When Are Chiasms Admissible as Evidence?

Authors

W. Farrell Edwards
Boyd F. Edwards

Keywords

Mormon studies, chiasmus, Book of Mormon, literary forms

Abstract

*This article is being offered free as a courtesy to lds.org as it was footnoted in an expanded Gospel Topic on their site.

Since John Welch's discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon in 1967, many critics have attempted to show how chiasmus appears in just about every type of literature, from Dr. Seuss to Strangite scripture. This article discusses the authors' statistical admissibility tests to verify whether a chiasmus in a work shows strong evidence of intentionality by the original author. Their results indicate that certain passages in the Old Testament and in the Book of Mormon show deliberate chiasmus, while Strangite scripture, the Doctrine and Covenants, nursery rhymes, Dr. Seuss, and other works are not intentionally chiastic.

Recommended Citation

Edwards, W. Farrell and Edwards, Boyd F. (2010) "When Are Chiasms Admissible as Evidence?," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 49: Iss. 4, Article 8.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol49/iss4/8