Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon

Chiasmus is a unique aspect of Hebrew poetry that lays out ideas in a mirrored pattern. First noticed in the nineteenth century, the ubiquitousness of chiasmus in Hebrew scripture became widely acknowledged in the early and mid-twentieth century. Countless articles on the subject have been published, and examples of its use abound. The Book of Mormon, as a work written “according to the learning of the Jews,” (1 Ne. 1:2) should contain such a dominant aspect of Hebrew writing. And in fact, it does contain chiasms of all sorts and sizes. Examples include Mosiah 3:18–19; 5:10–12; Alma 36:1–30; 41:13–15; and more. Taken as evidence of the Book of Mormon, chiasmus offers us a touchstone like we have rarely ever had before.