II Nephi 28 Chiasm

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I
a v1 And now, behold, my brethren,
. . b I have spoken unto you, according as the Spirit hath constrained me;
. . . . c wherefore, I know that they must surely come to pass.
. . . . c v2 And the things which shall be written out of the book
. . b shall be of great worth unto the children of men,
a and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel.

. . a-1 v3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up,
. . . a-2 and not unto the Lord,
. . . . . . b-1 when the one shall say unto the other:
. . . . . . . b-2 Behold, I, I am the Lord's;
. . . . . . b-1 and the others shall say:
. . . . . . . b-2 I, I am the Lord's;
. . a-1 and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches,
. . . a-2 and not unto the Lord--

$ v4 And they shall contend one with another; [see a-1,2/a-1',2', above]

$ and their priests shall contend one with another, [see b-1,2/b-1',2', above]

II

and they shall teach with their learning, [see c/c', below]

$ and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance. [see a/a', below]

. . a v5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel;
. . . . b and they say unto the people:
. . . . . . c Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept;
. . . . . . . . d for behold there is no God today,
. . . . . . . . . . e for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work,
. . . . . . . . d and he hath given his power unto men;
. . . . . . c v6Behold, hearken ye unto my precept;
. . . . b if they shall say
. . a there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles;

$ he hath done his work. [see focus, e, above]

A-1 v7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die;
. A-2 and it shall be well with us.

A-1 v8 And there shall also be many which shall say, 1. Eat, drink, and be merry; 2. nevertheless, fear God--3. he will justify in committing a little sin; 4. yea, lie a little, 5. take the advantage of one because of his words, 6. dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and 7. do all these things, for tomorrow we die;
. A-2 and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

. . B v9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner,

. . . . C false and vain and foolish doctrines,

. . . . . . D and shall be puffed up in their hearts,

. . . . . . . . E and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord;

. . . . . . . . . . *F   (a) v10 and their works shall be in the dark.
. . . . . . . . . . *F (b) And the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . G-1 v11 Yea, they have all gone out of the way;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2 they have become corrupted.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-1 v12 Because of pride,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-2 and because of false teachers, and false doctrine,

[omission]  their churches have become corrupted,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I and their churches are lifted up;

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J because of pride they are puffed up.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K v13 They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K they rob the poor because of their fine clothing;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J because in their pride they are puffed up.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I v14 They wear stiff necks and high heads;

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-1 yea, and because of pride,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-2 and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms,

. . . . . . . . . . . . G-1 they have all gone astray
. . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2 save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ;

[overlap #1: (same as A below)]

. . . . . . . . . . *F (1) nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err
. . . . . . . . . . *F (2) because they are taught by the precepts of men.

[overlap #2: (same as B below)]

. . . . . . . . E v15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich,

. . . . . . D that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and

. . . . C all those who preach false doctrines,

. . B and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord

A-1 wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty,
. A-2 for they shall be thrust down to hell!

IV

[overlap #1: (28:14)]
A nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.

[overlap #2: (28:15)]
. . B O 1. the wise, and 2. the learned, and 3. the rich, 4. that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and 5. all those who preach false doctrines, and 6. all those who commit whoredoms, and 7. pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell! [Numbers are for counting, not correlation.]

V

. . . . C-1 v16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught
. . . . C-2 and revile against that which is good, and say that is of no worth!

. . . . . . D-1 For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth;
. . . . . . D-2 and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish.

. . . . . . . . E-1 v17 But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth
. . . . . . . . E-2 shall repent of their wickedness and abominations they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts.

. . . . . . . . . . F-1 v18 But behold, that great and abominable church,
. . . . . . . . . . F-1 the whore of all the earth,
. . . . . . . . . . F-2 must tumble to the earth,

[II Nephi 28 chiasm focal point = ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . G and great
. . . . . . . . . . . . G must be the fall thereof. [See focal element, D, of 2 Nephi 26:1-9 chiasm.]

