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. What is chiasmus and why is it so important in the book of. Mosiah or king benjamin name was changed later since he already had died in the book. Bishop lowth, whose lectures on hebrew poetry in 1741 first introduced the name parallelism for the hebrew poetic style, pointed out that this structure, based as it is on meaning, survives translation into the prose of any language with. Chiasmus is a biblical literary form, where the writer lists certain key words or ideas in one order, and then goes back and repeats them in the opposite order.
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. This year marks 50 years since the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon on august 16, 1967. Welch welch, chiastic syllabus of the book of mormon, abccba. I made this ngram on chiasmus to show the significance of the. Chiasmus in the book of mormon 71 several centuries later cicero used chiasmic lines as a rhetorical device for placing emphasis matremmatred bemushabemushabmushabousha ignoramus patrem rep 233 some english authors who had been thoroughly trained in the classics naturally turned to chiasmus as a poetical form thus in pope s essay on man this short chiasm appears flame lawless. 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. Practically since the day the book of mormon rolled off the press in 1830, those who believed in the. This article provides a fairly basic overview of the issue. Chiasmus in the book of mormon philosophies of men mingled. 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.
Jubilee marks 50 years from book of mormon chiasmus discovery. Joseph smith had been dead ten full years before john forbess book was published in scotland. Sep 08, 2017 one of my favorite stories from the world of book of mormon studies is the discovery of chiasmus in the text by a young missionary serving in germany. If chiasmus can be convincingly identified in the book of mormon, it will testify of the books ancient origin. A chart of the chiastic structure in alma image via book of mormon central. Chiasmus is an elegant literary device where parallel phrases are inverted. Welch, parallelism and chiasmus in benjamins speech, 373. The presence of such in the book of abraham is consistent with expectations that the text bears a high degree of historicity and reinforces its overall credibility and literary quality. Welch, a study relating chiasmus in the book of mormon to chiasmus in the old testament, ugaritic epics, homer and selected greek and latin authors m.
The lds church has authorized book of mormon central to use the book of mormon text to create the app. Chiasmus in the book of abraham by book of mormon central. Why and how did alma explain the meaning of the word restoration. The most famous example of this is chapter 36 of the book of alma. He is a researcher and contributor of many articles posted on the book of mormon central website and is coeditor of knowing why.
For those unfamiliar with the term, chiasmus is an ancient literary device that has been found in greek, latin, and hebrew writings. Using only the text of the book of mormon as the narration, get a. Book of mormonevidenceshebraismschiasmus fairmormon. Dec 19, 2019 chiasmus, or inverted parallelism, is a twopart literary structure or system in which the second half is a mirror image of the first, i. Welch, chiasmus in ugaritic, ugaritforschungen 6 1974. This compilation of groundbreaking book of mormon articles is selected from over fifty years of lds scholarship published by byu studies. The first states that the center is always the turning point. What can we learn from 10 of the best chiasms in the book of. From there, the inverse parallelism became apparent. 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. He turned to the passage in mosiah and he saw, in the german book of mormon, two words stacked on top of one another.
The discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon is one of the most significant scholarly contributions to u. Does chiasmus prove anything about the book of mormon. Aug 07, 2016 today, august 16, 2016, marks the 49th anniversary of jack welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Smith, personal communication with book of mormon central staff, may 30, 2017.
Chiasmus is a poetic form that is common in ancient hebrew texts. Lehi couldnt have had book of isaiah since it hadnt been made yet. It is found in the bible and the quran and other ancient documents. That is, it was written with egyptian characters but in hebraic style. Conference participants also viewed materials about the chiasmus at the harold b. Examples of chiasmus can be found in the book of mormon. Parts of the book are presented in narrative form which typically doesnt use parallelisms, but this volume also arranges in their poetic form 325 instances of chiasmus and hundreds of additional parallel structures. Chiasmus in the book of mormon brigham young university. Another famous author of the book of mormon who creatively employed the principles of chiasmus to great advantage was alma the younger. 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. In the first place, we have demonstrated the extensive existence of chiasmus in the book of mormon beyond any possible doubt. Chiasmus in the book of mormon may, therefore, help readers more deeply appreciate the literary brilliance of the book while simultaneously increasing confidence in its authenticity as an ancient text and elevating faith in its concerted testimony of jesus christ, who is. The spirit said start where you left off yesterday.
