Chiasms; Used by Alma to Teach His Sons

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Excerpts from Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon by Alan C. Miner (Unpublished) and noted authors.

Douglas and Robert Clark

According to Douglas and Robert Clark, if the relative volume of space that Mormon devotes to the various events of Alma's ministry is at all indicative of relative importance, then Alma's instructions to his sons as recorded in chapters 36 through 42 must qualify as the single most important event of his ministry, comprising as they do at least 20 percent of the entire account thereof. [E. Douglas Clark and Robert S. Clark, Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon, p. 133]

John Welch

Alma 36 (Book of Mormon Characteristics Established by Chiastic Structure):

In a paper that draws together things which he has said over twenty-five years, John Welch focuses on what chiasmus prove about the Book of Mormon. The following is a summary:

1. Chiasmus provides evidence concerning the orderliness of the text.

2. Chiasmus demonstrates that the text is relatively complex.

3. Chiasmus helps identify textual units within the text.

4. Chiasmus makes the text artistically pleasing.

5. Chiasmus provides evidence of the content and meaning of a passage.

6. Chiasmus provides evidence about characteristics of individual authors:

a. His skill and training.

b. His care and diligence.

c. His attempt at revising and restructuring writings.

d. His intent to center the text on certain key ideas.

7. Chiasmus provides evidence of multiple authorship:

a. Comparative usage (variations from author to author).

b. Diachronological usage (variations over time).

8. Chiasmus provides evidence about Nephite culture and society:

a. Oral transmission (memorization) of scriptural texts.

9. Chiasmus provides evidence about the abridger (paraphrasing versus direct quotations).

10. Chiasmus provides evidence of Israelite origins and a basis for comparative cultural analysis.

11. Chiasmus provides evidence of translation from a Hebrew text.

12. Chiasmus provides evidence of the precise nature of Joseph Smith's work in dictating the text.

John Welch sums up the evidence:

For those who are inclined to think about such matters in terms of statistical probabilities, the multiple findings discussed may be summarized in the form of a series of predictions: for instance, what is the likelihood of chiasms not only accidentally occurring, but also intensifying the orderly character of the text, increasing the intricate depth of the text, significantly enhancing its artistic achievement, precisely fitting natural textual units, systematically clarifying meaning and providing demonstrable keys to textual interpretation, maintaining stylistic consistency within the writings of individual authors, emerging as reworkings of earlier texts, corresponding with other dimensions of authorial intent, appearing principally in quoted original texts as opposed to abridged materials, and working even better in Hebrew than English? The probability that all these and other similar predictions would simultaneously occur becomes remotely small, lending considerable cumulative weight that corroborates the explanation of the book's origins declared by Joseph Smith and claimed by the book itself.[John W. Welch, "What Does Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon Prove?" in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited , F.A.R.M.S., pp. 200-224]

John Welch’s Alma 36 chiasm outline.

John Welch’s Alma 36 chiasm outline.

a My son give ear to my words (1)

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

c Do as I have done (2)

d Remember the captivity of our fathers (2)

e They were in bondage (2)

f He surely did deliver them (2)

g Trust in God (3)

h Supported in trials, troubles, and afflictions (3)

i Lifted up at the last day (3)

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

k Born of God (5)

l I sought to destroy the church (6-9)

m My limbs were paralyzed (10)

n Fear of being in the presence of God (14-15)

o Pains of a damned soul (16)

p Harrowed up by the memory of sins (17)

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

q' I cried, Jesus, son of God (18)

p' Harrowed up by the memory of sins no more (19)

o' Joy as exceeding as was the pain (20)

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

m' My limbs received strength again (23)

l' I labaored to bring souls to repentance (24)

k' Born of God (26)

j' Therefore my knowledge is of God (26)

h' Supported under trials, troubles, and afflictions (27)

g' Trust in him (27)

f' He will deliver me (27)

i' and raise me up at the last day (28)

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

d' Retain in remembrance their captivity (28-29)

c' Know as I do know (30)

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

a' This according to his word (30)

Reference. "A Masterpiece: Alma 36, p. 100-113 by John W. Welch. In Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne ediitors, FARMS and Deseret Book, 1991

H. Clay Gorton

One of the most compelling evidences for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon is the extensive use of ancient Hebraisms, especially chiasmus, which is an unusual parallelistic literary structure that was completely foreign to the English language of Joseph Smith, and was in fact only rediscovered in recent years. How is it possible that the Book of Mormon is full of this ancient Hebrew literary structure that was unknown in Joseph Smith's day if he wrote it as critics have claimed?

The very first three verses of First Nephi reveal Nephi's knowledge of chiasmus.

Nephi had great knowledge

so made a record

in the language of his father

which consisted of the learning of the Jews

and the language of the Egyptians.

He witnessed that his record is true

And that he made it according to his knowledge.

The entire book of First Nephi is a chiastic masterpiece with layer upon layer of chiastic structure within it. In the literal category, 165 chiastic elements are in the first half of the book and 165 corresponding words, or phrases lead away from the central element in identical reverse order. The central theme of the literal chiasm is "coming to the Lamb of God". The first leg describes Lehi's testimony. The second leg describes Nephi's testimony. The central theme of the conceptual chiasm is "and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world if it so be that they repent, and come unto Him."

Imbedded within these two "Global" chiasms are 107 additional chiastic structures.

961 chiasms have been identified in the Book of Mormon.

53% of the verses in the Book of Mormon are chiastic.

72% of the small plates on Nephi are chiastic.

33 different authors in the Book of Mormon used chiasms.

33 chiasms are found in the Pearl of Great Price.

225 chiasms are found in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Like First Nephi, the entire book of Isaiah in the Bible is chiastic.

Since Joseph Smith did not have knowledge of chiasms, he could not have composed the complicated chiasms in the Book of Mormon. How then did they emerge in his revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants? The implication is that the Lord uses Chiasms as a language structure that, when seen in scripture, indicates the hand of the Lord in its authorship. Perhaps even to dictation. [H. Clay Gorton, A New Witness for Christ: Chiastic Structures in the Book of Mormon] & Editors of AAF