An unusual way to say something

[Bernard Gui]

On 9/6/2024 at 6:49 PM, Doctor Steuss said:

As a dirty-dirty-heathen, I think it was more-so either a function of Joseph's oral storytelling, or it was basically an unavoidable subconscious mimicry of biblical language.

If I were to put my believer hat on, it would have been something that the Book of Mormon authors likely carried from their pre-exile familiarity with scripture.  Remember, they had to fetch the brass plates, which indicates they had no physical scripture record of their own (yet seemed to have at least some level of familiarity with Hebrew scripture), and likely relied on oral retellings within their family prior to obtaining the plates from Laban.  The reliance on oral transmission of scripture would have been ingrained in them on a cultural/language level.  This would have inevitably influenced their own way of crafting and recording holy writ to have those repetitive structures and poetic themes. 

From another potential perspective, the utilization of these types of structures would have assisted in dissemination of the new holy writ amongst the Nephites (and other "ites").  The writings/prophecies/history of the Nephite prophets would need to be disseminated to the general public, which would have likely been predominantly accomplished through oral transmission, making the carry-over and retention of those ancient Hebrew structures invaluable.

(1) the way Joseph told his stories. Given the use of dozens of types of parallelisms throughout the BoM, I don't think this is a reasonable conclusion. I don't believe this is apparent in his other writings and sermons.

(2) a cultural manifestation of oral story telling practices handed down over centuries from Lehi’s experience prior to getting the Brass Plates in Jerusalem. Perhaps, but I doubt Mormon would be following those traditions and practices centuries after Lehi left the Holy Land. Moreover, Mormon is compiling and editing writings, not oral stories.

(3) the way the Nephite writers taught in sermons and other public settings. I have always maintained that the parallelisms in the BoM give us insight into the way educated Nephites thought, wrote, and communicated. For example, King Benjamin's sermon is among the greatest sermons ever preached. It employs at least twenty five parallelisms, only six of which are chasms.

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I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak,

     but that you should hearken unto me,

and open your ears  

    that ye may hear,

and your hearts

    that ye may understand,

and your minds

    that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.

 

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A.  For behold he judgeth,

     B.   and his judgment is just;

A.  and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy;

    B.   but men drink damnation to their own souls

A.  except they humble themselves

    B.  and become as little children,

      C.  and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

         D.  For the natural man

            E. is an enemy to God,

               F.  and has been from the fall of Adam,

               F.  and will be, forever and ever,

            E.  unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,

         D.  and putteth off the natural man

      C.  and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,

   B.  and becometh as a child,

A.  submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

 

And my favorite of all the types of parallelism in the BoM - anadiplosis or gradation - a series of repetitions that lead the listener or reader to the desired conclusion, in this case to be thankful while also teaching about service.

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And behold, I tell you these things

   that ye may learn wisdom;

   that ye may learn

   that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings

   ye are only in the service of your God.

   Behold, ye have called me your king;

   and if I, whom ye call your king,

   do labor to serve you,

   then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?

   And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king,

   who has spent his days in your service,

   and yet has been in the service of God,

   do merit any thanks from you,

  O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!