Having read welchs writings on chiasmus i, and even finding a couple of small ones in the book of mormon, i was totally unprepared to find this supposedly ancient literary pattern in a modern document. Mormons are appealing to examples of chiasmus in the book of. Articles of faith, intermicro analysis and commentary. A guide to sources and collections in the united states. Chiasmus and book of mormon textual studies deseret book. This article will show you the importance of chiasmus and how to use it. Be sure to read john welchs chapter, chiasmus in the book of mormon. Onomastic wordplay on joseph and benjamin and gezera shawa. In addition to these, i will offer additional examples of gezera shawa that illuminate its importance as an exegetical technique used by ancient prophetwriters whose words and messages the book of mormon preserves. Book of mormon literature the encyclopedia of mormonism. I initially made it in the forum where i found the original. That is a discussion for a different post and i know there is at least one here on mormanity about chiasmus, but to dismiss all the examples of intricate, complex chiasmus in the book of mormon with an example like that simply reinforces my point about occams razor needing to be employed carefully since chiasmus absolutely isnt needless.
Definition and examples of chiasmus figure of speech. In this context, the formality of chiasmus lends itself to the formality of the text. Both chiasmus and antimetabole can be used to reinforce antithesis. These forms include line forms, symmetry, parallelism, and chiastic patterns. Chiasmus in the book of mormon is both a necessary and a natural way of explaining some things in the book of mormon that go unaccounted for otherwise. Chiasmus examples chiasmus is the reversing of the order of words in the second of two parallel phrases or sentences.
This rhetorical device is also referred to as reverse parallelism or syntactical inversion. These verses from psalm 3 give a more complex example of chiasmus. A number of hebraisms exist in the structure of the book of mormon. For the first 150 years of mormonisms existence, everyone thought it was a story about a people who left the middle east and came to south or central america, and who fought wars clear up into new york state where. Chiasmus in mesoamerican texts book of mormon central. This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon. Why does the book of mormon have some of the same passages.
This blog was created in order to make available study guides for lessons in the book of mormon. Chiasmus in the book of mormon book of mormon central. In the late 1960s, a young latterday saint discovered that an ancient form of middle eastern poetry was found throughout the book of mormon, suggestive of its ancient semitic origins. But in the case of the chiasms from the book of mormon, these objections can be tossed aside as unconvincing, unsatisfactory, unimaginative, and unintelligent. Chiasmus is a rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures in order to produce an artistic effect. We now turn to the question of chiasmus in the book of mormon. But chiasmus is becoming almost a feature of mormon popular culture so much so that r. It was also seen in sanskrit, mesopotamian, chinese and egyptian texts. Stephen smoot is back and he is going deep on this episode. The metaphor of bitter gall is one that alma might have derived from the. Several fine examples of chiasmus an abba pattern are also. A new translation with interpretive keys from the book of mormon 1988, by avraham gileadi. What is chiasmus and how is it used in the book of mormon. Chiasmus was particularly popular in the literature of the ancient world, including hebrew, greek, ancient kiche maya, and latin, where it was used to articulate the balance of order within the text.
Christmas published a parody chiasm in his latest book saviors on mt. In fact, chiasmus was not searched for and discovered in the book of mormon until the late 1960s, when lds scholar john welch learned of scholarly work on chiasmus in antiquity and hypothesized that the book of mormon might contain examples as well. However, a recently recognized phenomenon in the book of mormon has now made it possible for us to cite many specific examples of passages in the book of mormon which bear the distinct stamp of an ancient hebraic literary form. Video on the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Conveniently accessible in welchs 1969 article in byu studies, chiasmus in the book of mormon, which may be obtained in reprint form from the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, p. This discourse by the prophet alma in the book of mormon gives us a powerful analogy about the development of faith. The most commonly referenced pattern is a type of parallelism, called a chiasm. The first chapter of the book claims that it was written in the language of the egyptians but according to the learning of the jews 1 nephi 1. Select one of the links above to view examples of chiasmus in various books of the book of mormon.
