Rhetorical Use of Chiasms

Since John W. Welch’s discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon in 1967,¹ scholars have found many examples of this literary structure within the book and have highlighted a variety of ways in which it is significant for understanding the Book of Mormon as an ancient text.² Biblical scholar David R. Seely has recently taken a closer look at the specific rhetorical forms of chiasmus in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. He found “four specific usages of chiasmus that are relatively distinctive in Deuteronomy and Jeremiah as possible indicators of the seventh-century [BC] Judahite rhetorical tradition.”³ These four chiastic types can also be found in the Book of Mormon, suggesting it perpetuates the same (or a similar) rhetorical tradition.⁴

First, Seely identified what he called “chiasmus of speaker” rather than of topic: “The inversion in the chiasmus is not with the themes or the keywords of the passage, but rather with the speakers.”⁵ An example of this chiastic form can be found in Deuteronomy 1:20–31. In these verses, Moses speaks first (vv. 20–21), then the Israelites (v. 22), then Moses (vv. 23–24), with the spies in the middle (v. 25), and then Moses, the Israelites, and finally Moses again to conclude (vv. 26–31). This creates an ABCDCBA pattern. Central to this chiasm is the all-important positive report of the spies sent into Canaan (v. 25).⁶ Another chiasm following this pattern can be found in Jeremiah 8:18–21, which details an ABCBA conversation between Jeremiah and the Lord, with the words of Jehovah at the center.⁷

In the Book of Mormon, Seely has not yet identified any chiasms using this same pattern of speakers, but he notes that “a similar example involving the reversal of the subjects in the text.”⁸ In 2 Nephi 25–30, Nephi uses a chiastic pattern to discuss three groups of people—namely, the Jews, the Lehites, and the Gentiles—and their acceptance of the gospel:⁹

Second, Seely found that chiasms were “frequently used to complete poetry—usually occurring at the end of a poem or a stanza.”¹⁰ Some examples of this usage are found in Deuteronomy 32:43, completing the Song of Moses, and Jeremiah 6:21, which ends a poetic stanza.¹¹ In many instances, chiasmus is also used to complete a stanza or textual unit in the Book of Mormon, including the end of 1 Nephi’s introduction in chapters 1 and 2:¹²

Another instance of this use of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon includes Alma 5:62, which concludes Alma’s sermon to the people of Zarahemla:¹³

Third, in the seventh century BC, chiasmus or semi-chiasmus often used a common particle in the middle of two ideas. For example, Deuteronomy 32:27 creates a semi-chiasm by the repeated use of the word lest, which Seely and others have argued gave Jeremiah a formula to follow in his own prophetic writings.¹⁴ This can be seen in Jeremiah’s use of the words like in Jeremiah 9:22 and before in Jeremiah 13:16 to create semi-chiasms.¹⁵ Many similar examples can be found in the Book of Mormon, such as Mosiah 29:20:¹⁶

Fourth, chiastic forms often involved a rhetorical question or a series of rhetorical questions appearing in the middle of the chiasm. Because Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and the Book of Mormon “are full of preaching both to contemporary audiences as well as to future audiences,”¹⁷ these questions are used to invite the reader to reflect on the messages presented. Deuteronomy 4:1–14 forms a chiasm that contains two rhetorical questions regarding the greatness of Israel near the center (vv. 7–8), and Jeremiah 8:18–21 similarly has a central question posed by the Lord to his people.¹⁸ 2 Nephi 29:3–6 contains a marvelous use of chiasmus, focusing on the powerful rhetorical questions presented in verse 4:¹⁹

Conclusion

Writing in 1969, John W. Welch noted that because the Book of Mormon employs “numerous chiasms, it thus becomes logical to consider the book a product of the ancient world and to judge its literary qualities accordingly.”²⁰ Seely’s study—originally presented at the international jubilee celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Welch’s chiastic discovery—puts Welch’s observation to the test, as it examines the Book of Mormon’s use of chiasmus more specifically within the context of Israelite literature from the seventh century BC.

Seely concluded that these four types of chiasmus follow “literary patterns [which] are prominent and, in some cases, distinctive features of a seventh-century [BC] Judahite rhetorical tradition. Similarly, the discovery of these same literary features in the Book of Mormon can sharpen our reading and study of this ancient book coming from the same period and rhetorical tradition.”²¹

As has often been observed, little was known about the biblical use of chiasmus in 1829.²² It is therefore remarkable that the Book of Mormon not only contains hundreds of elegant and effective chiastic structures,²³ but that a good number of them accurately follow literary and rhetorical conventions common to Israelite literature of the seventh century BC.

The recent discovery of these features strengthens the Book of Mormon’s claim that the earliest writings within its pages were composed by a small group of Israelites from that time period. It also deepens the reader’s appreciation for the elite scribal skill and literary art that Nephi possessed and passed on to his record-keeping successors—no doubt part of “the learning of the Jews” Nephi received from his father (1 Nephi 1:1–2).²⁴

David R. Seely, “‘With Strong Hand and with Outstretched Arm’ (Deuteronomy 4:34); ‘With Outstretched Hand and with Strong Arm’ (Jeremiah 21:5): Chiasmus in Deuteronomy and Jeremiah,” in Chiasmus: The State of the Art, ed. John W. Welch and Donald W. Parry (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University; Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2020), 129–150.

John W. Welch, “How Much Was Known about Chiasmus in 1829 When the Book of Mormon Was Translated?” FARMS Review 15, no. 1 (2003): 47–80.

John W. Welch, “What Does Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon Prove?” in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins, ed. Noel B. Reynolds (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1997), 199–224.

John W. Welch, “Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon,” BYU Studies Quarterly 10, no. 3 (1969): 69–83.

Deuteronomy 1:20–31Deuteronomy 4:1–14 Deuteronomy 32:27 Deuteronomy 32:43 Jeremiah 6:21Jeremiah 8:18–21 Jeremiah 9:22 Jeremiah 13:16 1 Nephi 1:1–2 2 Nephi 25–302 Nephi 29:3–6 Mosiah 29:20 Alma 5:62

Deuteronomy 1:20–31

Deuteronomy 4:1–14

Deuteronomy 32:27

Deuteronomy 32:43

Jeremiah 6:21

Jeremiah 8:18–21

Jeremiah 9:22

Jeremiah 13:16

1 Nephi 1:1–2

2 Nephi 25–30

2 Nephi 29:3–6

Mosiah 29:20

Alma 5:62