Mosiah 23:25 Textual Variants

Here the 1920 LDS edition replaced the original plural were with the singular was; the obvious intent was to make the verb agree with the singular head noun army. Of course, the word army can be treated in the singular (as a group of people) or in the plural (as the individuals in the group). The Book of Mormon text shows both possibilities. This variation in usage even holds when words like part and remainder, not army, serve as the head noun. There are six cases in the singular:

• Alma 43:20
  • now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing
• Alma 43:34
  • the Lamanites came up on the north of the hill where a part of the army of Moroni was concealed
• Alma 43:35
  • the army which was concealed on the south of the hill …
• Alma 47:3
  • therefore he gave Amalickiah the command of that part of his army which was obedient unto his commands
• Alma 50:35
• • the army which was sent by Moroni which was led by a man whose name was Teancum did meet the people of Morionton
• Alma 57:7
  • it was our desire to wage a battle with the army which was placed to protect the city Cumeni

But almost as frequent are five occurrences in the plural (counting Mosiah 23:25):

• Mosiah 19:6
  • and behold the army of the Lamanites were within the borders of the land
• Mosiah 23:25 (original text)
  • behold an army of the Lamanites were in the borders of the land
• Alma 52:24
  • Moroni commanded that a part of his army which were with him should march forth into the city and take possession of it
• Alma 56:50
  • the army of Antipus being weary because of their long march in so short a space of time were about to fall into the hands of the Lamanites
• Alma 57:20
  • and as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites behold these two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted

In fact, the only place in the text where a plural were referring to an army has been edited to was is here in Mosiah 23:25; all other instances of “army were” have been left unedited, as have all instances of “army was”. The critical text will follow in each case of “army was/were” the reading of the earliest textual sources.