Chiasmus Jubilee
This year marks the 50th anniversary since John W. Welch discovered Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. This discovery has changed the way we forever approach Book of Mormon scholarship. To celebrate this day, we invite you to join us on August 16th, 7:00 – 9;00 p.m. for a Chiasmus Jubilee hosted and organized by BYU Studies and Book of Mormon Central.
Jubilee Event Details
When: August 16, 2017
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Where: Joseph Smith Building Auditorium
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84604
The Wednesday evening Chiasmus Jubilee will feature guest speakers, musical numbers, and special presentations on Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. This event is open to the general public. Advance registration will be very helpful. Click here.
Chiasmus Conference
There will be a two-day conference held in the Joseph Smith Building auditorium on Tuesday, August 15th and Wednesday, August 16th. The conference sessions will have presentations by LDS and non-LDS scholars discussing chiasmus in the Bible and in other texts, including the Book of Mormon. Watch for full information about this Conference program, coming here soon. This Conference is also open to the general public, free. Separate advance registration is strongly encouraged. Click here.
Conference participants and the general public are also invited to view materials on chiasmus at both the Harold B. Lee Library on BYU’s campus from the beginning of August through mid-September. The Harold B. Lee Library will have a three-case display with personal and relevant items showing John Welch’s discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon while he was a missionary serving in Regensburg, Germany, 50 years ago, in 1967. For the jubilee on Wednesday evening, August 16th, items concerning the impact and aftermath of the discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, as well as progress in scholarship about chiasmus in the Bible and in other literatures will be on display in the Joseph Smith Building.
There is no charge for the conference and celebrations. All Book of Mormon Central volunteers and subscribers are welcome to attend any or all of the chiasmus celebration events.
How I wish I could come. At 77 and wheelchair bound, husband with Alzheimer’s and a broken hip, means I cannot come. Before I knew of the extensive BYU studies, I taught Old Testament which at that time took two years and included at least two lessons on Psalms. These gave construction of the different types of parallelism and introduced Chiasmus.
From that time I searched all the scriptures (even the D&C) for instances of Chiasmus. I felt that chuasmus must relate to how God speaks to man, chiasmus being the most perfect form, as it testified of Christ, even in its construction. Thus, when studying the scriptures, my understanding of the words was enhanced by the Father’s use of chiasmus. I began with Psalms of the various prophets (Nephi for one) and moved from there.
Will you be having a video or published accounts that would enable me to learn and expand my appreciation of the beautiful poetry of Chiasmus?
Waiting for your answer.
[personal address deleted for the public post]
Brother Donald Perry published an edition of the Book of Mormon, formatted to show the use of chiasmus and other literary devices.
https://publications.mi.byu.edu/book/poetic-parallelisms-in-the-book-of-mormon-the-complete-text-reformatted/
The preface mentions some other books that could be helpful, but I haven’t read them myself.