As the study and appreciation of chiasmus continues to expand and move forward, one of the very best examples deserves a more detailed analysis. First discovered in 1987 and published as a FARMS Update that year, this composition is remarkable in several ways. This text, which is the complete report and only information given about the 64 th year of the reign of the judges, is exceptional in many...

Strong interest in the study of chiasmus, especially in biblical texts and in the Book of Mormon, continues to abound. 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. Here are some interesting recent developments that strengthen the already substantial results of chiastic studies. Let me...

Alma the Younger’s Conversion is a powerful story in the Book of Mormon that teaches about the joy of redemption, the power of prayer, and the miracle of conversion. There are three different accounts of this experience, each with their own perspectives on the event; Mosiah 27, Alma 36, and Alma 38. Book of Mormon Central has written quite a bit on this remarkable experience, but here are what we...

Elder Jeffrey R. 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. This conference, held on August 16, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. Elder Holland spoke as the concluding, and culminating speaker at the Chiasmus...

Watch Book of Mormon Central’s new video about the discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon in John W. Welch's own words: Chiasmus is a biblical literary form, where the writer lists certain key words or ideas in one order, and then goes back and repeats them in the opposite order. The first example of this found in the Book of Mormon is Mosiah 5:10–12: The Chiasm in Mosiah 5:10–12...