Some have suggested that the 1842 Times and Seasons publication (3:753), which identifies NEPHI rather than MORONI as the angel, may have been due to a clerical error.

On examining the handwritten document, it’s clear that “Nephi*” appears with an asterisk, and “Moroni” is added above, with “Clerical Error” noted at the page’s bottom—suggesting an innocent correction.

However, 1) Joseph Smith was the editor of Times and Seasons and likely would have noticed such an obvious mistake, and 2) he lived for two years after its publication without issuing any retraction.