This is the extended version of our come, follow me insights weekly video. The study of ancient literature has been enriched in the second half of the 20th century by the growing awareness and understanding of chiasmus in ancient literature. Jan 01, 2004 in 1967 chiasmus was discovered in the book of mormon, and the findings were published in byu studies. Welch,chiasmus in the book of mormon, byu studies 10 autumn 1969. 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. Hes also the longtime editorinchief of byu studies quarterly. His research into literary forms in ancient scriptures led him to the original discovery in 1967 of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Mormon s poetics assessing the broad impact of jack welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon joseph smith and the past nephis convincing of christ through chiasmus. Ehat has done extensive research identifying chiasmus scholarship and structure analysis. Several studies have shown it is highly unlikely that chiasmus appears in the book of mormon by chance. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which. Welch, criteria for identifying and evaluating the presence of chiasmus, journal of book of mormon studies 42 1995.
For example, the book of mormon prophet might have meant tapir and joseph described it as horse. His finding, published in byu studies as chiasmus in the book of mormon in 1969, and. 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. This discovery has changed the way we forever approach book of mormon scholarship. In 1967, while serving in the lds south german mission, welch and his companion attended a lecture in the catholic priesterseminar which talked about.
Journal of book of mormon studies volume 16 number 2 article 10 7312007 the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. In the first place, we have demonstrated the extensive existence of chiasmus in the book of mormon beyond any possible doubt. Charting the book of mormon brigham young university. Welch, now a professor of law at brigham young uni versity. 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. John welch graduated from duke law school in 1972 and is now a professor of law in the j. This article is being offered free as a courtesy to as it was footnoted in an expanded gospel topic on their site since john welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon in 1967, many critics have attempted to show how chiasmus appears in just about every type of literature, from dr. Welch discovered the first instance of chiasmus in the book of mormon in 1967. John woodland jack welch born 1946 is a scholar of law and religion. Interlude chiasmus jubilee moronis america the north. A full bibliography of publications about chiasmus is available from f. Welch, the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Plain and precious persuading from a prophet of god the book of mormon reference companion the discovery of chiasmus in.
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. This article is brought to you for free and open access by the all journals at byu scholarsarchive. A journal of latterday saint faith and scholarship and is coeditor of knowing why covenant communications. In fact, chiasmus was not searched for and discovered in the book of mormon until the late 1960s, when lds scholar john welch learned of scholarly work on chiasmus in antiquity and hypothesized that the book of mormon might contain examples as well. His discovery changed his life and book of mormon studies. Radday, chiasmus in hebrew biblical narrative, in chiasmus in antiquity. Chiasmus and biblical scholarship in the news meridian. Because of previous exposure to the ancient literary. The loose translation theory is the theory that most lds apologists favor to explain why there are problems in the book of mormon text, such as anachronisms, kjv mistakes, etc. Discussed in detail in my thesis, a study relating chiasmus in the book of mormon to chiasmus in the old testament, ugaritic epics, homer and selected greek and latin authors m. Aug 16, 2016 chiasmus as well as other forms of parallelism appears throughout the entirety of the book of mormon, both in prose and poetic passages. Nov 19, 2018 the study of ancient literature has been enriched in the second half of the 20th century by the growing awareness and understanding of chiasmus in ancient literature. Chiasmus in the book of mormon byu scholarsarchive brigham. Some 58 are paraphrased and 11 others are variants and or paraphrases.
Isaiah variants in the book of mormon religious studies. Chiasmus, a columnist and conviction in the book of mormon. The maxwell institute study edition will be the first edition ever to combine the churchs current official version of the text 20 with the results of royal skousens groundbreaking book of mormon critical text project. The amazing chiasmus in alma 36 of the book of mormon youtube. Chiasmus in the book of mormon byu data mining lab. Book of mormon brigham young university provo, ut 84602, usa 8014224636. Farrell edwards, did chiasms appear in the book of mormon by chance. In addition, he has also published extensively on the history and role of chiasmus in sacred literature. Apr 06, 2020 im beyond honored to be reappointed as the editor of the journal of book of mormon studies. Welch 1946 discovered chiasmus in the book of mormon and founded the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies farms. Whats up next for the journal of book of mormon studies. Welch research materials on the book of mormon, 18412011.
Chiasmus in the book of mormon book of mormon central. Chiasmus, a rhetorical device used prevalently in the bible and in other ancient literatures, was relegated to the intellectual subconsciousness of modern western civilization until the midnineteenth century. On the impact of chiasmus on book of mormon studies, see robert f. Aug 17, 2017 byu studies and book of mormon central hosted a chiasmus jubilee on wednesday, aug. Bibliography of selected published works of john w. He is the owner and operator of and is on the management team for fairmormon. It is claimed that the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic patterns have been found in the doctrine and covenants or other 19th century writing. Department of religious education at brigham young university, and. 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. Thomasson sees center of this overarching chiasm as the atonement at alma 34.
