WARD RADIO Double Chiasm in the Book of Mormon
Mar 7, 2026
Jonah Barnes, an associate professor and apocrypha expert, describes finding concentric chiasms in Alma 24. He explains a tight five-point pattern around the word "stain" and a larger overlapping pattern focused on repeated "brethren" references. They trace how both structures center on a pivotal verse and discuss ritual, numerology, and scholarly reception.
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King Anti-Nephi-Lehi's Ceremonial Vow Of Pacifism
- Cardin describes Alma 24 as a ritualistic, ceremonial speech by the converted king Anti-Nephi-Lehi that changes tribal identity and institutes pacifism.
- He frames it as an origin story: former Lamanites bury weapons, adopt Nephite identity, and vow nonviolence.
Five-Point Stain Chiasm In Alma 24
- Jonah Barnes and Cardin Ellis identify a five-point chiasm in Alma 24 centered on the word stain, using noun, verb, and past participle forms to build a symmetric structure.
- The pattern reads noun–verb–past participle–verb–noun across verses 12–16, highlighting deliberate literary shaping around atonement imagery.
Liquid Atonement Imagery Anchors The Chiasm
- The chiasm aligns tightly with liquid and atonement imagery—stain, blood, wash, shed, and atonement—making the central verse rhetorically and theologically prominent.
- Cardin argues Joseph Smith’s translation placing atonement here matches a Semitic 'covering' sense, strengthening the passage's Hebrew-like texture.
