Helam / Helem / Helaman Variant

Variant spelling of HELAMAN

-Mosiah 18:12, 13, 14

P: Helaman > Helam

A: Helam 1830 – 1981 RLDS 1908

-Mosiah 23:19, 20 (2x), 25 (2x), 26, 29, 35, 37, 38, 39

P: Helaman >+ Helam

A: Helam 1830 – 1981 RLDS 1908

-Mosiah 27:16

P: Helim >% Helem

A: Helam -

Alma 24:1

P: Helem >jg Helam

A: Helam

Discussion: Cowdery mistakenly wrote Helaman, the much more frequent name, in place of Helam. For the first three occurrences, it appears that he virtually immediately corrected the name. For the next 11 instances in Mosiah 23, Cowdery also wrote the name as Helaman, but did not make the correction until later. In Mosiah 27:17, Scribe 2 spelled the name as Helim, but he corrected it to Helem. In Alma 24:1, it was spelled Helem in P, but it was corrected by the 1830 typesetter to read Helam. Although the variation between Helam and Helem is confusing, Skousen accepts the simplest way with the most evidence--to make all instances Helam, while maintaining the spelling for the separate personage in Mosiah 7:6, Helem.

Summary: Skousen accepts Helem for Mosiah 7:6, all others to be spelled Helam

Source: ATV 3:1370-71; 1506-8