Mosiah 11:12 Textual Variants

In this passage, the 1837 edition replaced the even of the earliest textual sources with ever. The subsequent 1840 edition also continued this reading, but all later editions have reverted to the original even. This 1837 change appears to be a typo rather than intentional; it was not marked by Joseph Smith when he edited 𝓟 for the 1837 edition. As discussed under Mosiah 4:7, there is some evidence that even and ever have occasionally been mixed up in the text; for cases of manuscript variation, see the list under Mosiah 2:15–16.

Seven other passages support the occurrence of even in the construction “even so that ”, although in all these examples the adjective form is the indefinite quantifier much or many:

• 1 Nephi 17:6
  • and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty yea even so much that we cannot write them all we was exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore
• Mosiah 2:2
  • and there were a great number even so many that they did not number them
• Mosiah 4:29
  • and finally I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin for there are divers ways and means even so many that I cannot number them
• Mosiah 7:25
  • but there arose contentions among them even so much that they did shed blood among themselves
• Mosiah 10:20
  • and we slew them with a great slaughter even so many that we did not number them
• Alma 1:5
  • and it came to pass that he did teach these things so much that many did believe on his words even so many that they began to support him
• Alma 2:2
  • now this Amlici had by his cunning drawn away much people after him even so much that they began to be very powerful

Note that the majority of these examples are found in the book of Mosiah. On the other hand, there are no instances at all of “ever so ” in the Book of Mormon text. The critical text will maintain the original “even so high” in Mosiah 11:12.