A Perfect Trifecta Of Parallelisms

[Bernard Gui]

In teaching his son Helaman, Alma uses the example of the Liahona to motivate

him to follow Christ. His instructions include a set of three parallelisms in three

consecutive verses that I find remarkable. This is a magnificent object lesson

comparing the physical object (Liahona) with the spiritual compass provided

by the words of Christ using Hebraic parallelistic forms. Alma 37:44-46

44

a It is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ,

b which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss,

a as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass,

b which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.

45

And now I say, is there not a type in this thing?

a For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers,

b by following its course, to the promised land,

a shall the words of Christ

b if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

46

Do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way,

a for so was it with our fathers:

b for so was it prepared for them

c that if they would look they might live;

a even so it is with us:

b the way is prepared,

c and if we will look we may live forever.

The director, ball, compass, or Liahona is the word of Christ.

The promised land is the kingdom of God.

Looking at the ball is heeding the words of Christ.

Arriving at the promised land is to be saved in his kingdom.

Your further observations and analysis would be much appreciated.

Bernard

[Bernard Gui]

Bump for comments?

Or shall we just talk about Prop 8?

Bernard

[annewandering]

pretty cool!

i gather there are quite a number of those in the Book Of Mormon.

was there a reason behind it originally? like as a memory device?

[consiglieri]

Sorry for having been so busy as not to comment on this thread, Bernard.

I think the Book of Mormon is a book of beauty, and the trifecta you pointed out is a classic example of the beauty of its prose. Of course, we tend to see it as prose, but I think the ancient Hebrews saw it more as poetry.

Thank you for pointing it out. Is this something you yourself found in the text, or did someone else bring it to your attention?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[Bernard Gui]

I think the Book of Mormon is a book of beauty, and the trifecta you pointed out is a classic example of the beauty of its prose. Of course, we tend to see it as prose, but I think the ancient Hebrews saw it more as poetry.

Thank you for pointing it out. Is this something you yourself found in the text, or did someone else bring it to your attention?

I put this together using the preliminary edition of Parry's Reformatted Book of Mormon.

It's a treasure trove that just keeps on giving.

I'd love to get the finished book, but it is expensive.

One project that I've started is to make a database of all Parry's parallelisms in 1st and 2nd

Nephi that includes the type, the topic, and the speaker/writer. I've made it about half

way through 2 Nephi and I've discovered some that were not in his first version.

It seems to me that individual writers such as Isaiah, Nephi, Lehi, Jacob, etc.,

could be identified by their use of various parallelistic patterns. Someone smarter

than me could do it. One would have to do a pile of statistical analysis, but the results

could be interesting.

Bernard

For anyone who's interested and can make sense of a heap of data,

here's a data dump...all of the Parry parallelisms in 1 Nephi sorted by type, location,

and author.

amoebaeon 1 Nephi 10:12-14 Nephi

amoebaeon 1 Nephi 11:35-12:1 Nephi

amoebaeon 1 Nephi 13:2-3 Nephi

amoebaeon 1 Nephi 18:22-23 Nephi

amoebaeon 1 Nephi 3:16-17 Nephi

amoebaeon 1 Nephi 4:5,24-28 Nephi

anabasis 1 Nephi 8:24 Lehi

anabasis 1 Nephi 2:20 Lord/Nephi

anabasis 1 Nephi 10:19 Nephi

anabasis 1 Nephi 12:18 Nephi

anabasis 1 Nephi 19:21 Nephi

anabasis 1 Nephi 19:24 Nephi

anabasis 1 Nephi 4:32 Nephi

anabasis 1 Nephi 13:7-8 Nephi/angel

anaphora 1 Nephi 2:20-22 Lord/Nephi

anaphora 1 Nephi 12:4 Nephi

anaphora 1 Nephi 22:12 Nephi

anaphora 1 Nephi 4:23-24 Nephi

anaphora 1 Nephi 7:10-12 Nephi

anaphora 1 Nephi 15:21-23 Nephiâ??s brothers

antimetabole 1 Nephi 22:19 Nephi

antimetabole 1 Nephi 4:3 Nephi

antithetical 1 Nephi 17:37 Nephi

antithetical 1 Nephi 17:45 Nephi

antithetical 1 Nephi 6:5 Nephi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 3:3-12 Lehi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 1:15-18 Nephi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 3:16-22 Nephi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 4:38-5:6 Nephi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 4:5-24 Nephi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 5:14-16 Nephi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 5:17-20 Nephi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 7:16-19 Nephi

