I simply want to point out a chiasm in today’s reading, Alma 41 — and, specifically, in Alma 41:13-15 — as identified many years ago by my friend Jack Welch:
A The meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again
B evil for evil,
or carnal for carnal,
or devilish for devilish—
w1w2 good for that which is good;
x1x2 righteous for that which is righteous
y1y2 just for that which is just;
z1z2 merciful for that which is merciful.
Therefore, my son, see that you are
z’2 merciful unto your brethren;
y’2 deal justly
,
x’2 judge righteously,
w’2 and do good continually;
and if ye do all these things then
shall ye receive your reward; yea,
z’1 ye shall have mercy restored unto you again;
y’1 ye shall have justice restored unto you again;
x’1 ye shall have a righteous judgement restored unto you again;
w’1 and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.
B ‘ For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored;
A ‘ therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all. (Alma 41:13–15)
“The twist here,” remarks Brother Welch, “is clever: after listing four pairs of terms, Alma pairs two lists of four terms and reverses their order at the same time. Or to use a chiasm to describe this chiasm: Alma writes a list of pairs and then a pair of lists. The chiasmus here reaches yet a further level, since the first nominatives in the list of pairs (w1, x1, y1, and z1) and the last list in the pair of lists (w’1, x’1, y’1 and z’1) both describe the reward to be received, while the second nominatives (w2, x2, y2 and z2) and the first of the separate lists (w ‘2, x ‘2, y ‘2, and z’2) describe the attributes necessary to obtain those rewards. In all seriousness, a great play on words.”
Joseph Smith was a very clever boy.
Posted from Amsterdam, The Netherlands