KnoWhy #337 - What Counts as Chiasmus? (1 Nephi 19:7)

Starting as early as 1942, scholars have proposed criteria for identifying chiastic structures. The most widely agreed upon standards are: (1) chiasms should conform to natural literary boundaries; (2) a climax or turning point should be found at the center; (3) these inverted patterns should display a relatively well-balanced symmetry; (4) their structure should be based on major keywords; (5) they should manifest little, if any, extraneous repetition or divergent materials; and (6) the chiastic order should typically not compete with other strong literary forms in the same passage. The Book of Mormon contains Chiasms that fit all these criteria.