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 17:18-19 Nephi & Brothers

chiasmus (complex) 1 Nephi 5:7-9 Nephi/Sariah

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 13:26 Angel of the Lord

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 13:29-30 Angel of the Lord

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 21:11 God/Isaiah

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 21:24-25 God/Isaiah

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 20:21 Isaiah

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 21:1 Isaiah

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 8:10-12 Lehi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 8:22-24 Lehi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 8:8-9 Lehi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 17:13 Lord

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 11:32 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 12:19 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 13:39-42 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 13:42 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 13:42 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 14:15-16 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 15:26 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 16:28-29 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 17:31 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 17:38 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 17:46 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 17:48-52 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 18:24 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 1:20-2:1 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 22:25 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 22:26 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 2:2-4 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 2:4-5 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 4:33-35 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 6:1-2 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 7:13 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 7:3-5 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 1:1-3 Nephi

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 15:7-12 Nephi & Brothers

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 16:1-3 Nephi & Brothers

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 22:1-3 Nephi & brothers

chiasmus (simple) 1 Nephi 19:13-14 Zenos

climax 1 Nephi 10:11 Nephi

climax 1 Nephi 15:13-20 Nephi

climax 1 Nephi 15:33-35 Nephi

climax 1 Nephi 19:3-4 Nephi

climax 1 Nephi 22:9-11 Nephi

climax 1 Nephi 7:21-22 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 13:29 Angel of the Lord

cycloides 1 Nephi 13:30-32 Angel of the Lord

cycloides 1 Nephi 8:16-17 Lehi

cycloides 1 Nephi 10:17-19 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 10:9 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 11:15-17 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 11:2-5 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 12:21-22 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 14:2 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 14:3 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 15:28-30 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 16:20 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 18:2 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 19:24 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 19:6-7 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 19:7 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 1:1-3 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 22:4-5 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 4:10-13 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 4:36 Nephi

cycloides 1 Nephi 5:8 Sariah

epibole 1 Nephi 13:24 Angel of the Lord

epibole 1 Nephi 13:28-29 Angel of the Lord

epibole 1 Nephi 14:10-11 Angel of the Lord

epibole 1 Nephi 14:10-12 Angel of the Lord

epibole 1 Nephi 14:12 Angel of the Lord

epibole 1 Nephi 13:34 Lamb of God

epibole 1 Nephi 8:3 Lehi

epibole 1 Nephi 2:23-24 Lord/Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 9:2 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 11:13 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 12:15-16 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 13:38 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 18:5-8 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 1:1-3 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 1:6 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 1:6-7 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 1:8 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 2:1-2 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 3:18 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 3:9-10 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 4:1-3 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 4:22-27 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 4:30-31 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 4:38-5:6 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 5:20-21 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 7:13 Nephi

