Dr. Skousen begins with the premise that the Book of Mormon must be correct. He therefore searches for examples of some of Joseph Smith’s odd word usages wherever they have to be found historically to exhibit validity. But I remember my little sister going through a period around 1960 where (for example) she would say “in case” when she meant “unless.” It sounded curious and interesting, but it was just a linguistic error, nothing more. These things happen.
My best instincts tell me that two things are at work here. 1) The Smith family and their friends are allowed to have mistakenly invented - or culturally partaken of - a few archaic or eccentric usages that could have come to them through any number of natural means. And 2) We do not have to presume in the first place that these odd usages were delivered
correctly in the Book of Mormon by anyone, at any time. Just because something is weird doesn’t mean it’s right. Too urgent a fear of these possibilities (I think) might drive a person to such desperate extension as “ghost committee” theories.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to figure these thing out, point by detailed point, but the work can be slow. As to the specific example Agosh cites, here are a couple similar expressions below. These are not precise equivalents to the usage in Alma 10:16, but I don’t think they have to be, for reasons I suggest above. And for heaven’s sake, don’t let anyone lead us down the endless path of “How did Joseph Smith ever find these two books?” I’m sure he did not. Let’s strive instead to expand our respect for the broad richness of the culture in which he functioned.
"The family in the main were not unkind to him, though they often contradicted and crossed him, especially when things went ill with themselves."
The Works of Hannah More, With a Sketch of Her Life. Complete in Two Volumes, Volume I. (Boston: S. G. Goodrich, 1827), I:253. Available
here.
“. . . the whole life of man is a perpetual contradiction; and the state of disobedience is called the "contradictions of sinners;" even the man in the Gospel, that had two sons, they both crossed him, even he that obeyed him, and he that obeyed him not: for the one said he would, and did not; the other said he would not, and did; . . .”
The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D., Lord Bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore . . . In Fifteen Volumes. Vol. V. (London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. . . . , 1822), V:139-40. Available
here.
These examples come from this Ngram
search.