Chiasmus appears often in the book of mormon, another proof of its authenticity as an ancient hebrew text. Chiasmus in the book of mormon, byu studies, autumn 1969, pp. Farrell edwards follow this and additional works at. Book of mormon, published by religious studies center at brigham young. Reynolds editor, book of mormon authorship 1982, 3352. Since then, two organizations farms and fraa have published extensive literature to show that the book of mormon translated by joseph smith jr. A new publication applies careful statistical analysis to help resolve this issue. Book of mormon central byu studies conference cosponsors harold b. It is entirely possible that descendants of the book of mormon peoples knew of the device and used it in their own records. The latest journal of book of mormon studies, 162 2007, features a personal remiscence by jack welch of his discovery of chiasmus in the bom on wednesday, august 16, 1967. Nonlds scholars and the book of mormon meridian magazine. I have prepared an exhaustive study of these which is as yet unpublished, although it is presently circulated in manuscript form by the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies at brigham young university. Welch, chiasmus in the book of mormon, brigham young university studies 10 no.
Nephis convincing of christ through chiasmus semantic scholar. Faculty members from the byu religious education department discuss the writings and teachings of the book of mormon prophets in this 63part series. Book of mormon language the encyclopedia of mormonism. One such proof for manycelebrated this week with a jubilee and twoday conference sponsored by byu studies and book of mormon centralis the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon 50 years ago. Welch, chiasmus in the book of mormon, byu studies 1969. Published in the new era, february 1972, pages 611. Chiasmus and book of mormon textual studies kindle edition by various authors. Chiasmus in the book of mormon byu scholarsarchive. Welch, the discovery 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. Chiasmus and book of mormon textual studies byu studies. Chiasmus and several varieties of inverted parallel structures are found in many places in the new testament. Indeed, the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon may be evidence of joseph smiths own literary style and genius.
All of my 1967 letters and notes are being deposited in the chiasmus collection in the harold b. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1982, ixx. According to most adherents of the latter day saint movement, the book of mormon is a 19thcentury translation of a record of ancient inhabitants of the american continent, which was written in a script which the book refers to as reformed egyptian. Welch discovered the presence of chiasmus on august 16, 1967 while on his mission in. Watch skousens lecture series on the book of mormon critical. I conclude these reflections on the initial events in the chiasmus story by mentioning the article chiasmus in the book of mormon that appeared in byu studies in 1969. Designed for multiple use as study guides, handouts, and masters for creating projectable images, the charts convey a wealth of information that will enrich personal study and. Stephen smoot is back and he is going deep on this episode. Therefore, as evidence of book of mormon authorship, the discovery of biblicalstyle chiasms in the book of mormon strongly. Pinnock of the first quorum of the seventy, although feeling that such study is faithpromoting, also cautioned. The discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon is one of the most significant scholarly contributions to understanding and appreciating the nephite record.
This is the landmark true story of how a young missionary serving in germany, 50 years ago, discovered chiasmus in the book of mormon. So it is, in my opinion, with the issue of chiasmus in the book of mormon. This discovery has had a profound impact on book of mormon. He has spent a quarter century meticulously studying the original and printers manuscripts of the book of mormon. Apr 21, 2016 one of the main types of evidence to which mormons appeal in support of the authenticity of the book of mormon as ancient israelite literature is the rhetorical feature called chiasmus. Lee library special collections byu religious education. Because of previous exposure to the ancient literary device, john welch correctly identified mosiah 5. Chiasmus and book of mormon textual studies deseret book. Now, 50 years since welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon, we see that his find is. Those who were not so credulous insisted that it obviously read like anything but a hebrew text. Despite being israels greatest king, in sharp contrast to his foreign counterparts. 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. Jan 21, 2020 and jack had really spent the next part of his mission really getting deep into all the examples in the book of mormon.
Actually, the only thing that became obvious was the fact that neither the believers nor the unbelievers were cit ing very many specific examples. Some of these examples may seem to be compelling, but when closely examined, they turn out to be little more than wishful thinking. Book of mormon authorship religious studies center. Jun 30, 2019 click to enlarge annotated book of mormon page 140. 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. Isaiah variants in the book of mormon religious studies center. In this volume, nine latterday saint scholars each address the question of book of mormon authorship from a different approach. Robertss study which was published posthumously in 1985 as studies of the book of mormon. He has since spent much time studying chiasmus in the book of mormon, the bible, and other sacred literature. Chiasmus, the book of mormon, and the aquarian gospel.
