agency and Anger,” 80).

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