Biblical scholars have pointed to chiastic structure in ancient. His findings were truly surprising, revealing that clear, distinct, and elegant passages of chiasmus existed in the book of mormon. Chiasmus is an invertedparallel literary form that was employed by ancient hebrew biblical writers, among others. Does chiasmus appear in the book of mormon by chance. Welch, criteria for identifying and evaluating the presence of chiasmus, journal of book of mormon studies 4 fall 1995. The conference sessions had presentations by lds and nonlds scholars discussing chiasmus in the bible and in other texts, including the book of mormon. The first book of nephi has been shown to be a large and complex chiasm from beginning to end while nephis second book is. Chiasmus includes several types of inverted parallelisms, short or long, in which words first appear in one order and then in the opposite order. Umberto cassuto, a commentary on the book of genesis. Welch published his article entitled, chiasmus in the book of mormon new era, february 1972 and has been a student of chiasmus ever since.
Members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints view the book of mormon as scripture written by ancient prophets, while critics believe that it is a 19thcentury fraud. Chiasmus and biblical scholarship in the news book of. The idea is that joseph had literary license to kind of wing it as he translated. It is to the variants that we will give our attention here. This conference, held on august 16, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. The use and abuse of chiasmus in book of mormon studies. Byu studies and book of mormon central held a twoday conference on byu s campus on tuesday, august 15th and wednesday, august 16th, 2017. Welch, criteria for identifying and evaluating the presence of chiasmus, journal of book of mormon studies 4, no. How much could joseph smith have known about chiasmus in. Two factors led to my study of the isaiah variants in the book of mormon. Welch was founding director of foundation for ancient research and mormon studies farms and, prior to august 2018, was the editorinchief of the periodical byu studies quarterly. 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. This volume includes fifteen major studies by such. His finding was reported in the article chiasmus in the book of mormon and published in byu studies in 1969.
This form of inverted parallelism has been found in the bible, the book of mormon, and and in many other ancient writings. 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. Welch served as the editor in chief of byu studies from 1991 to 2018. Bateman discussing the book of mormon s restoration of plain and precious truths, this volume describes the development of the teenage seer joseph. John sorenson has drafted an open letter to micahel coe. Byu studies is collaborating with book of mormon central to preserve and. 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. Why is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon.
Aug 21, 2017 several announcements were also made during the event, including the publication of a new book to seek the law of the lord. Chiasmus in the book of mormon judaicaworld archives. Welch, chiasmus in the book of mormon, byu studies 1969. Welch, chiasmus in the book of mormon, byu studies 10, no. Apologetic and critical assumptions about book of mormon. He has since spent much time studying chiasmus in the book of mormon, the. This form of inverted parallelism has been found in the bible, the book of mormon, and in many other ancient writings. The tests of authenticity they employ rely on analytical techniques borrowed from such diverse disciplines as history, literature, statistics, and ancient near eastern studies. And behold, it is wisdom in god that we should obtain these records, that we may.
Copies of this book will be available through book of mormon central and the fair bookstore. While a missionary for the lds church in regensburg, germany, john welch studied mosiah 5. To hardy, skousen has created a corpus of textual analysis that will last for many generations to come. It has been accepted for inclusion in journal of book of mormon studies by an authorized editor of byu scholarsarchive.
Indeed, so much is being regularly published on this subject that it takes a very watchful eye and lots of effort just to keep tabs on all that is coming out. Byu studies quarterly volume 43 issue 2 article 4 412004 does chiasmus appear in the book of mormon by chance. Jul 25, 2020 another release, just off the press, is the volume of papers presented in 2017 at the chiasmus jubilee, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Sperry symposium explored the modern miracle of the translation and publication of the book of mormon. In addition to testifying to the antiquity of moses 1, chiasmus serves as an important tool for understanding the textual fabric of the book of moses and may indicate passages where the jst additions are carefully woven into the biblical text. If chiasmus is evidence of hebrew style in the bible, it must be evidence of hebrew style in the book of mormon. While serving as a young missionary in germany, welch discovered many instances of the chiasmus literary form in the book of mormon. Mar 05, 2021 the study of chiasmus in moses chapter 1 reveals a carefully constructed literary masterwork. Lee library special collections and byu studies online resource. Religious studies center, brigham young university, 1982.
