Scriptures/The Book of Mormon/1 Nephi/Chiasm/Brass Plates

Scriptures / The Book of Mormon / 1 Nephi / Chiasm

One has to keep in mind, when looking at a chiasm that spans multiple chapters, that the chapter divisions are not original to the untranslated text. I have marked chapter headings in this document in order to make it easier to reference the structural diagram here with the original text.

The thing that first suggested to me that there was a chiasm here was noticing that the name Zoram could be interpreted as "Rock of the people", or "Rock of kin", and as I thought about how Nephi might be playing with that meaning, I thought of the following passage:

And it came to pass that we fled into the wilderness, and the servants of Laban did not overtake us, and we hid ourselves in the cavity of a rock. (3:27)

Compare with our first relation of Zoram's name:

"And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth." (4:35)

The conjunction of "rock" and "servant" felt like a strong parallel, especially given how the word "rock" doesn't come up very often, but the distance between the passages suggested not some simple localized wordplay, but rather a chiasm, a wordplay that related to the poetic structure of the text, and as I worked out what this structure might be in more detail, the idea only became more plausible.

I also think it is noteworthy that Nephi seems to be holding off on using Zoram's name until right here in this part of the text; referring to him as the "servant of Laban" multiple times before this point

The structure given below is only a rough draft. I feel that A/A' through J/J' is fairly solid, but I recognized mistakes in my original draft. K/K' through T/T' was quickly thrown together and I have not had enough time to review the work. (Nevertheless, I'm fairly certain that this particular chiasm does not extend further than chapter 3 through 5 as I both lost the ability to find plausible textual parallels and the encompassed text feels like a fairly complete story with nice counterpoint options. Though it is worth noting that this doesn't mean that there isn't a larger chiastic structure. I'm fairly certain there is one. That would make this 3-chapter chiasm a substructure of the larger structure.)

I have done some work to learn more about the meanings of names, places, and things, within the text, and I'm hoping that, upon review, this will help to clarify the text's structure.

Chapter 3

• R) Lehi: " I have dreamed a dream"
• Q) [g]"For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass."

  [f]Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records,

• P)

  [e] and bring them down hither into the wilderness.

  v. 5

  [d]

  [ii] And now, behold thy brothers murmur,

  [i] saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them;

  [i'] but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

  v. 6

  [ii'] Therefore go, my son and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.

  v. 7

  [c] And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father:

  [b] I will go and do

  [a] the things which the Lord hath commanded

  [a'] for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men,

  [b'] save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

  v. 8

  [c'] And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words

  [d'] he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord.

  v. 9

  [e'] And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness,

• O) with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem.

  And it came to pass that when we had gone up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another.

• [f']"And we cast lots—who of us should go in unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that the lot fell upon Laman; and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as he sat in his house."
• [g']And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father.
• N) Laban calls Laman a robber, threatens to kill him. Nephi and his brothers were sorrowful.

  "my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness"

  "we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us."

• M) For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land.
• L) "obtaining the records to preserve our language"
• K) Nephi wants to preserve the words of the prophets so they go down into the land of their inheritance and gather up all their precious things and carry them to Laban's house

• J) [a] 22 "And it came to pass that we went down to the land of our inheritance, and we did gather together our gold, and our silver, and our precious things." (left the wilderness to go to Jerusalem)
  • [b] 23 And after we had gathered these things together, 'we went up again unto the house of Laban. 24 And it came to pass that we went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass,
  • [a] for which we would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious things.
  • [b] 25 And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property.
• I) 26 And it came to pass that we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell into the hands of Laban. (flight, pursuers, property left with Laban)
• H) 27 And it came to pass that we fled into the wilderness, and the servants of Laban did not overtake us, and we hid ourselves in the cavity of a rock. (servants, rock)
• G2)Nephi struggles with his brothers. His brothers struggle against him and God.

  28 And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he hearkened unto the words of Laman. Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers,

  [a] and they did smite us even with a rod.

  [a'] 29 And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod,

  [b']behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.

  30 And after the angel had spoken unto us, he departed.

• G1) Laman and Lemuel are afraid and Nephi calms their fears

  31 And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?

Chapter 4

1 And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands? (strength of the Lord, let us be faithful)

2 Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. (Therefore...)

• F) Nephi leaves his brothers at the walls of Jerusalem.
• E) Nephi goes towards the house of Laban.

  Nephi finds Laban drunk.

• D) Nephi takes Laban's sword
• C) "I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban"
• B) "Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands."
• A) "Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise."
• A') "they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law."
• B') "the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands"
• C') "I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword."
• D') Nephi takes Laban's armor.
• E') Nephi goes to the treasury

  He finds Laban's servant and Laban's servant thinks that Nephi is Laban

• F') The Servant of Nephi follows him to the walls of Jerusalem to meet with Nephi's elder brethren.
• G1')Nephi's brothers fear Laban, and he calms their fears.

  [b]28 And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence;

  [a]for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also.

  [a']29 And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me;

  [b']wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.

• G2')Nephi struggles with the servant of Laban. An allusion to Jacob's wrestle with the unnamed holy figure, which earned him the name Israel, "struggles with God". We will shortly be given the servant's name, and it means "exalted one" (as well as "rock of the people") significantly highlighting what he represents here.

  [c] 30 And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble,

  [b1] and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem. (servant of Laban is afraid)

  [a] 31 And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, (strength of the lord)

  [a'] and also having received much strength of the Lord,

  [b1'] therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee.

  [b2]32 And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words,

  [a] as the Lord liveth,

  [a'] and as I live,

  [b2']even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life.

  [c'] 33 And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us.

  34 And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? (shall we not be diligent)

  Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us. (Therefore...)

• H') 35 And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth. (servant, Zoram=rock)
• I') 36 Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us. (flight, pursuers)

  37 And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him.

  38 And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, (property taken from Laban)

• J')and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the tent of our father. (left Jerusalem to go to the wilderness)

Chapter 5

• K') Sariah complains that Lehi is a Visionary man who led them out of the land of their inheritance, that her children are dead and that they will all perish
• L') "And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father."
• M') I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.
• N') "But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban,"

  "and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness."

  v. 6

  And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us,

• O') while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem,
• P')

  [e] to obtain the record of the Jews.

  v. 7

  [d] And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.

  v. 8

  [c] And she spake, saying:

  [b] Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness;

  [a] yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons,

  [a'] and delivered them out of the hands of Laban,

  [b'] and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them.

  [c'] And after this manner of language did she speak.

  v. 9

  [d'] And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel.

  v. 10

  And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel,

  [e'] my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.

  v. 11

• Q') [c] And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents;

  [b] "And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob,"

  [a] "who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine."

  [a'] "And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them."

  [b] "And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records."

• R') [c']"when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed—"