. . . . . . . . . . F-1 v19 For the kingdom of the devil
. . . . . . . . . . F-2 must shake,

. . . . . . . . E-1 and they which belong to it
. . . . . . . . E-2 must needs be stirred up unto repentance,

. . . . . . D-1 or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains,
. . . . . . D-2 and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;

. . . . C-1 v20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men,
. . . . C-2 and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

IV

[ = structure A,A,B in III below (e,f,g of A and A'; and a/a' of B)]
. . B v21-23 ...and thus 1. the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.... (28:21) And thus 2. he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, 3. from whence there is no deliverance.... (28:22) Yea, 4. they are grasped with death, 5. and hell...6. even a lake of fire and brimstone, 7. which is endless torment. (28:23) [Numbers are for counting, not correlation]

[=  Chiasm II below (B-2 and B-2')]
A v26,31 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men.... (28:26) Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men.... (28:31)

III

. . . . . . . . . . a v21 And others will he pacify,
. . . . . . . . . . . . b and lull them away into carnal security,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . c that they will say:
. . . . . . . . . . A . . . . d All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well--
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . e and thus the devil cheateth their souls,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . f and leadeth them away carefully
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g down to hell.
. . . . . . . . . . a v22 And behold, others he flattereth away,
. . . . . . . . . . . . b and telleth them there is no hell;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . c and he saith unto them:
. . . . . . . . . . A . . . . d I am no devil, for there is none--
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . e and thus he whispereth in their ears,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . f until he grasps them with his awful chains,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g from whence there is no deliverance.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a v23 Yea, they are grasped with death,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a and hell;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b and death, and hell, and the devil,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c and all that have been seized therewith
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B . . . . d must stand before the throne of God,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . d and be judged according to their works,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c from whence they must go
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b into the place prepared for them,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a even a lake of fire and brimstone,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a which is endless torment.

. . . . . . . . . . [overlap #3: (28:24,25)]

. . . . . . . . . . A v24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
. . . . . . . . . . A v25Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

II

[overlap #3: (28:24,25)]
. . A $. . v24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
. . A $ v25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

. . . . B-1 v26 Yea, wo be unto him
. . . . B-2 that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men,
. . . . B-3 and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

. . . . . . C-a v27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!
. . . . . . . . C-b v28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble,
. . . . . . . . . . C-c and are angry because of the truth of God!
. . . . . . . . . . . . C-d For behold, he that is built upon the rock
. . . . . . . . . . . . C-d receiveth it with gladness;
. . . . . . . . . . C-c and he that is built upon a sandy foundation
. . . . . . . . C-b trembleth lest he shall fall.
. . . . . . C-a v29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God,
. . . . . . C-a for we have enough!
. . . . . . . . C-b v30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men
. . . . . . . . . . C-c line upon line,
. . . . . . . . . . C-c precept upon precept,
. . . . . . . . . . C-c here a little and there a little;
. . . . . . . . . . . . C-d and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts,
. . . . . . . . . . . . C-d and lend an ear unto my counsel,
. . . . . . . . . . C-c for they shall learn wisdom;
. . . . . . . . C-b for unto him that receiveth I will give more;
. . . . . . C-a and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

. . . . B-1 v31 Cursed is he
. . . . B-2 that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men,
. . . . B-3 save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

. . A a v32 Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! {see v32 below}
. . . . . . b For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them
. . . . . . b from day to day,
. . . . a they will deny me;

I

a-1 nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them,
a-2 saith the Lord God,
. . b if they will repent
. . b and come unto me;
a-1 for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long,
a-2 saith the Lord God of Hosts.

end of chapter

Alternate arrangment:  II Nephi 28:32

$ Wo be unto the Gentiles,
a saith the Lord God of Hosts!
. . b-1 For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them
. . b-2 from day to day,
. . . . c they will deny me;
. . . . . . d nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them,
. . . . . . . . e saith the Lord God,
. . . . . . d if they will repent
. . . . c and come unto me;
. . b-1 for mine arm is lengthened out
. . b-2 all the day long,
a saith the Lord God of Hosts.

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by Sterling D. Allan; Provo, Utah; April 2, 1992 [Revised May 21, 1995]

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