Does chiasmus appear in the book of mormon by chance. Included in these documents are the usages of chiasms in architecture, mormon culture, wordperfect documents, and hamlet. The discovery of chiasmus in the bom by common consent, a. And so hugh nibley agreed to be his mentor, and he started to publish some things there right away, byu studies in 1969, the church magazines is 1972. The rsc library is not found on or anywhere else online. Since 1991 he has served as the editorinchief of the byu studies quarterly, the. Members of the board of the brigham young center foundation.
I was an undergraduate, so i hope people will cut me a little slack for what i wrote there. Welcome to the conference website for book of mormon studies. The discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon is one of the most significant scholarly contributions to. In this class welch discovered that new testament scholars had recently become aware of an hebrew literary form called chiasmus. He often spoke to our byu semesterabroad groups in jerusalem.
Includes six copies as well as letters to the editor and handwritten notes. This claim, as well as all claims to historical authenticity of the book of mormon, are rejected by nonlatter day saint historians and scientists. And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of christ must be called by some other name. Chiasmus in the book of mormon religious studies center. Chiasmus and the book of mormon by sandra tanner some lds writers are trying to establish the historicity of the book of mormon by maintaining that it contains a poetic style, sometimes used in the bible, called chiasmus see. The discovery of chiasmus in the bom by common consent. Chiasmus in the book of mormon published by byu scholarsarchive, 1970. And jack had really spent the next part of his mission really getting deep into all the examples in the book of mormon. Welch discovered the first instance of chiasmus in the book of mormon in 1967. The scripture readings and lessons are displayed first, followed by recommended readings. 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. It is not possible to list all of the isaiah variants in the book of mormon here. Many of these chiasms have been identified and discussed, 3 but very little research has been done on the use of chiasmus in other ancient american writings. 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.
The existence of chiasmus parallelism in the book of mormon tells nothing about whether it is an ancient work. Jubilee marks 50 years from book of mormon chiasmus. That fall i wrote an article about what i had learned, called chiasmus in the book of mormon. Chiasmus in the book of mormon mormonism, the mormon church. The book of mormon paintings of minerva teichert provo, utah. Pdf davidic references in the book of mormon as evidence. Chiasmus in the book of mormon while on a mission in germany in 1967 john welch attended a catholictaught class on the new testament. The amazing true story of how chiasmus was discovered in. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading chiasmus and book of mormon textual studies.
Shows the existence of complex chiastic usage in the text of the book of mormonthis seminal work has been reprinted numerous times, with revisions and additions, as in noel b. A study relating chiasmus in the book of mormon to chiasmus in the old testament, ugaritic epics, homer, and selected greek and latin authors. Chiasmus is an inverted parallel structure in which a series of thoughts. Chiasmus appears to have begun as a structural form which then. Practically since the day the book of mormon rolled off the press in 1830, those who believed in the book asserted that it obviously read like a hebrew text. Chiasmus in the book of mormon book of mormon central. As it turns out, some of the most meaningful and wellconstructed examples of this form of writing found anywhere in the world appear in the pages of the book of mormon john w. That parallelism chiasmus existed in hebrew writing was knowsin joseph smiths day in books that were available to joseph smiith. See the conference details page for hotel information. In 1967, while serving in the lds south german mission, welch and his companion attended a lecture in the catholic priesterseminar which talked about the use of chiasmus in. It has been accepted for inclusion in journal of book of mormon studies by an authorized editor of byu scholarsarchive.
Brigham young university follow this and additional works at. Tvedtnes, isaiah variants in the book of mormon, in isaiah and the prophets. 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. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, isbn 9780934893251 hugh w. Obviously, in fortyfive minutes and moving at the rate of one year per minute, we wont be able to cover much of this interesting and rewarding part of my life. This article is brought to you for free and open access by the all journals at byu scholarsarchive. Acknowledgments i am grateful to byu studies for permission to include the following previously published articles. 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. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1984, 16578. Containing both plain and veiled language, the book of mormon is a spiritually and literarily powerful book that is direct yet complex, simple yet profound. 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.
Aug 29, 2017 in 1969, welch published an article on the subject in byu studies. Be sure to read john welchs chapter, chiasmus in the book of mormon. The book of mosiah is organized into a complex chiasmus which focuses on the messianic teachings of the prophet abinadi and places emphasis on the powerful teachings of king benjamin and king mosiah welch, john w. A conference, sponsored by the book of mormon studies association. The language of the book of mormon exhibits features typical of a translation from an ancient near eastern text as well as the stamp of nineteenthcentury english and the style of the king james version kjv of the bible. Chiasmus in the book of mormon 73 name he used for chiasmus in 1854 however john forbesforbes4forbess completed a much more extensive study the symmetrical structures of scripture with the publication of this book it is possible to begin speaking of relatively widespread awareness of chiasmic forms in the bible a wave of other writers fol lowed forbes and in 1860 a section on chiasmus. President of the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, he has contributed to byu studies and is coauthor and general editor of the recently published book, chiasmus in antiquity. In reading bible commentaries, students will often encounter figures displaying chiastic patterns.
