1 Nephi 18:17–18 Textual Variants

Here we have one case where a sentence-initial because-of phrase could possibly be reinterpreted as sentence-final. In 1990, David B. Grant, one of my students in my textual criticism class, wrote a research paper on the question of whether sentences in the Book of Mormon text can begin with a because-of phrase. Using the punctuation in the current LDS text, he found a handful of cases where “because of” begins a sentence. Later, Nathan Ritchie did additional analysis of this problem in a research paper for a 1999 class in textual criticism. Their research has helped to identify cases where the positioning of the because-of phrase may need to be reconsidered. Besides the one here in 1 Nephi 18:17–18, we have the following two passages:

• 2 Nephi 3:20–21
  • and it shall come to pass that their cry shall go forth even according to the simpleness of their words [ 1|. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] because of their faith [ 1RT|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQS] their words shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto their brethren which are the fruit of thy loins
• 2 Nephi 28:11–12 (three instances)
  • yea they have all gone out of the way they have become corrupted [ 1|. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] because of pride and because of false teachers and false doctrines [ 1|, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] their churches have become corrupted and their churches are lifted up [ 1|; ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] because of pride [ 1EFIJLMNOQRT|, ABCDGHKPS] they are puffed up

For a third example, see 3 Nephi 4:18–19.

Here in 1 Nephi 18:17–18, the preceding clause ends in a parenthetical phrase that seems to prevent the attachment of the because-of phrase at the end of the sentence, although it is not impossible:

• 1 Nephi 18:17–18 (structure reinterpreted)
  • and having suffered much grief because of their children they were brought down—yea even upon their sickbeds— because of their grief and much sorrow and the iniquity of my brethren / they were brought near even to be carried out of this time to meet their God

The problem with altering the punctuation for this passage is that the following sentence (“they were brought near even to be carried out of this time to meet their God”) would then begin with no connector at all. There seems to be a need for some kind of connector, such as a word like thus, therefore, or yea. The abruptness of the resulting text suggests that the because-of phrase should not be assigned to the end of the previous sentence (that is, not at the end of verse 17). Instead, this phrase is needed to initiate the following sentence (that is, at the beginning of verse 18).