epibole 1 Nephi 15:27 Nephi & Brothers

epistrophe 1 Nephi 14:23 Angel of the Lord

epistrophe 1 Nephi 10:7-8 Nephi

epistrophe 1 Nephi 10:9-10 Nephi

epistrophe 1 Nephi 16:10-12 Nephi

epistrophe 1 Nephi 16:7 Nephi

exergasia 1 Nephi 8:1 Nephi

extended alternate 1 Nephi 12:9 Angel of the Lord

extended alternate 1 Nephi 20:16-17 Isaiah

extended alternate 1 Nephi 21:21 Isaiah

extended alternate 1 Nephi 10:4-5 Nephi

extended alternate 1 Nephi 13:12-14 Nephi

extended alternate 1 Nephi 19:1 Nephi

extended alternate 1 Nephi 22:17 Nephi

extended alternate 1 Nephi 5:12-13 Nephi

extended alternate 1 Nephi 5:2-4 Nephi

extended alternate 1 Nephi 9:3-4 Nephi

extended alternate 1 Nephi 13:7-8 Nephi/angel

extended synonymous 1 Nephi 20:3 God/Isaiah

extended synonymous 1 Nephi 20:5 God/Isaiah

extended synonymous 1 Nephi 20:8 God/Isaiah

extended synonymous 1 Nephi 20:1 Isaiah

extended synonymous 1 Nephi 21:12 Isaiah

extended synonymous 1 Nephi 18:18 Nephi

many ands 1 Nephi 8:13-20 Lehi

many ands 1 Nephi 8:5-9 Lehi

many ands 1 Nephi 11:12-17 Nephi

many ands 1 Nephi 11:30-32 Nephi

many ands 1 Nephi 12:4 Nephi

many ands 1 Nephi 16:7-11 Nephi

many ands 1 Nephi 1:9-13 Nephi

many ands 1 Nephi 3:26-28 Nephi

many ands 1 Nephi 4:8-10 Nephi

many ands 1 Nephi 16:35-37 Nephi & Ishmaelâ??s daughters

many ands 1 Nephi 13:7-8 Nephi/angel

numbers 1 Nephi 3:31 Laman

pros 1 Nephi 14:10 Angel of the Lord

repeated alternate 1 Nephi 16:7 Nephi

repeated alternate 1 Nephi 19:10 Nephi

repeated alternate 1 Nephi 19:9 Nephi

repeated alternate 1 Nephi 22:13 Nephi

repeated alternate 1 Nephi 22:15-16 Nephi

repeated alternate 1 Nephi 22:23 Nephi

repetition 1 Nephi 9:2-4 Nephi

simmple synonymous 1 Nephi 21:15 Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 20:18 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 20:19 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 20:5 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 20:6 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 20:9 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:18 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:22 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:22 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:26 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:9 God/Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:1 Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:1 Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:13 Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 21:2 Isaiah

simple alternate 1 Nephi 11:25 Nephi

simple alternate 1 Nephi 17:35 Nephi

simple alternate 1 Nephi 17:36 Nephi

simple alternate 1 Nephi 17:39 Nephi

simple alternate 1 Nephi 22:22 Nephi

simple alternate 1 Nephi 22:6 Nephi

simple alternate 1 Nephi 5:1 Nephi

simple alternate 1 Nephi 7:16 Nephi

simple alternate 1 Nephi 8:30 Nephi

synonymia 1 Nephi 13:5 Angel of the Lord

synonymia 1 Nephi 20:20 God/Isaiah

synonymia 1 Nephi 21:26 God/Isaiah

synonymia 1 Nephi 10:14 Nephi

synonymia 1 Nephi 18:25 Nephi

synonymia 1 Nephi 19:11 Nephi

synonymia 1 Nephi 22:24 Nephi

synonymia 1 Nephi 22:28 Nephi

synonymous 1 Nephi 20:10 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 20:12 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 20:13 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 20:20 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 20:4 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:10 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:10 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:23 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:6 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:8 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:9 God/Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 20:14 Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:14 Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:3-4 Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:4 Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:7 Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 21:7 Isaiah

synonymous 1 Nephi 17:47 Nephi

synonymous 1 Nephi 18:11 Nephi

synonymous 1 Nephi 1:15 Nephi

synonymous 1 Nephi 22:23 Nephi

synonymous 1 Nephi 22:3 Nephi

synonymous 1 Nephi 3:15 Nephi

[Bernard Gui]

pretty cool!

i gather there are quite a number of those in the Book Of Mormon.

was there a reason behind it originally? like as a memory device?

My opinion....it was the way the learned class of Nephites communicated important information

in writing.

Bernard

[Rommelator]

For anyone who's interested and can make sense of a heap of data,

here's a data dump...all of the Parry parallelisms in 1 Nephi sorted by type, location,

and author.

Meh... anyone can do that.