Jacob 4, A Chiasmus

Jacob 4: A Chiasmus

This blog post is dedicated to showing how Jacob 4 (a chapter in the Book of Mormon) is a chiasmus.

What is a Chiasmus?

A chiasmus is an ancient form of writing “particularly utilized and highly developed in Hebrew literature. In simple terms, chiasmus is an inverted type of parallelism… that can be extended in the following type of pattern:”

A

B

C

D

D

C

B

A

(Elder Tad R. Callister, A Case for the Book of Mormon, “Where are the Striking Clocks?”)

There are many types of chiasms in the Bible and Book of Mormon. There are literal chiasms where the repeated elements are seen in precise words and phrases. But there are also conceptual chiasms where the repeated elements are seen in themes and events, rather than in precise words and phrases. 

Jacob 4 is both a literal and conceptual chiasmus.

For reference, the entire text of Jacob 4 is included at the bottom of this blog post. I will present this chiasmus in table form, but it's more traditional form is also included at the end of this post.

Jacob 4: A Chiasmus

A) It is difficult for Jacob to write to his people because of the awkwardness of engraving on plates (v. 1).	A) It is difficult for Jacob to speak to his people because of his overanxiety and stumbling (v. 18).
B) Only those words which are written on plates will remain. All others will vanish away (v. 1-2).	B) Only those structures which are built on a strong foundation will remain. All others will vanish away (v 16-17).
C) Jacob’s children and brethren must either accept or reject the plates on which he writes (v. 2-3).	C) The Jews, Jacob’s relatives, must either accept or reject the Stone of which Jacob testifies (v. 15-16).
D) Learning with joy is compared to learning with sorrow and contempt (v. 3).	D) Learning with plainness is compared to learning with blindness and stiffneckedness (v. 13-14).
E) Jacob wants his children to know of Christ, like he knew of Christ, and like all the holy prophets knew of Christ (v. 4).	E) Jacob wants all to attain a perfect knowledge of Christ (v. 12).
F) Jacob (and all the prophets) had “a [good] hope of [Christ’s] glory many hundred years before his coming” (v. 4).	F) Jacob encourages his people to obtain “a good hope of glory in [Christ] before he manifesteth himself in the flesh” (v. 11).
G) Jacob explains that they kept the sacrificial law of Moses so that they could be reconciled unto God, “which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son” (v. 5).	G) Jacob encourages his people to “be reconciled unto [God] through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son” (v. 11).
H) Jacob teaches that by seeking the counsel of the prophets of the Lord, people can obtain faith, hope, and the spirit of prophecy (v. 6).	H) Jacob teaches that by seeking the counsel of the Lord, people can obtain mercy, justice, and wisdom (v. 10).
I) Jacob teaches how the power of the word of God can command control over earthly elements (v. 6).	I) Jacob teaches how the power of the word of God can command control over earthly elements (v. 9).
J) Jacob teaches about the impossibility of accomplishing the works of the Lord without God’s grace (v. 7).	J) Jacob teaches about the impossibility of understanding the works of the Lord without God’s revelations (v. 8).

The first documented discovery of a chiasmus within the Book of Mormon was in the summer of 1967 by John W. Welch. But when were chiasms first identified in America as an ancient form of Hebrew writing in the first place? Do the critics of the Book of Mormon have a single shred of evidence to suggest that Joseph Smith, or anyone of his associates, even knew what a chiasmus was?

Emma Smith said that, as a young man, “Joseph Smith could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone a book like the Book of Mormon” (In Joseph Smith III, “Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” 290).

“Does anyone really believe that Joseph Smith, who couldn’t write a coherent letter, not only knew of this ancient form of writing but also creatively imitated it? Even if he somehow had done so, why did not he or one of his supporters bring it to the attention of the world as an evidence of the truth of the Book of Mormon when it was first published? Why leave it to ‘chance’ discovery over 130 years later?” (Elder Tad R. Callister, A Case for the Book of Mormon, “Where are the Striking Clocks?”).

In connection with this, consider the amazing fact that Jacob 4 also contains dozens of other smaller chiasms encapsulated within its larger chiasmus. For example:

A) And now I, Jacob, …perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that by the stumbling of the Jews

B) they will reject the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation. But behold, …this stone

C) shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation, upon which the Jews can build.

C) And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it,

B) that it may become the head [stone] of their corner?

