The Book of Mormon's Chiasmus Problem - LDS Discussions Pt. 84 | Ep. 2203
Description: Does chiasmus prove that the Book of Mormon is an ancient text?
In this episode of LDS Discussions, we take a closer look at one of the most frequently cited arguments for the Book of Mormon’s ancient authenticity: chiasmus. Mormon apologists have argued that the presence of complex chiastic structures demonstrates that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient Hebrew authors and could not have been produced by Joseph Smith in the 19th century.
But there is a problem with that argument: chiasmus does not appear only in the Book of Mormon.
We examine what chiasmus actually is, how John W. Welch famously identified chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. We also look at the way chiasmus and other biblical literary patterns appear throughout the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Moses, Book of Abraham, and even Joseph Smith’s personal writings and letters.
We also examine an important question about translation. If the Book of Mormon was originally written in Reformed Egyptian and then translated into English, how could highly specific Hebrew literary structures survive that process? The Book of Mormon itself says that its language had been altered, raising questions about the assumption that these literary structures should necessarily have been preserved.
If the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon is supposed to demonstrate that it was written by ancient authors, what should we make of the same literary technique appearing in texts that unquestionably originated in the modern era? Even Shakespeare, who was born in London, wrote complex chiasms. The goal is not simply to ask whether chiasmus exists in the Book of Mormon, but whether its existence actually demonstrates ancient authorship.
Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/the-book-of-mormons-chiasmus-problem/
Timecodes:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:07:12 - FAIR defines Chiasmus
00:15:18 - Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon
00:18:56 - (Clip) John Welch attends New Testament lecture
00:21:34 - (Clip) Discovering chiasmus
00:32:52 - Old Testament chiasmus
00:38:14 - New Testament chiasmus
00:45:36 - Book of Mormon Chiasmus
00:58:22 - Alma 36 chiasmus
01:02:28 - (Clip) Complex Chiasmus
01:04:35 - Criticism against Alma 36
01:14:13 - Joseph Smith and the Bible
01:19:52 - Chiasmus in the Doctrine and Covenants
01:31:16 - Chiasmus in Moses
01:37:40 - Chiasmus in Abraham
01:41:04 - Joseph Smith’s letters
01:47:13 - (Clip) Shakespeare wrote Chiasmus
01:50:11 - (Clip) Nail in the Coffin
01:53:55 - Shortest Chiasm?
01:54:59 - Final remarks
___________________
At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.
Our overall mission is to:
1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology
2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis
3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions
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In this episode of LDS Discussions, we take a closer look at one of the most frequently cited arguments for the Book of Mormon’s ancient authenticity: chiasmus. Mormon apologists have argued that the presence of complex chiastic structures demonstrates that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient Hebrew authors and could not have been produced by Joseph Smith in the 19th century.
But there is a problem with that argument: chiasmus does not appear only in the Book of Mormon.
We examine what chiasmus actually is, how John W. Welch famously identified chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. We also look at the way chiasmus and other biblical literary patterns appear throughout the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Moses, Book of Abraham, and even Joseph Smith’s personal writings and letters.
We also examine an important question about translation. If the Book of Mormon was originally written in Reformed Egyptian and then translated into English, how could highly specific Hebrew literary structures survive that process? The Book of Mormon itself says that its language had been altered, raising questions about the assumption that these literary structures should necessarily have been preserved.
If the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon is supposed to demonstrate that it was written by ancient authors, what should we make of the same literary technique appearing in texts that unquestionably originated in the modern era? Even Shakespeare, who was born in London, wrote complex chiasms. The goal is not simply to ask whether chiasmus exists in the Book of Mormon, but whether its existence actually demonstrates ancient authorship.
Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/the-book-of-mormons-chiasmus-problem/
Timecodes:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:07:12 - FAIR defines Chiasmus
00:15:18 - Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon
00:18:56 - (Clip) John Welch attends New Testament lecture
00:21:34 - (Clip) Discovering chiasmus
00:32:52 - Old Testament chiasmus
00:38:14 - New Testament chiasmus
00:45:36 - Book of Mormon Chiasmus
00:58:22 - Alma 36 chiasmus
01:02:28 - (Clip) Complex Chiasmus
01:04:35 - Criticism against Alma 36
01:14:13 - Joseph Smith and the Bible
01:19:52 - Chiasmus in the Doctrine and Covenants
01:31:16 - Chiasmus in Moses
01:37:40 - Chiasmus in Abraham
01:41:04 - Joseph Smith’s letters
01:47:13 - (Clip) Shakespeare wrote Chiasmus
01:50:11 - (Clip) Nail in the Coffin
01:53:55 - Shortest Chiasm?
01:54:59 - Final remarks
___________________
At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.
Our overall mission is to:
1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology
2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis
3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions
🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today
One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories
Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories
Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories
Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join
Our Platforms:
🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes
🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories
✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772
🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories
📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast
🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF
Contact us:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Close description