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Chiasmus is poetic or rhetorical syntax that appears in many languages, including Ugaritic, Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. It is a kind of parallelism, or phrase pattern. Whereas the typical pattern of parallelism is AB AB, the order of chiasmal (or, "inverted") parallelism is AB BA. It occurs in the Book of Mormon, and some have argued chiasmus is evidence of the text's historical accuracy, because it reflects the Semitic background of Nephi, and other authors of the Book of Mormon.

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other denominations, the Book of Mormon is a 19th century translation of a historical record of Semitic and Native American inhabitants of the American continents. The Semitic inhabitants arrived in the Americas c. 600 BCE (1 Ne:18) after emigrating from the Levant (1 Ne:1:4). Proponents of the Book of Mormon's historical accuracy claim that chiasmal parallelisms originate from these Semitic immigrants, and not from Joseph Smith, whose familiarity with chiasmus is unascertainable.

Discovery

John W. Welch was the first to notice chiastic structures in the Book of Mormon.

Criticism

Scholars and researchers suggest that it is reasonable for Joseph Smith to have been able to create chiastic structures in the Book of Mormon, and may have been one of his personal writing styles. Many chiastic structures have been found in the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price - both of which were written by Smith. One RLDS website identified chiasmus and parallelism in nearly every section of the D&C from section 1 to section 41.. Chiasmus has also been identified in other non-Hebrew writings of antiquity and modern origins, including for example, Paradise Lost which has an overarching chiastic structure the spans the entire work.

Additionally, Hugh Pinnock, an LDS General Authority, stated "Because the study of Hebrew writing forms in the Book of Mormon can strengthen testimony and be quite exciting, a number of researchers and laypersons have become overly enthusiastic, much to the detriment of the subject and integrity of their studies."

Examples

The following are suggested examples of Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon.

Outline of First Nephi

A) Lehi's dream leads him to prophesy warnings to the Jews (Ch. 1)

B) The departure from Jerusalem (2)

C) Nephi accomplishes a great feat in obtaining the Brass Plates and the brothers are confounded (3-5)

D) The Brass Plates, a source of spiritual guidance as they travel through the wilderness of this life towards the spiritual promised land: Heaven

E) Ishmael joins the group with his daughters (7)

F) The Tree of Life (8)

G) Lehi prophesies about the Old World and the Coming of the Lamb (10)

H) Nephi and the Spirit of the Lord (11)

G') Nephi prophesies about the New World and the Coming of the Lamb (12-14)

F') The Tree of Life interpreted (15)

E') The sons of Lehi marry the daughters of Ishmael and Ishmael Dies (16)

D') The Brass Ball, the Liahona, a source of physical guidance as they traveled through the wilderness on their way to the promised land: America

C') Nephi accomplishes a great feat by building a ship and the brothers are confounded (17)

B') The departure from the Old World (18)

A') Nephi warns the Jews and quotes the prophecies of Isaiah (19-22)

Outline of the Book of Mosiah

A) King Benjamin exhorts his sons (1:1-8)

B) Mosiah chosen king to succeed his father (1:10)

C) Mosiah receives the records (1:16)

D) Benjamin's speech and the words of an angel of the Lord (2:9-5:15)

E) People enter into a covenant (6:1)

F) Priests consecrated (6:3)

G) Ammon leaves Zarahemla for the land of Nephi (7:1-6)

H) People Limhi in bondage, Ammon put in prison (7:15)

I) The 24 gold plates (8:9)

J) The record of Zeniff begins as he leaves Zarahemla (9:1)

K) Zeniff prevails against the Lamanites (9:14-10:20)

L) Noah and his priests (11:1-15)

M) Abinadi persecuted and thrown in prison (11-12)

N) Abinadi reads Isaiah's prophecies of Christ (13-14)

N') Abinadi make his own prophecies of Christ (15-16)

M') Abinadi persecuted and killed (17:5-20)

L') Noah and his priests (18:32-20:5)

K') Lamanites threaten the people of Limhi (20:6-26)

J') Record of Zeniff ends as Limhi's people leave the land of Nephi

I') The 24 gold plates (21:27, 22:14)

H') People of Alma in bondage (23)

G') Alma leaves the land of Nephi for Zarahemla (24)

F') The Church organized by Alma (25:14-24)

E') Unbelievers refuse to enter covenant (26:1-4)

D') The words of Alma and the words of an angel of the Lord (26-27)

C') Alma the Younger receives the records (28:20)

B') Judges chosen instead of a king (29:5-32)

A') Mosiah exhorts his people (29:5-32)

Outline of Book of Alma Chapter 36

A) My son give ear to my words (v 1)

B) Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (v 1)

C) Do as I have done (v 2)

D) Remember the captivity of our fathers (v 2)

E) They were in bondage (v 2)

F) He surely did deliver them (v 2)

G) Trust in God (v 3)

H) Supported in trials, troubles and afflictions (v 3)

I) I know this not of myself but of God (v 4)

J) Born of God (v 5)

K) I sought to destroy the church (v 6-9)

L) My limbs were paralyzed (v 10)

M) Fear of the presence of God (v 14-15)

N) Pains of a damned soul (v 16)

O) Harrowed up by memory of sins (v 17)

P) I remembered Jesus Christ, a son of God (v 17)

P') I cried, Jesus, son of God (v 18)

O') Harrowed up by memory of sins no more (v 19)

N') Joy as exceeding as was the pain (v 20)

M') Long to be in the presence of God (v 22)

L') My limbs received strength again (v 23)

K') I labored to bring souls to repentance (v 24)

J') Born of God (v 26)

I') Therefore my knowledge is of God (26)

H') Supported under trials and troubles and afflictions (v 27)

G') Trust in him (v 27)

F') He will deliver me (v 27)

E') As God brought our fathers out of bondage and captivity (v 28-29)

D') Retain in remembrance their captivity (v 28-29)

C') Know as I do know (v 30)

B') Keep the commandments and ye shall prosper in the land (v 30)

A') This according to his word (v 30)

Mosiah 5:10-12

A) whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ (man)

B) must be called by some other name (divine)

C) therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God (man)

D) And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the name that I said I should give unto you (divine)

E) that never should be blotted out, except it be through transgression (divine)

E') therefore, take heed that ye do not transgree, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts (man)

D') I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts (man)

C') that ye are not found on the left hand of God, (divine)

B') but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, (man)

A') and also, the name by which he shall call you (divine) This chiasmus is interesting because it alternates the roles of man and God throughout the structure - except at the center, where those roles are reversed.

Notes and references

1. John W. Welch, "Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon," Brigham Young University Studies 10:1 (1969): 69–84.
2. http://www.donwinegar.com
3. Hugh Pinnock, "Finding Biblical Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon," Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (1999): 11.

See also

• Book of Mormon
• Chiasmus
• Linguistics and the Book of Mormon

External links

• Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon A number of examples of chiastic structures in the Book of Mormon are illustrated.
• Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, A Remarkable Literary Art

• Book of Mormon studies