A) Behold, …I will unfold this mystery unto you; if I do not, by any means, get shaken from my firmness in the Spirit, and stumble because of my over anxiety for you.

From many historical quotes we know that during the translation process of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith:

• Verbally dictated
• All 531 pages of the Book of Mormon
• In virtually first draft form
• Without any notes to aid him
• In less than 60 working days
• With only minor changes made to the final printer’s manuscript.

With this being the case, consider again the improbability of the existence of chiasms within the Book of Mormon. Not only would Joseph Smith have had to know and employ this ancient poetic technique, but he would have to employ it in different lengths, ranging from a few verses, to an entire chapter, to the entire book of 1 Nephi (see H. Clay Gorton, A New Witness for Christ, “The Amazing Chiastic Structure of 1 Nephi”). And he would have to do this while dictating the words out loud, without notes of any kind, in first draft form. Can anyone honestly say that this is even in the realm of possibility?

It is one thing to verbally dictate literally hundreds of chiasms into the Book of Mormon. But it is another thing entirely to verbally dictate multiple chiasmus overlapping each other, while still maintaining a perfectly cohesive narrative, as is done in Jacob 4.

And what about a chiasmus as lengthy and beautiful as Alma 36, with such a powerful and spiritual central element? Are we really to believe that the young, unlearned Joseph Smith was able to integrate such complex, structured, and poetic writings into his narrative while (1) verbally dictating (2) all 531 pages of the Book of Mormon, (3) without notes of any kind, (4) in first draft form, (5) in less than 60 working days?

Are we to believe that anyone could accomplish such a task?

Thanks for reading

(Note: Much of this material comes from a recently completed book of mine entitled “Nephi's Journey: The Lord Prepares a Way”).

The Chiasmus in a Traditional Format:

A) It is difficult for Jacob to write to his people because of the awkwardness of engraving on plates (v. 1).

B) Only those words which are written on plates will remain. All others will vanish away (v. 1-2).

C) Jacob’s children and brethren must either accept or reject the plates on which he writes (v. 2-3).

D) Learning with joy is compared to learning with sorrow and contempt (v. 3).

E) Jacob wants his children to know of Christ, like he knew of Christ, and like all the holy prophets knew of Christ (v. 4).

F) Jacob (and all the prophets) had “a [good] hope of [Christ’s] glory many hundred years before his coming” (v. 4).

G) Jacob explains that they kept the sacrificial law of Moses so that they could be reconciled unto God, “which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son” (v. 5, italics added).

H) Jacob teaches that by seeking the counsel of the prophets of the Lord, people can obtain faith, hope, and the spirit of prophecy (v. 6).

I) Jacob teaches how the power of the word of God can command control over earthly elements (v. 6).

J) Jacob teaches about the impossibility of accomplishing the works of the Lord without God’s grace (v. 7).

J) Jacob teaches about the impossibility of understanding the works of the Lord without God’s revelations (v. 8).

I) Jacob teaches how the power of the word of God can command control over earthly elements (v. 9).

H) Jacob teaches that by seeking the counsel of the Lord, people can obtain mercy, justice, and wisdom (v. 10).

G) Jacob encourages his people to “be reconciled unto [God] through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son” (v. 11, italics added)

F) Jacob encourages his people to obtain “a good hope of glory in [Christ] before he manifesteth himself in the flesh” (v. 11).

E) Jacob wants all to attain a perfect knowledge of Christ (v. 12).

D) Learning with plainness is compared to learning with blindness and stiffneckedness (v. 13-14).

C) The Jews, Jacob’s relatives, must either accept or reject the Stone of which Jacob testifies (v. 15-16).

B) Only those structures which are built on a strong foundation will remain. All others will vanish away (v 16-17).

A) It is difficult for Jacob to speak to his people because of his overanxiety and stumbling (v. 18).

Jacob 4

1 Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a little of my words, because of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates) and we know that the things which we write upon plates must remain;

2 But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates, which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers—

3 Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt, concerning their first parents.

4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.

5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.

6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

8 Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.

9 For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?

10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

11 Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.

12 And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?

13 Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old.

14 But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.

15 And now I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto prophesying; for I perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that by the stumbling of the Jews they will reject the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation.

16 But behold, according to the scriptures, this stone shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation, upon which the Jews can build.

17 And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner?

18 Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you; if I do not, by any means, get shaken from my firmness in the Spirit, and stumble because of my over anxiety for you.

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