1 Nephi 10:19 Textual Variants

Elsewhere in the Book of Mormon text, the verb unfold is always followed by unto when the object of the preposition is a pronoun:

• Jacob 4:18
  • I will unfold this mystery unto you
• Mosiah 29:33
  • and many more things did king Mosiah write unto them unfolding unto them all the trials and troubles of a righteous king
• Mosiah 29:35
  • and he also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they labored under by having an unrighteous king to rule over them
• Alma 40:3
  • now I unfold unto you a mystery
• Ether 4:7
  • then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations

When the object of the preposition is not a pronoun, we have two occurrences with the preposition to but none with unto:

• Mosiah 2:9
  • that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view
• Mosiah 8:19
  • and these interpreters was doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men

In the history of the text, there are numerous examples where scribes have mixed up the prepositions unto and to. We have examples of changes occurring in both directions; for a couple of examples, see 1 Nephi 15:33 and 2 Nephi 6:6. Such variation implies that we should consider each case on its own merits. With respect to 1 Nephi 10:19, both to and unto can occur with the verb unfold, so there is no reason to reject the to found in the earliest textual source for that passage.