Alma 41

Alma 41:13-15 (Hebrew Parallelistic Writing):

According to Donald Parry, Alma 41:13-15 can be written according to Hebrew parallelistic structure.

     O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again

     evil for

     evil, or

     carnal for

     carnal, or

     devilish for

     devilish—

     good for that which is

     good;

     righteous for that which is

     righteous;

     just for that which is

     just;

     merciful for that which is

     merciful. (climax)

     a. Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren;

       b. deal justly

         c. judge righteously,

           d. and do good continually;

             e. and if ye do all these things

               f. then shall ye receive your reward;

     a’ yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again;

       b’ ye shall have justice restored unto you again;

         c’ ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again;

           d’ and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

             e’ For that which ye do send out

               f’ shall return unto you again, and be restored; (extended alternate)¹

According to John Welch, the presence of chiasmus may be evidence of the content and meaning of a passage. Form is often linked with content. . . . Alma 41:13-15 describes the balanced sense of divine justice, which will reward good for good, righteous for righteous, just for just, mercy for mercy. Therefore, be merciful, deal justly, judge righteously, and do good, and your rewards will be mercy, justice, righteousness, and goodness. A similar effect is achieved in Leviticus 24, where the “bruise for bruise, eye for eye” sense of talionic justice is reflected perfectly in the chiastic structure that embraces that content.² Additionally, the pair of lists that is inverted to become a list of pairs in the opposite order in Alma 41:13-15 shows us that Alma the Younger is brilliantly creative and encouraging. ³