and the remainder of those dissenters ... yielded to the standard of liberty and were compelled to hoist the title of liberty [upon 1ABCDEFGIJLMNOPQRST|on HK] their towers and
in their cities
There are a number of instances in the history of the text where the prepositions upon and on have been mixed up; for a list of examples, see under Alma 2:38. Here in Alma
51:20, the 1874 RLDS edition replaced upon with on; the 1908 RLDS edition restored the original upon (the reading in 𝓟). In this case, upon is definitely
correct since that is the preposition that consistently occurs with the noun tower:
- 2 Nephi 12:15 and upon every high tower and upon every fenced wall
- Mosiah 11:12 yea a very high tower / even so high that he could stand upon the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom …
- Mosiah 19:5 he fled and ran and got upon the tower which was near the temple
- Mosiah 19:6 and Gideon pursued after him and was about to get upon the tower
- Alma 46:36 he caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon every tower
- Alma 50:4 and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers
- Helaman 7:10 it was upon a tower which was in the garden of Nephi
- Helaman 7:10 as Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden
- Helaman 7:11 as he was a pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower
- Helaman 7:14 because I have got upon my tower that I might pour out my soul
The example in Alma 46:36 strongly supports the use of upon here in Alma 51:20 since it also refers to the hoisting of the title of liberty.
