Here scribe 2 of π accidentally omitted the narrative adverb now. Oliver Cowdery, in his proofing of π against π, supplied the now. Since either reading is possible, Oliverβs correction was undoubtedly the reading in π. Earlier, in Alma 5:6, scribe 2 of π omitted such a now; in that instance, scribe 2 caught his error (see that passage for discussion). Here in Alma 8:1, Oliver provided the now. There are three other instances in π where scribe 2 omitted the adverb now, and in each case Oliver supplied it:
Note that the example in 3 Nephi 20:10 is not an instance of the narrative now; instead, in this case the now means βat this present timeβ. The two others are examples of the narrative adverb now.
Summary: Maintain in Alma 8:1 the narrative adverb now that scribe 2 of π omitted but Oliver Cowdery supplied in his proofing of π against π.