Welch discovered the presence of chiasmus on august 16, 1967 while on his mission in germany, and since that time, chiasmus has served as a profound witness for the beauty and complexity of the book of mormon. A certain blog titled soyou think the book of mormon is a fraud. Isaiahs similes and metaphors were often based in agricultural and geographical details that were no longer familiar to the nephites and are not part of a modern understanding. Lots of verses in the book of mormon are rambling or correct themselves midverse. Mardy grothe has plumbed the depths of this form for years and catalogued hundreds of examples from ancient times to the present, in never let a fool kiss you or. One of the few smith family documents that has been preserved from the eighteenth century was a letter of asael smith, joseph smiths grandfather. Chiasmus as verbal judo the root pattern is called chiasmus because diagrammed, it forms an x, and the greek name for x is chi. These verses from the book of mormon use chiasmus to build an argument for embracing god. If you love words and their clever use, you will love this book. Examples of deliberate deception regarding the book of mormon translation process. If youve read 1 nephi chapters 1 through 20, you may remember that many of those chapters were about how nephi was told by his father that the lord wanted them to retu. The use of chiasmus is popular in greek, latin and english languages, especially in shakespeares works, the hebrew texts of the bible, analects of confucius and the book of mormon. Basics, significance of the pattern davidic chiasmus.
Since that time, several other examples of chiasmus have been found in the book of mormon, and both lds and nonlds scholars have come to better understand how chiasmus was used in the bible, the book of mormon, and additional ancient texts from both the old and new worlds. Mckay served as president of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints from april 1951 until his death in january 1970. The best videos and questions to learn about literary devices. In this passage, every single phrase is mirrored by a related phrase. Found embedded in the narrative of the book of mormon, poetry provides the best examples of the essential connection between form and content in the book of mormon. Probably the example of book of mormon chiasmus most cited and most heralded is. It is claimed that the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic patterns have been found in the doctrine and covenants or other 19th century writing. No one in america, let alone in western new york, fully understood chiasmus in 1830.
It is claimed that the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. Many books within the book of mormon are heavily laced with chiastic phrasing. Many latterday saints point out that the use of chiasmus in the book of mormon is proof that joseph smith translated a script that was hebrew in origin, since the chiasmus had not yet been discovered when the book of mormon was translated in 1829. Probably the example of book of mormon chiasmus most cited and most heralded is alma 36, a passage that reports a speech said to have been given by. Book of mormonevidenceshebraismschiasmus fairmormon. John welch, who discovered chiasmus in the book of mormon in 1967 wrote the following. It refers to a grammatical structure that inverts a previous phrase. A literary structure known as chiasmus exists in the book of mormon. In the simplest, broadest sense, a chiasmus is a literary device that uses inverted parallelism, which can be labelled as a b b a.
Chiasmus in the book of mormon mormonism, the mormon church. The pattern chiasmus creates here serves to reiterate and elaborate upon ideas. Some of these examples may seem to be compelling, but when closely examined, they turn out to be little more than wishful thinking. I draw this example from alter, art of biblical poetry, 211.
Tom perry special collections coordinating committee. For this article i am going to discuss an ancient literary form known as chiasmus. The book of mormon is replete with verses of this kind, but they are far more complex. Chiasmus is much more common in many religious passages, particularly in the christian bible.
Aug 18, 2017 wednesday was the fiftieth anniversary of welchs discovery. The book of mormon describes a ditch being dug around the protected area. Chiasmus is the term for a rhetorical device in which a sentence or phrase is followed by a sentence or phrase that reverses the structure and order of the first one. What is any example of parallelism in their eyes were watching god.
Now, 50 years since welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon, we see that his find is. So it is, in my opinion, with the issue of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Such simple examples of chiasmus are well known in english speech. This volume features articles on hebraisms and chiasmus in the book of mormon, as well as articles discussing emendation of the text, naturalistic assumptions, wordprint analyses, variations between copies of the first edition, and more. The primary narrative in the middle of the book is, of course, a rather detailed political history, abridged by mormon 2 from the formal records kept by the nephite rulers. Chiasmus and the book of mormon utah lighthouse ministry. This article provides an introduction to chiasmus, explaining what it is and why mormons think it is evidence for the book of mormon, giving examples from the bible, and discussing whether the book of mormon contains clear instances of chiasmus. It compares the growth of a seed to how the word of god will swell within the heart of an honest inquirer. Oct 03, 2017 we had a guest on our show and many of you know him already.
