Mosiah 29:34 Textual Variants

The 1830 edition changed the singular burden to the plural burdens. This change is probably accidental since there is nothing inappropriate about the singular usage in this passage. The 1837 edition restored the singular by reference to 𝓟. For a similar example where the 1837 edition relied on 𝓟 to restore an earlier reading, see the discussion regarding the inflected form sees nearby in verse 32.

The probable reason the 1830 compositor set burdens is that all eight prior occurrences of the noun burden(s) in the book of Mosiah are in the plural:

• Mosiah 12:5 they shall have burdens lashed upon their backs
• Mosiah 18:8 and are willing to bear one another’s burdens
• Mosiah 21:3 and began to put heavy burdens upon their backs
• Mosiah 21:15 they began to ease their burdens
• Mosiah 24:14 and I will also ease the burdens which is put upon your shoulders
• Mosiah 24:15 the burdens which was laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light
• Mosiah 24:15 that they could bear up their burdens with ease
• Mosiah 24:21 and eased their burdens

There is one additional instance in the text of the plural noun burdens: “that your burdens may be light” (Alma 33:23). Besides five instances of the singular burden in Isaiah quotations, there are two more instances of burden/burthen in the Book of Mormon text:

• Alma 62:29 and thus were the Nephites relieved from a great burthen
• Ether 10:10 he did ease the burden of the people

In Alma 62:29, the 1906 and 1981 LDS editions emended the archaic burthen to burden.