(and which we plan to sing at the Single Adult Book of Mormon fireside in August) ...
(The lyrics are a paraphrase of 2 Nephi 4 by John Tanner.)
I Love the Lord
I love the Lord, in Him my soul delights.
Upon His word, I ponder day and night.
He’s heard my cry, brought visions to my sleep,
And kept me safe o’er deserts and the deep.
He’s filled my heart with His consuming love,
And borne me high on wings of His great dove.
Yet oft I groan, “O wretched man am I”
My flesh is weak and I’m encompassed by
A world of sin, which holds me in it’s thrall,
If I give in and to temptations fall.
Then strength grows slack, I waste in sorrow’s vale;
My peace destroyed, my enemies prevail.
Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin.
Rejoice, my heart! And let me praise again,
The Lord my God, who is my rock and stay
To keep me strict upon His straight, plain way.
Oh let me shake at the first sight of sin
And thus escape my foes without and in.
A curious (and useful) characteristic of the Book of Mormon is Chiasmus ...
A "But many that are first
B shall be last;
B1 and the last
A1 shall be first." Jesus (Bible: Matthew 19:30.)
A "Do not give what is holy to dogs,
B and do not throw your pearls before swine,
B1 lest they (the pigs) trample them under their feet,
A1 and (the dogs) turn and tear you to pieces." Jesus (Bible: Matthew 7:6.)
A "Make the heart of this people fat,
B and make their ears heavy,
C and shut their eyes;
C1 lest they see with their eyes,
B1 and hear with their ears,
A1 and understand with their heart, and convert [return], and be healed." (Bible: Isaiah 6:10)
Discovering and exploring chiastic (? I think that's the right form of the word) passages can be very insightful, as there is a depth of understanding of the key concept and the supporting concepts which can be developed by careful examination.
Examine this short chaism within the Psalm of Nephi:
A 2Ne 4:27
B 2 Ne 4:28
C 2Ne 4:29
B 2Ne 4:30
A 2Ne 4:31
In your journal, examine: What do the verses marked A expand on? How do the verses marked B expand and broaden the topic? What is the central point in C? How do A and B help to avoid the hazards posed in C?
Further Reading on Chaismus in the Book of Mormon:
John W. Welch : Study, Faith and the Book of Mormon
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=1286
(The lyrics are a paraphrase of 2 Nephi 4 by John Tanner.)
I Love the Lord
I love the Lord, in Him my soul delights.
Upon His word, I ponder day and night.
He’s heard my cry, brought visions to my sleep,
And kept me safe o’er deserts and the deep.
He’s filled my heart with His consuming love,
And borne me high on wings of His great dove.
Yet oft I groan, “O wretched man am I”
My flesh is weak and I’m encompassed by
A world of sin, which holds me in it’s thrall,
If I give in and to temptations fall.
Then strength grows slack, I waste in sorrow’s vale;
My peace destroyed, my enemies prevail.
Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin.
Rejoice, my heart! And let me praise again,
The Lord my God, who is my rock and stay
To keep me strict upon His straight, plain way.
Oh let me shake at the first sight of sin
And thus escape my foes without and in.
A curious (and useful) characteristic of the Book of Mormon is Chiasmus ...
- a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order.
A "But many that are first
B shall be last;
B1 and the last
A1 shall be first." Jesus (Bible: Matthew 19:30.)
A "Do not give what is holy to dogs,
B and do not throw your pearls before swine,
B1 lest they (the pigs) trample them under their feet,
A1 and (the dogs) turn and tear you to pieces." Jesus (Bible: Matthew 7:6.)
A "Make the heart of this people fat,
B and make their ears heavy,
C and shut their eyes;
C1 lest they see with their eyes,
B1 and hear with their ears,
A1 and understand with their heart, and convert [return], and be healed." (Bible: Isaiah 6:10)
Discovering and exploring chiastic (? I think that's the right form of the word) passages can be very insightful, as there is a depth of understanding of the key concept and the supporting concepts which can be developed by careful examination.
Examine this short chaism within the Psalm of Nephi:
A 2Ne 4:27
B 2 Ne 4:28
C 2Ne 4:29
B 2Ne 4:30
A 2Ne 4:31
In your journal, examine: What do the verses marked A expand on? How do the verses marked B expand and broaden the topic? What is the central point in C? How do A and B help to avoid the hazards posed in C?
Further Reading on Chaismus in the Book of Mormon:
John W. Welch : Study, Faith and the Book of Mormon
http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=1286
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