and it came to pass that on the morrow that the [multitude 01ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRST|multitudes L] were gathered together
The 1902 LDS missionary edition corrected multitude to multitudes, apparently in order to make the subject overtly agree with the following plural verb were. However,
the Book of Mormon text allows the singular multitude to act as a plural in meaning and thus take a plural verb form, as in the following examples:
- 3 Nephi 11 preface
- Jesus Christ sheweth himself unto the people of Nephi as the multitude were gathered together in the land Bountiful and did minister unto them
- 3 Nephi 11:1
- there were a great multitude gathered together of the people of Nephi round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful and they were marveling and
wondering one with another
- 3 Nephi 18:5
- and when the multitude had eaten and were filled he saith unto the disciples …
Of course, there are also examples in the text of the standard “multitude was” and “multitudes were”:
- 1 Nephi 8:33 and great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building
- 1 Nephi 11:28 and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him
- 1 Nephi 11:35 and the multitude of the earth was gathered together
- Alma 12:2 for the multitude was great
- Alma 22:24 now there was a multitude gathered together
- Helaman 10:12 the multitudes which were scattered about upon the face of the land
- 3 Nephi 19:4 when the multitude was gathered together
- 3 Nephi 19:5 and behold the multitude was so great
For each instance of this type, the earliest textual sources determine the reading for the critical text.