Chiasmus, however, also appears in the book of abraham. What is chiasmus and how is it used in the book of mormon. In the first place, we have demonstrated the extensive existence of chiasmus. Thomasson sees center of this overarching chiasm as the atonement at alma 34. A literary structure known as chiasmus exists in the book of mormon. An excellent scholarly resource on chiasmus in the middle east, the book of mormon, and elsewhere is the book, chiasmus in antiquity, edited by john welch. Interlude chiasmus jubilee moronis america the north. In this concluding section of his speech, the people enter into a covenant with god and are called the children of christ. This discovery has had a profound impact on book of mormon studies. The discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon part 2, knowhy. Represents god sitting upon his throne, revealing through the heavens the grand key. One of my favorite stories from the world of book of mormon studies is the discovery of chiasmus in the text by a young missionary serving in germany. 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. Chiasmus was popular in the ancient languages like greek, latin, and especially hebrew.
A there is an intelligent omnipotent being, who is selfexistent and infinitely b good and benevolent matter eternally existed. Video on the discovery of chiasmus in 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. They claim that such findings support claims of hebrew origins in the text on the basis that. To celebrate this 50th anniversary, throughout july and august book of mormon central will publish one knowhy each week that discusses. No one in america, let alone in western new york, fully understood chiasmus in 1830. This fuller understanding helps make sense of joseph smiths interpretation of this figure and plausibly situates such it in an ancient egyptian context.
I first heard about chiasmus in the book of mormon as a student at byu. 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. The first page of the book claims that it was written in the language of the egyptians but according to the learning of the jews. Chiasmus, or inverted parallelism, is a twopart literary structure or system in which the second half is a mirror image of the first, i. Chiasmus in the book of mormon may, therefore, help readers more deeply appreciate the literary brilliance of the book while simultaneously increasing confidence in its authenticity as an ancient text and elevating faith in its concerted testimony of jesus christ, who is without doubt the central figure of this sacred record. Welch speaks during the chiasmus jubilee celebrating the 50th anniversary of his discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. 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. Why is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon significant. Nevertheless, we would expect it to be present in central america if writings of the book of mormon peoples endured and influenced ancient groups of american peoples.
Smith actually knew about chiasmus when he translated the book of. King benjamin uses chiasmus several times in his great speech in mosiah 25. Chiasmus in the book of mormon religious studies center. Chiasmus is one of the most frequently cited evidences for the authenticity of the book of mormon. Chiasmus and book of mormon textual studies deseret book. Chiasmus in the book of mormon book of mormon central. Time now for a few final evaluations of what we have learned about chiasmus in the book of mormon. Chiasmus is a literary form which is used extensively in the bible. Lds church supports fairmormon, book of mormon central.
To celebrate this 50th anniversary, throughout july and august book of mormon central will publish one knowhy each week that discusses chiasmus and its significance and value to understanding the bible, the book of mormon, and other ancient literatures. It was alma the younger whose conversion to the lord was so powerful and rich that it affected an entire generation at the time it happened and has since become one of the most inspirational stories recorded in the book of mormon. To celebrate this day, we held a gala event on august 16th, for a chiasmus jubilee hosted and organized by byu studies and book of mormon central. Chiasmus conference speakers book of mormon central. The major project will allow users to quickly access videos, artwork, charts, maps, dictionaries, articles and other features while reading the scriptures.
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. Chiasmus are already in other books previously published so really dont support truth claim. The full text of this book is available free online at the maxwell institute. One of the best new resources on the book of mormon as of this update in 2019, anyway, book of mormon central, has published a variety of articles dealing with chiasmus in the book of mormon.
