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Book of Mormon Central / Archive / KnoWhy #271 - Why Did Nephi Use Chiasmus To Testify Of Christ? (2 Nephi 11:3)

KnoWhy #271 - Why Did Nephi Use Chiasmus To Testify Of Christ? (2 Nephi 11:3)

TitleKnoWhy #271 - Why Did Nephi Use Chiasmus To Testify Of Christ? (2 Nephi 11:3)
Publication TypeKnoWhy
Year of Publication2017
Corporate AuthorsBook of Mormon Central Staff
PublisherBook of Mormon Central
Place PublishedSpringville, UT
KeywordsChiasm; Chiasmus; Covenant; Isaiah (Prophet); Messiah; Nephi (Son of Lehi); Parallelism; Poetry; Prophet; Structure; Testimony
Abstract

Nephi often used chiasmus to testify of Christ. For example, 2 Nephi begins with Lehi’s final Testaments to his sons, grandsons, and sons-in-law. It ends with Nephi’s Testament to his nation, and in the middle, the focal point, sits Isaiah. Nephi’s witness of Christ is at the center of 2 Nephi as well. In addition to this broader use of chiasmus, many of his smaller chiasms focus on the Savior. It may be easy to simply look at chiasmus in the Book of Mormon simply as a curiosity. However, Nephi deliberately used chiasmus to make many powerful points about the centrality of Christ to his life.
URLhttps://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/why-did-nephi-use-chiasmus-to-testify-of-christ
Citation Key3156

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Scripture Reference

2 Nephi 11:3