The printer’s manuscript has the connective preposition in before the present participle demanding. The 1830 edition lacks this preposition. The in was restored to the
RLDS text in 1908, but the LDS text has maintained the 1830 reading. The text seems to read more naturally with the preposition. Elsewhere in the Book of Mormon text, in phrases beginning with
because of, a following presentparticiple phrase is typically introduced by the connective preposition in:
- Jacob 3:6
- wherefore because of this observance
→ in keeping this commandment
the Lord God will not destroy them
- Alma 49:5
- now at this time the chief captains of the Lamanites were astonished exceedingly
because of the wisdom of the Nephites
→ in repairing their places of security
- Alma 49:28
- the people of Nephi did thank the Lord their God because of his miraculous power
→ in delivering them from the hand of their enemies
- Alma 57:36
- I was filled with exceeding joy because of the goodness of God
→ in preserving us that we might not all perish
- Alma 59:1
- he was exceedingly rejoiced because of the welfare
yea the exceeding success which Helaman had had
→ in obtaining those lands which were lost
- Nephi 3:2
- and do give unto you exceeding great praise because of your firmness
and also the firmness of your people
→ in maintaining that which ye suppose to be your right and liberty
- 3 Nephi 3:10
- that this my people may recover their rights and government
which have dissented away from you because of your wickedness
→ in retaining from them their rights of government
- 3 Nephi 4:33
- and their hearts were swollen with joy unto the gushing out of many tears
because of the great goodness of God
→ in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies
- 3 Nephi 9:10
- and the city of Kishkumen have I caused to be burned with fire
and the inhabitants thereof
because of their wickedness
→ in casting out the prophets and stoning them …
Note especially the two examples in 3 Nephi 3 (in verses 2 and 10) that support the occurrence of in here in verse 11. Most likely the original manuscript in 3 Nephi 3:11 had the
preposition in and the 1830 typesetter accidentally omitted it. Here is another example where the 1830 typesetter omitted the preposition in:
- 1 Nephi 14:13
- and it came to pass that I beheld
that the great mother of abominations did gather together
[in 01PS| ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOQRT] multitudes upon the face of all the earth
For another case where a different typesetter (in this instance, the 1837 typesetter) omitted a connective in, see under 1 Nephi 8:37. Oliver Cowdery once inserted an extra in,
but that was only a momentary error that resulted from him thinking the text read believe in rather than just believe:
- Alma 33:12
- do ye believe [in >% those 0|those 1ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] scriptures
which have been written by them of old
There are no examples where Oliver ever added a connective in, even momentarily.
Nonetheless, there are a few cases where the present-participle clause lacks the in after the because-of phrase; for each of these, the in could be added, at least
theoretically, although there might be some shift in what the participial clause is referring to:
- Alma 40:13
- and this because of their own iniquity
→ being led captive by the will of the devil
- Alma 56:10
- for behold his army had been reduced by the Lamanites
because of the enormity of their forces
→ having slain a vast number of our men
- Helaman 4:12
- yea it was because of their oppression to the poor
→ withholding their food from the hungry
→ withholding their clothing from the naked
→ and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheeks
- Moroni 9:23
- and if they perish
it will be like unto the Jaredites
because of the willfulness of their hearts
→ seeking for blood and revenge
So either reading is theoretically possible here in 3 Nephi 3:11. But since it seems very unlikely that Oliver Cowdery would have added the in on his own accord, the critical text will
here accept the reading of 𝓟.