Book of mormon 1879 lds versification title page simmons, letter, a 1 2 b 1 2 b 1 2 a 1 2. A couple of weeks ago thom and i saw the hit musical play the book of mormon at the pantages theater in hollywood. His findings were truly surprising, revealing that clear, distinct, and elegant passages of chiasmus existed in the book of mormon. Jan 01, 2012 if you engage lds apologists long enough, eventually youre bound to come across the topic of chiasmus in the book of mormon. When many inspired words of the lord, angels, and prophets are analyzed according to ancient verse forms, their meaning can be more readily perceived. Grothe even has a website for new examples of chiasmus two or more lines that follow a parallel structure. The nephite prophets complain about how hard it is to write and how limited space was. Atop it a fence of timbers was planted and bound together with vines.
The discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon is one of the most. A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. How are the words of the book of mormon like one that. In an interesting article, hebrew poetry in the book of mormon, part 1, angela crowell briefly describes twentythree poetic devices found in both the old testament and the book of mormon. That very arrangement is now well documented archaeologically an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, provo, utah.
Examples of chiasmus can be found in the book of mormon. For example, many long and complex chiasmi have been found in. Also consider that there are several examples in the book of mormon, including alma 36, which is one of the best chiasmus anywhere. Although we have not called this a chiasmus, for a discussion of chiasmus in the book of mormon. This compilation of groundbreaking book of mormon articles is selected from over fifty years of lds scholarship published by byu studies. Prior to this, he served as a counselor in the first presidency beginning in 1934 and as a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles beginning in 1906. Does chiasmus appear in the book of mormon by chance. The deliberate use of hebrew parallelisms in the book of mormon.
Definition, usage and a list of chiasmus examples in common speech and literature. Recognizing parallelisms and chiasmus in the scriptures. An effective extended metaphor is almas comparison of the word of. While there, on preparation day, he attended a lecture given by a german bible scholar. It has been adapted slightly from its print version. The book of mormons use the term familiar spirits is related to the ancient practice of necromancy that was forbidden by god in the old testament. Book of mormonanthropologylanguagehebraismschiasmus.
Im going to make this a new post because the comments are. In chiasmus, the clauses display inverted parallelism. The phenomenon which makes that possible is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon. If weaided by the holy spiritdevelop an understanding of these structures, intended comparisons and deeper meanings will be unfolded to our understanding. I had long appreciated and valued the book of mormon, but it was not until i began to see it speaking for itself before sophisticated audiences, especially in connection with my work on such things as chiasmus and law in the book of mormon, that i began to sense the high level of. Hebraisms that could have been known to joseph smith may still be authentic. Written to jacob town in january 1796, it clearly reflects the revolutionary rhetoric which incorporated views taken from daniel chapter 2. In chiasmus, the words do not have to be repeatedthe second sentence does not just reverse the words of. The book of daniel in early mormon thought lds scripture.
Chiasmus in the book of mormon religious studies center. Finding doctrine and meaning in book of mormon isaiah. Especially psalms 34, 25, 145, and the similar nonacrostic 33. The most common poetic structures are parallelisms and chiasmus. This is the single most comprehensive essay on the history of mormon literature, originally appearing with the same title in david j. The discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon is one of the most significant scholarly contributions to understanding and appreciating the nephite record. Welch chiasmus papers must be obtained from the supervisor of reference services andor the l. Joseph smith had been dead ten full years before john forbess book was published in scotland. Chiasmus in the book of mormon thoughts and truth from the. Its not plagiarism at all its nephi quoting isaiah, with attribution even. I love what the author is trying to do herehes attempting to present an. Chiasmus can be used in the structure of entire passages to parallel concepts or ideas. This article provides a fairly basic overview of the issue. The historical record has yielded no direct evidence that joseph smith actually knew about chiasmus when he translated the book of mormon in 1829, although some other people at that time did.
For example, parallelisms, which abound in the book of mormon, serve many. Does anybody have any exampleexamples of a metaphors, simile, hyperbole, alliteration or. Since then, two organizations farms and fraa have published extensive literature to show that the book of mormon translated by joseph smith jr. Metaphors, myths and the musical the book of mormon. Chiasmus in the book of mormon byu scholarsarchive. Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you kindle. The 48th and 49th chapters of isaiah are juxtaposed strategically in 1 nephi 2021. In rhetoric, chiasmus or, less commonly, chiasm is a reversal of grammatical structures in. Progress and prospects eugene england i editors note. A scripture wellknown to latterday saints is a good example of a.
