3 Nephi 28:29 Textual Variants

and it shall come to pass when the Lord seeth fit in his wisdom that they shall minister unto all the scattered tribes of Israel and unto all nations kindreds tongues and people and shall bring out of them unto Jesus many souls that their [desire 1ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRST|desires J] may be fulfilled

Here the earliest text has the singular desire, although in theory one’s plural desires can also be fulfilled. The 1888 LDS edition replaced the singular with the plural desires; but since that edition never served as a copytext, the plural reading was restricted to that edition. But the singular is definitely correct since these three disciples who are to remain have expressed a single desire, as mentioned earlier by Jesus:

3 Nephi 28:9
- and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me while the world shall stand

The critical text will retain the singular desire here in 3 Nephi 28:29.

Summary: Maintain in 3 Nephi 28:29 the original desire (that is, in the singular) since the three disciples had this special desire.

Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part. 6

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