CHIASUMS IN THE BOM
Chiasums, is an ancient poetic form found in ancient writings. In the 1960's it was discovered to exist in the BOM.
The form centers and then works it's way back out. I bolded the points made and labeled them A - F. A at the top will mirror A' at the bottom.
Here's an example from Mosiah 3: 18-19
(A) For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink adamnation to their own souls except they humble themselves
(B) and become as little children,
(C) and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
(D) For the natural man
(E) is an enemy to God,
(F) and has been from the fall of Adam,
(F') and will be,
(E') forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,
(D') and putteth off the natural man
(C') and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,
(B') and becometh as a child,
(A') submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
What is even more astounding is that entire books in the BOM have been arranged in this form. Take the book of Mosiah:
A King Benjamin exhorts his sons (1:1-8)
B Mosiah chosen to succeed his father (1:10)
C Mosiah receives the records (1:16)
D Benjamin's speech and the words of the angel (2:9-5:15 )
E People enter into a covenant (6:1 )
F Priests consecrated (6:13)
G Ammon leaves Zarahemla for the land of Lehi-Nephi (7:1-6)
H People 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 Defense 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 the old law and old Messianic prophecies to the priests (13-14)
N' Abinadi makes new prophecies about Jesus 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 (20:6-6-26)
J' Record of Zeniff ends as he leaves the land of Lehi-Nephi
I' The 24 gold plates (21:27, 22:14)
H' People of Alma in bondage (23)
G' Alma leaves the land of Lehi-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 the 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)
Cool stuff!
Chiasums, is an ancient poetic form found in ancient writings. In the 1960's it was discovered to exist in the BOM.
The form centers and then works it's way back out. I bolded the points made and labeled them A - F. A at the top will mirror A' at the bottom.
Here's an example from Mosiah 3: 18-19
(A) For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink adamnation to their own souls except they humble themselves
(B) and become as little children,
(C) and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
(D) For the natural man
(E) is an enemy to God,
(F) and has been from the fall of Adam,
(F') and will be,
(E') forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,
(D') and putteth off the natural man
(C') and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,
(B') and becometh as a child,
(A') submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
What is even more astounding is that entire books in the BOM have been arranged in this form. Take the book of Mosiah:
A King Benjamin exhorts his sons (1:1-8)
B Mosiah chosen to succeed his father (1:10)
C Mosiah receives the records (1:16)
D Benjamin's speech and the words of the angel (2:9-5:15 )
E People enter into a covenant (6:1 )
F Priests consecrated (6:13)
G Ammon leaves Zarahemla for the land of Lehi-Nephi (7:1-6)
H People 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 Defense 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 the old law and old Messianic prophecies to the priests (13-14)
N' Abinadi makes new prophecies about Jesus 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 (20:6-6-26)
J' Record of Zeniff ends as he leaves the land of Lehi-Nephi
I' The 24 gold plates (21:27, 22:14)
H' People of Alma in bondage (23)
G' Alma leaves the land of Lehi-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 the 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)
Cool stuff!
posted by Troy at 4:04 PM
6 Comments:
oh my goodness!! that is so cool! i bet some english people who are in the church got all excited when they realized that the BOM does that!! sweet!
VERY cool! How did you learn about Chiasums?
I talk to a lot of people who have questions about the church, even some who are outright anti.
I research a lot and come across things like this that are way cool. It's kind of hard to say that Joseph Smith knew all about this form of writing, when most scholars in his time had no idea, then he took the time to write it into the BOM, and then never even hinted to anyone that it was there. ;)
maybe joseph smith didn't know it was there, that it just happened out like that!! or maybe it was all by the hand of heavenly father!!
Or maybe the ancient prophets were well aware of this form because they were taught it by their Hebrew fathers! :)
Hi Hon
I recall a BYU t.v. show talking about the patterns in the verses too. I wish I could remember the professors in the program by name. But a pattern of threes show up that is also an ancient form of writing, that is like this too. You don't notice it until it is pointed out specifically.
Good job Troy, we are all in AWE.
Research and tell us more.
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