To celebrate this day, we held a gala event on august 16th, for a chiasmus. The tests of authenticity they employ rely on analytical techniques borrowed from such diverse disciplines as history, literature, statistics, and ancient near eastern studies. Welch i am very happy to speak today about fortyfive years of chiasmus conversations. While serving as a young missionary in germany, welch discovered many instances of the chiasmus literary form in the book of mormon. Sep 11, 2004 even wonder what the probability is that a given chiasmus occurred by chance rather than design. Skousen is professor of linguistics and english language at byu. Why is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon.
It seems clear enough that the lord does not intend for the book of mormon to be. In 1967 chiasmus was discovered in the book of mormon, and the findings were published in byu studies. It has been accepted for inclusion in journal of book of mormon studies by an authorized editor of. Welch reported his discovery of manyelement chiasms in the book of mormon, which joseph smith testified to have translated from plates written anciently by hebrew descendants. Chiasmus in the book of mormon mormonism, the mormon. Book of mormon literature the encyclopedia of mormonism. He was founding president of farms the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies in the 1980s. Welch, chiasmus in the book of mormon, byu studies 10, no. In the same issue, see welchs article the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1982, 3352.
Welch 1946 discovered chiasmus in the book of mormon and founded the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies farms. The following charts offer a few samples of such literary arrangements. How much was known about chiasmus in 1829 when the. An anonymous author similarly suggests that chiasms in the book of mormon are the result of the incredible amount of repetition contained therein, and are well within the bounds of probability. The chiastic structure, according to welch, is as follows.
Welch first identified chiasmus in the book of mormon in 1967. Isaiah variants in the book of mormon religious studies. 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. May 17, 2008 the latest journal of book of mormon studies, 162 2007, features a personal remiscence by jack welch of his discovery of chiasmus in the bom on wednesday, august 16, 1967. His finding, published in byu studies as chiasmus in the book of mormon in 1969, and subsequent publications have shaped scholarly inquiry into the linguistic aspects and historical origin of the book of mormon. This video gives a brief description of a writing style called chiasmus, and tells the story of how one 20yearold latterday saint missionary first discovered its existence in the book of mormon.
The discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon part 2. The phenomenon which makes that possible is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon. His dissertation was titled enemies foreign and domestic. He is an lds religion and law scholar who is credited with discovering the many instances of the ancient literary form of chiasmus in the book of mormon, a realization he had as a young missionary in germany.
Select one of the links above to view examples of chiasmus in various books of the book of mormon. Welch, criteria for identifying and evaluating the presence of chiasmus, journal of book of mormon studies 42 1995. Chiasmus in the book of mormon or the book of mormon does it again new era, 1972 february. While a missionary for the lds church in regensburg, germany, john welch studied mosiah 5. Seeing how quickly all this happened makes me even more grateful and. The overall structure of the speech is chiastic and houses smaller chiasms within it. Guidelines for such analysis can be found at john w. Why is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon significant. Several studies have shown it is highly unlikely that chiasmus appears in the book of mormon by chance. They are correct on the book of mormon, but what they cannot explain is how. Enrich your come, follow me study with highquality articles that are well researched, inspirational, and written by scholars, educators, church leaders, historians, and popular authors. Smith by then a convert to the church, assessing the broad impact of jack welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon, journal of book of mormon studies 162 2007.
This discovery has changed the way we forever approach book of mormon scholarship. Chiasmus jubilee conference evening session august 16. Farrell edwards, does chiasmus appear in the book of mormon by chance. This feature article is brought to you for free and open access by the all journals at byu scholarsarchive.
John welch graduated from duke law school in 1972 and is now a professor of law in the j. 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 and the book of mormon utah lighthouse ministry. Book of mormonevidenceshebraismschiasmus fairmormon. In addition, he has also published extensively on the history and role of chiasmus in sacred literature. Each of the halfhour episodes covers several chapters from the book of mormon. Chiasmus and book of mormon textual studies kindle. It also includes such documents arguing against chiasms and the potential fallacies of the literary tool. It no longer contains current data and will be sunset by april 30, 2020. Come, follow me recommended study aids book of mormon. Book of mormon charts charting the book of mormon is a collection of more than 175 visual aids that promote deeper understanding and appreciation of the book of mormon. What is chiasmus and how is it used in the book of mormon. Forty years later,journal of book of mormon studies. Welch, chiasmus in the book of mormon, in book of mormon authorship.