Jubilee marks 50 years from book of mormon chiasmus discovery. To celebrate chiasmus day august 16, this page features various resources for studying chiasmus in the book of mormon. Book of mormonevidenceshebraismschiasmus fair fairmormon. Since then, two organizations farms and fraa have published extensive literature to show that the book of mormon translated by joseph smith jr. Chiasmus in the book of mormon church of jesus christ. Plain and precious persuading from a prophet of god the book of mormon reference companion the discovery of. Chiasmus conference speakers book of mormon central. Welch research materials on the book of mormon general, 18412010 the use and abuse of chiasmus in book of mormon studies.
Jul 23, 2020 this book is being copublished by byu studies and book of mormon central isbn 9781942161783 as a supplemental issue of byu studies quarterly, included for all subscribers, as well as a scholarly monograph available through book of mormon central. We had a fantastic turnout and it was truly an event to be remembered. Watch presention videos this year marks the 50th anniversary since john w. What is chiasmus and why is it so important in the book of mormon. Welch first identified chiasmus in the book of mormon in 1967. He is the primary author of many knowhy articles posted by book of mormon central, including several related to chiasmus. Byu studies and book of mormon central hosted a chiasmus.
It is claimed that the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon is either. Church of jesus christ of latterday saints, salt lake city, utah hereafter lds archives. Welch was director of publications for the joseph fielding smith institute for latterday saint history. Farrell edwards follow this and additional works at. Essays in honor of john welchas well as the opening of a chiasmus archive in the byu harold b. Journal of book of mormon studies byu scholarsarchive. Time now for a few final evaluations of what we have learned about chiasmus in the book of mormon. Byu studies quarterly volume 10issue 1 article 10 111970 chiasmus in the book of mormon john w. Welch,parallelism and chiasmus in king benjamins speech, in king benjamins speech. Some historical background is provided by john welch in his classic and groundbreaking article, chiasmus in the book of mormon, byu studies, vol. Aug 16, 2017 that volume, published by an internationally respected academic press, featured an essay by welch on chiasmus in the book of mormon. Holland gave a stirring address about the power of physical evidence in defending the gospel at the chiasmus conference sponsored by book of mormon central and byu studies. Chiasmus in the book of mormon brigham young university. Spencer earned a phd in philosophy at the university of new mexico and has published extensively on latterday saint scripture and theology in byu studies quarterly, the journal of philosophy and scripture, and the journal of book of mormon studies where he serves as associate editor.
We thought it was so good that we wanted to include a second. Chiasmus in the book of mormon religious studies center. Rockribbed faith engages head and heart, elder holland. Welch brigham young university follow this and additional works at. He has since spent much time studying chiasmus in the book of mormon, the bible, and other sacred literature. Welch research materials on the book of mormon general, 18412010. Michael coe about book of mormon archaeology on dehlins podcast called mormon stories. Johnson download mp3 herethis essay examines the ancient literary form of chiasmus within moses 1. I believe weve continued to uphold the journals legacy of publishing excellent scholarship on the keystone scripture of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, work that simultaneously holds up to the canons of academic respectability. Chiasmus in the book of mormon lds church is true blog.
According to a recent statistical analysis by boyd and farrell edwards in byu studies, the odds of this central configuration occurring by chance are minuscule. The 15 essays in book of mormon authorship revisited present the latest research by lds scholars on the question in an effort to demonstrate that the weight of. The phenomenon which makes that possible is the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon. 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 the gospel of matthew.
Oct 26, 2012 some historical background is provided by john welch in his classic and groundbreaking article, chiasmus in the book of mormon, byu studies, vol. Farrell 2004 does chiasmus appear in the book of mormon by chance. Neal rappleye is a researcher, writer, and editor at book of mormon central in springville, utah. Strong interest in the study of chiasmus, especially in biblical texts and in the book of mormon, continues to abound. Byu studies is collaborating with book of mormon central to preserve and extend access to byu studies and to scholarly research on the book of mormon.
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. The book of mormons unique claims present the lds faith with a singular. One such proof for many celebrated this week with a jubilee and twoday conference sponsored by byu studies and book of mormon central is the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon 50 years ago. Research and mormon studies, he has contributed to byu studies and is coauthor and general editor of the recently published book, chiasmus in antiquity. This form, however, was not widely appreciated as a hallmark of ancient writing in the middle east until this century. While serving as a young missionary in germany, welch discovered many instances of the. Rss i n august of 2011, mormon dissident john dehlin interviewed mesoamarican scholar and non mormon dr. Book of mormon authorship religious studies center. A marvelous new book of mormon study edition religious. Two roman bronze plates on display at the law library. A selective bibliography of book of mormon literary features another testament of jesus christ. Chiasmus is both a necessary and natural way of understanding book of mormon literature. A literary structure known as chiasmus exists in the book of mormon.
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