Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor
Chiasmus in The Book of Mormon
Why is the Hebrew Writing Style of Chiasmus
Found in The Book of Mormon?.
by Matt Moody, Ph.D.
What Is Chiasmus? Chiasmus is a literary style within Hebrew tradition where certain Ideas are stated in order, then repeated in reverse order, such as:
Idea A is expressed, followed by
Idea B, and
Idea C, then
Idea C is repeated,
Idea B is repeated, and
Idea A is also repeated
Here is an example in the Bible of the Chiastic form: A B C C B A
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
(Matt. 6:24)
A - No man can serve two masters
B - either he will hate the one
C - and love the other
C - or he will hold to the one
B - and despise the other
A - Ye cannot serve God and mammon
Chiasmus could be expressed in any length. In the Book of Mormon, Helaman 6:7-13, here is an example of this Chiastic pattern: A B C D E F E D C B A.
A - there was peace in all the land
B - they became exceedingly rich
C - and had plenty of gold, and of silver
D - the land south was called Lehi
E - he land north was called Mulek
F - for the Lord
E - did bring Mulek into the land north
D - and Lehi into the land south
C - there was all manner of of gold, and of silver
B - thus they did become rich
A - they were strong in the land ... in peace
The most intricate example of Chiasmus in The Book of Mormon has 17 chiastic pairs:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A
It is extremely unlikely that Joseph Smith—or anyone else living near Palmyra, New York in 1830—would be aware of the Hebrew Literary Style called Chiasmus. Why?
When the Book of Mormon published in Palmyra, New York in March 1830, the only library in the United States was located in Peterborough, New Hampshire, 320 miles east of Palmyra; this public library was the very first built in the United States.
But nobody traveled to Peterborough, New Hampshire to do research about Chiasmus at America's first public library, in 1830 or before that year, because this library was not built, and open for use, until 1833—three years after The Book of Mormon was published.
Further, information about Chiasmus in the Bible would not be found in the Peterborough Public Library, because the very first article on the topic of Chiasmus was written by Danish historian Nils Wilhelm Lund in 1930—a century after the Book of Mormon was published.
Therefore, most people living in early America would simply be unaware of Chiasmus, because no one had written about it in the 1830's.
The Hebrew literary tradition of Chiasmus is found in the Bible, because it was written by people of Hebrew heritage. Here's another example of Chiasmus in the Bible:
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
"For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the. Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
"And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.".
~
Isaiah 60:1-3
The Chiastic structure is not very noticable to the average reader, until Chiasmus is pointed out and diagrammed like this:
A - Arise,
B - shine;
C - for thy light is come,
D - and the glory
E - of the Lord
F - is risen upon thee.
G - For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
G - and gross darkness the people:
F - but ... shall arise upon thee,
E - the Lord
D - and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
C - shall come to thy light,
B - and kings to the brightness
A - of thy rising.
Therefore, when Danish historian Nils Wilhelm Lund wrote a book about "Chiasmus in the New Testament," published in 1942—from that time forward, Americans became aware of Chiasmatic patterns.
Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon was also written by descendants of Hebrew heritage, which is why there are many examples of Chiasmus found in this 2nd witness of Jesus Christ. Here is the Chiasmus Writing Style found in Alma chapter 36 of The Book of Mormon:
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 - Lifted up at the last day (v. 3)
J - I know this not of myself but of God (v. 4)
K - Born of God (v. 5)
L - I sought to destroy the church (v. 6-9)
M - My limbs were paralyzed (v. 10)
N - Fear of being in the presence of God (v. 14-15)
O - Pains of a damned soul (v. 16)
P - Harrowed up by the memory of sins (v. 17)
Q - remembered Jesus Christ, a son of God (v. 17)
Q - I cried, Jesus Christ, son of God (v. 18)
P - Harrowed by the memory of sins no more (v. 19)
O - Joy as exceeding as was the pain (v. 20)
N - Long to be in the presence of God (v. 22)
M - My limbs received strength again (v. 23)
L - I labored to bring souls to repentance (v. 24)
K - Born of God (v. 26)
J - Therefore my knowledge is of God (v. 26)
H - Supported under trials, troubles, and afflictions (v. 26)
G - Trust in him (v. 27)
F - He will deliver me (v. 27)
I - And raise me up at the last day (v. 28)
E - As God brought our fathers out of bondage and captivity (v. 28-29)
D - Retain a remembrance of their captivity (v. 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)
Again, as the average person reads Alma chapter 36, the Chiastic structure is not very noticable. Through many years of reading the Book of Mormon, I never noticed patterns of Chiasmus.
I only noticed it when I read about "Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon," and the Chiastic patterns were pointed out.
BURNING QUESTION: How did such an elaborate example of Chiasmus end up in Alma chapter 36 of the Book of Mormon?
Given the fact that very few living in 1830 were even aware of Chiasmus in the Bible or the Book of Mormon, therefore, the most obvious explanation as to WHY the Book of Mormon contains Chiasmus is because the Book of Mormon was written by people of Hebrew heritage, who were taught in the Literary Traditions of the Hebrews.
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The Journey
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Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor
