The Literary Structure of Alma 63
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Abstract: Alma 63, the concluding chapter of the book of Alma, displays a sophisticated literary structure that gives meaning and emphasis to events that might otherwise appear to be routine historical details. This paper proposes a six-element chiasm in Alma 63:1–11, framed by the transfer of sacred records and centered on large-scale Nephite migrations by ship to the land northward. Detailed verbal, thematic, and chronological correspondences among the paired elements support the possibility that Mormon purposefully constructed the arrangement. Applying established criteria for evaluating chiasmus, the analysis highlights the structure’s literary boundaries, symmetry, central focus, distinctive terminology, and relationship to the chronological framework of the chapter. The proposed chiasm also supports interpreting Alma 63:9 as a land migration and draws attention to the unusual function of verse 8. Additional literary features in Alma 63:12–17 include Donald Parry’s chiasm concerning the transmission and distribution of sacred records, an escalating progression of references to the thirty-ninth year, an inclusio framing the entire chapter, and textual links to Alma 37. Together, these features portray Mormon as a deliberate literary craftsman whose structural techniques reinforce historical developments, scriptural preservation, and the religious purpose of the Book of Mormon.
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