Alma 57:3 Textual Variants

The original manuscript initially had the subordinate conjunction as at the beginning of this passage. Later Oliver Cowdery crossed out the as with a distinctly heavier ink flow. His crossout appears to be the result of editing.

This kind of construction (an initial subordinate as-clause with an intervening parenthetical clause and then the main clause beginning with therefore) is quite common in the Book of Mormon text. And although for some examples the as has been edited out, others remain. For some examples and discussion, see under 1 Nephi 8:7. Here is a nearby example of this as-therefore construction:

• Alma 56:57
  • and as we had no place for our prisoners that we could guard them to keep them from the armies of the Lamanites therefore we sent them to the land of Zarahemla

The critical text will restore the original as in Alma 57:3. Since that as had been removed earlier by Oliver Cowdery, the original as-clause was now a main clause, and thus the 1830 typesetter placed a semicolon before the main clause beginning with therefore. In restoring the original as, the critical text will simply place dashes around the parenthetical for- clause:

• Alma 57:3 (proposed punctuation)
  • and as Ammoron refused mine epistle—for he would not exchange prisoners—
    therefore we began to make preparations to go against the city of Antiparah