Apr 09, 2018 the major project will allow users to quickly access videos, artwork, charts, maps, dictionaries, articles and other features while reading the scriptures. Significantly enough, the central idea of the majority of chiastic passages in the book of mormon deals with the divinity of jesus christ and mans direct relationship. Welch recalled in the video gaechters fatherly words after welchs explanation of the chiasms he had found in the book of mormon. Although what chiasmus proves must ultimately be determined by each individual, carefully evaluating the book of. Holland recently spoke at a book of mormon central and byu studies chiasmus conference in august 2017, showing support for these and other similar organizations, to all who have, as yogi berra once said, made this event necessary, we say thank you. Watch book of mormon centrals new video about the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon in john w. This book contains over 325 examples of chiasmus in the book of mormon probably the largest collection on chiasmus in a hardcopy book.
Jubilee marks 50 years from book of mormon chiasmus. Chiasmus and book of mormon textual studies byu studies. The app is designed to enrich the scripture study experience. To celebrate the discovery of chiasmus fifty years ago, we are presenting. In chiasmus, the clauses display inverted parallelism. Now comes the question of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Be sure to read john welchs chapter, 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. The phenomenon which makes that possible is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Elder holland speaks at book of mormon chiasmus conference. These have some overlap with material discussed here and include many interesting perspectives. Indeed, the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon may be evidence of joseph smiths own literary style and genius. It is basically inverted parallelism where words, phrases, or concepts are introduced in ascending order and then repeated in descending order.
Chiasmus in the book of mormon judaicaworld archives. Both chiasmus and antimetabole can be used to reinforce antithesis. The structure of the chiasmus comprises repeated sets of identical or related words, phrases or concepts. His discovery changed his life and book of mormon studies. 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. If chiasmus can be convincingly identified in the book of mormon, it will testify of the book s ancient origin. Does chiasmus appear in the book of mormon by chance. Oct 26, 2012 an excellent scholarly resource on chiasmus in the middle east, the book of mormon, and elsewhere is the book, chiasmus in antiquity, edited by john welch. Aug 18, 2017 watch book of mormon centrals new video about the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon in john w. Chiasmus was particularly popular in the literature of the ancient world, including hebrew, greek, ancient kiche maya, and latin, where it was. At remarks given at brigham young university wednesday, john welch, who first identified the ancient writing style chiasmus in the book of mormon, said, the. While the center of a chiasmus is usually the main point of the structure, this is not always the case, further complicating the issue.
Joseph smith published the book of mormon in 1830 in western new york. It is a parallelism in structure rather than rhyme, a parallelism of thought or idea. The presence of chiasmus in mayan texts may only disclose that the rhetorical device can emerge independently in the writings of an isolated ancient culture. Posted on december 19, 2019december 19, 2019 by bmc teamchiasmus in the book of abraham chiasmus, or inverted parallelism, is a twopart literary structure or system in which the second half is a mirror image of the first, i. This discovery has changed the way we forever approach book of mormon scholarship. Chiamus in mayan texts book of mormon archaeological forum. Today, august 16, 2016, marks the 49th anniversary of jack welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Im afraid that this video and many others from bom central are going to leave people with a very overstated sense of the power of this evidence.
Nov 09, 2011 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. Fifty years later, the scholarship of jack welch on this topic has stirred significant related work from many who have looked at the book of mormon with new tools and insights. Chiasmus in the book of mormon mormonism, the mormon church. Book of mormon central teamed up with artist katie payne to create a beautiful and engaging video called the plates of mormon. The event was sponsored by byu studies and book of mormon central, a private nonprofit organization that seeks to inspire greater knowledge of the book of mormon. Most latterday saints who know about chiasmus have probably heard a. The complete text reformatted gives us the entire book of mormon in a new format. Chiasmus in the book of mormon mormonism, the mormon. In major passages of chiasmus, the most important regions tend to be the central or pivotal point the focal point in the middle of the.
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