Jan 01, 2004 in 1967 chiasmus was discovered in the book of mormon, and the findings were published in byu studies. The role of evidence in religious discussion religious. The chiastic structure, according to welch, is as follows. Some other useful resources include the video of john welchs lecture, chiasmus in the book of mormon a masterful 54minute lesson that could be a valuable resource for a class or any serious student of the book of mormon. They add to our testimony that the book of mormon is true. For example, parallelisms, which abound in the book of mormon, serve many functions. If this was the only sort of chiasmus to be found in the book of mormon, then it would be weak evidence, at best, of any sort of ancient origin for the text. The book of mormon as a mesoamerican record book of. How could joseph have come up with the precise words needed to fill in the missing pieces of these chiasms.
Some have argued chiasmus is evidence of the texts historical authenticity, suggesting it reflects the semitic background of nephi and other authors of the book of mormon. Parallelism, merismus, and difrasismo book of mormon central. The scriptures are full of poetic structures which add greatly to their richness, depth and meaning. Conceptual chiasmus utilizes specific linguistic choices, often metaphors, to create a connection between two differing disciplines. One can read the book of mormon as canonized scripture, to guide the church. Chiasmus and a world of quotations that say what they mean and mean what they say at. However, instead of condoning this practice, the book of mormon turns it on its head, showing how the god of israel can allow the dead to speak to the living in a righteous and holy way. This process, termed conceptual chiasmus, uses a crisscrossing rhetorical structure to cause an overlapping of intellectual space. Solomon spaulding wrote a manuscript that is now missing some critics believe it is the actual source of the book of mormon had another book, manuscript found, in which appears the following chiasmus. If chiasmus can be convincingly identified in the book of mormon, it will testify of the book s ancient origin. The book of mormon does indeed have authentic semitic constructions in it, but lds need to tread cautiously in establishing them. Im not sure exactly what forum would be suitable for this thread. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations.
Indeed, the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon may be evidence of joseph smiths own literary style and genius. Aug 22, 2016 the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon is one of the most significant scholarly contributions to understanding and appreciating the nephite record. Articles of faith, pearl of great price intermicro analysis and commentary a. Unique literary styles in the book of mormon services gallery contact unique literary styles in the book of mormon services gallery contact. Conceptual chiasmus utilizes specific linguistic choices, often metaphors, to create a connection. It is claimed by many within the lds church that special literary patterns found in hebrew writing are also found in the book of mormon, which they feel helps prove that book comes from ancient jewish origins and not from joseph smiths mind. Below is the modern map of the area of smiths youth. Furthermore, it doesnt make sense that chiasmus would be in the book of mormon anyway. To see this for ourselves, we had best begin with an example of chiasmus. It is also found throughout the quran and the book of mormon. They claim that such findings support claims of hebrew origins in the text on the basis that. Perhaps welch could have strengthened his premise by demonstrating that the parallel members in the book of mormon consist of semitic word pairs, the basis of ancient hebrew poetry. Aug 29, 2017 since welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon fifty years ago, chiasmus has become one of the most frequently cited evidences for the authenticity of the book of mormon as ancient literature, and therefore as having been translated miraculously by joseph smith. What can we learn from 10 of the best chiasms in the book of mormon.
Why is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon significant. Written by the guys who created the south park television show, it was no surprise that the story is a hilarious and irreverent spoof on religionthe mormon religion specifically. One of the most frequently cited evidences for the authenticity of the book of mormon as ancient literature and therefore as having been translated miraculously by joseph smith is the presence of a literary feature known as chiasmus or chiasm. Chiasmus in the book of mormon the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon is one of the most significant scholarly contributions to understanding and appreciating the nephite record. See the discussion on the matter in my the book of mormon as a mesoamerican codex, newsletter and proceedings, society for early historic archaeology 9 1976, p. The book of mormon gives many examples, such as nephi 1, ammon, teancum, and helaman 1. The book of mormon is supposed to be a history of real people living in a real place. A there is an intelligent omnipotent being, who is selfexistent and infinitely b good and benevolent matter eternally existed. Why would go through all the planning and space to write everything in chiasmus form. When john kennedy constructed his famous bromide, ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country, he went to the well of antithesis for his active ingredient. Chiasmus is one of the most frequently cited evidences for the authenticity of the book of mormon. It begins with 1 nephi, chapters 25, as the lesson on 1 nephi 1 was taught in a stake adult institute class prior to the publication of study guide material.