2 Nephi 2:19 Textual Variants

This change in the preposition first appeared in the 1837 edition; it may be the result of Joseph Smith’s editing for that edition, although this change was not marked by him in the printer’s manuscript. For modern readers, the phrase “out from” is definitely more awkward than “out of ”. Nonetheless, the corresponding account in the King James Bible uses the preposition from:

• Genesis 3:23
  • therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken

A parallel citation in the Book of Mormon also has from:

• Alma 42:2
  • for behold after the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken

Of course, substituting of in place of from would not work as well here in Alma 42:2 (or in Genesis 3:23) since the preceding word is forth rather than out.

There are occurrences of the phrase “out from” which have not been replaced in the Book of Mormon text by the much more frequent “out of”. Consider these examples where of could replace from:

• 2 Nephi 9:9 to be shut out from the presence of our God
• 2 Nephi 25:4 I came out from Jerusalem with my father
• 2 Nephi 30:4 how that we came out from Jerusalem
• Jacob 7:26 we being … wanderers cast out from Jerusalem
• Omni 1:15 the people of Zarahemla came out from Jerusalem
• 3 Nephi 7:22 and as many as had devils cast out from them

The general lack of textual change in these examples of “out from” suggests that there is nothing wrong with this expression and that it should be restored in 2 Nephi 2:19. In fact, the 1837 change may well be a typo rather than the result of conscious editing. (For another example where out from was accidentally set as out of, see 1 Nephi 3:13.)