Derek Squire

Abstract: This article is part two of an analysis of the literary structure of Alma 17–27. The current article analyzes the literary structure of Alma 21–22, which is “an account of the preaching of Aaron and Muloki and their brethren to the Lamanites” as noted in the heading before Alma 21. These two chapters were originally a single chapter in the first edition of the Book of Mormon. When Alma 21–22 is treated as a single chapter, it appears to have been organized into an extended parallel structure (A-B-C-A'-B'-C') in which matching elements share many strong links and parallels. This literary structure highlights the extraordinary range of missionary experiences that can occur while preaching the gospel. There also appears to be an eight-element chiasm that consists of Alma 21–22 and the conclusion to the preaching efforts of the sons of Mosiah in the first fifteen verses of Alma 23. This is the second of three macro-chiasms characterizing the overall structure of Alma 17–27.

Abstract: This article presents a macro-chiasm for Alma 23:16 through Alma 27:30 that covers the account of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi from the time they first take upon themselves that name to the time they relocate to the Nephite land of Jershon and are subsequently called the people of Ammon. The central element of this […]

Abstract: This article is an analysis of the literary structure of Alma 17–20. These four chapters in the current Book of Mormon were originally a single chapter in the first edition of the Book of Mormon (originally, chapter 12). The current article describes a process and rationale that was used to identify several major literary […]