The saying from the Sermon on the Mount or the Sermon at the Temple could be restated as a contrast between the “bountiful” and the “evil” eye. The context becomes one of ethics and relationships to others. The saying encourages generosity and humility. The implication is that the external light from the eye is indicative of the internal “light” of the soul. Our actions flow from our inner essence.
Book of Mormon Context: Because this saying depends so heavily on the contrast between the cultural connotations of contrasting “eyes,” we do not know how a Mesoamerican audience would have understood this reference.
Comparison: There is no change from the Matthean text.
Reference: In the Joseph Smith Translation, this verse is rendered “if thine eye be single to the glory of God.” That change reflects Joseph’s modern understanding of the eye as receiving light, and uses “single” as a synonym for “only.”