The finding of this chiasmus is attributed to Victor L. Ludlow in 2012 cited at the bottom of this page.

I made alterations to his work by combining his A) and B) terms into my single A) term.

In G) below I also propose a possible Chiasmus within the Chiasmus structure that also incorporates and extended alternate structure at the beginning and end. Jesus quoted (Isaiah 52:8-10) then (Isaiah 52:1-3) then (Isaiah 52:6-7) then (Isaiah 52:11-15) out of sequence I assume for a reason. I think it is significant that he states that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God then shall know that I am he using the name of God I am then “the Father and I are one” in the middle of the chiasmus. The b) terms seem to suggest servants of God declaring the message of God. Then c) could reference one of the servants in Joseph Smith being marred yet ultimately successful.

I also merged a couple terms together in 2 Nephi 22:1-2 and 6-7 that Ludlow had as separate levels. I did this because I felt that the terms a sign, when these things, the Gentiles, and my people, O house of Israel seemed to be interwoven.

 

This Chiasmus makes heavy use of quotes from Mica and Isaiah both pre-exilic prophets. Yet it also quotes Peter in Acts 3:22-26 and critics state that Joseph Smith just copied that from the Bible here, yet Joseph used the words cut off in place of destroyed as stated in all Bibles of Joseph Smiths lifetime. Cut off is a better translation of the original Greek word and appears in the modern NIV bible. I have a paragraph at bottom discussing this detail. Also the resurrected Christ can quote whatever he wants as he would have all things present if he wanted!

Another testament to Joseph Smith being an inspired prophet is this lengthy chiasmus itself.  The fact that all of the detailed quoted scriptures are part of a very lengthy chiasmus structure makes the possibility that an uneducated 23-year-old Joseph just made this up, memorized it, and then spoke it out to a scribe at a rate of 4,000 words per day very hard to explain as anything other than inspired.

 

I wanted to be able to track the quotes from the Bible within the chiasmus and below when there is colored text with no highlights, this is a quote from the Bible. When there is black text within the colored text this is my attempt to note differences to how the Bible verses are quoted in the BofM. I have also listed the Bible text with the associated colors after this chiasmus for reference. 

 

To be able to track the places where text is part of the chiasmus poetic parallel matching I have used primarily gray highlights on the text. There is also blue, green and pink highlights for matches.  I used yellow highlight for items concerning covenant which is a major theme in this chiasmus though not all of the instances of covenant are poetic matches.

 

3 Nephi 20

A) 10 And it came to pass that when they had all given glory unto Jesus, he said unto them: Behold now I finish the commandment which the Father hath commanded me concerning this people, who are a remnant of the house of Israel.

11 Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—

behold they are written,

ye have them before you,

therefore search them—

B) 12 And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel.

C) 13 And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them.

D) 14 And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land, for your inheritance.

E) 15 And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people—

16 Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

17 Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

18 And I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor.

19 For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it.

20 And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the sword of my justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles.

(I’m adding this little d*) and c*) as the text here foreshadows the D’) and C’) at the bottom of this chiasmus which is interesting)

d*) 21 And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel.

22 And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob;

and it shall be a New Jerusalem.

c*) And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people;

yea, even I will be in the midst of you.

F) 23 Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.  (Acts 3:22-26 and also Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19)

24 Verily I say unto you, yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me.

25 And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 22:18)

26 The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant—

27 And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed—unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles, which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all, unto the scattering of my people, O house of Israel.

28 And they shall be a scourge unto the people of this land. Nevertheless, when they shall have received the fulness of my gospel, then if they shall harden their hearts against me I will return their iniquities upon their own heads, saith the Father.

29 And I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people; and I have covenanted with them that I would gather them together in mine own due time, that I would give unto them again the land of their fathers for their inheritance, which is the land of Jerusalem, which is the promised land unto them forever, saith the Father.

G) a) 30 And it shall come to pass that the time cometh, when the fulness of my gospel shall be preached unto them;

31 And they shall believe in me, that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and shall pray unto the Father in my name.

b) 32 Then shall their watchmen lift up their voice, and with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye.  (Isaiah 52:8-10)

G1) 33 Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem for the land of their inheritance.

 34 Then shall they break forth into joy—Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Father hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

G2) 35 The Father hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of the Father;

G2’) and the Father and I are one.

G1’) 36 And then shall be brought to pass that which is written: Awake, awake again, and put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.     (Isaiah 52:1-3)

37 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

38 For thus saith the Lord: Ye have sold yourselves for naught, and ye shall be redeemed without money.

a’) 39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that my people shall know my name;

yea, in that day they shall know that I am he that doth speak.  (Isaiah 52:6-7)

b’) 40 And then shall they say: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings unto them, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings unto them of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!

41 And then shall a cry go forth: Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not that which is unclean; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. (Isaiah 52:11-15)

42 For ye shall not go out with haste nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel shall be your rearward.

c') 43 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.

44 As many were astonished at thee—his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men—

H) 45 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

I) 46 Verily, verily, I say unto you, all these things shall surely come, even as the Father hath commanded me. Then shall this covenant which the Father hath covenanted with his people be fulfilled; and then shall Jerusalem be inhabited again with my people, and it shall be the land of their inheritance.

J) 3 Nephi 21:1 And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place—that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion; 2 And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign

—for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by the power of the Holy Ghost which shall be given unto you of the Father, shall be made known unto the Gentiles that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them;

K) 3 Verily, verily, I say unto you, when these things shall be made known unto them of the Father, and shall come forth of the Father, from them unto you;

L) 4 For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land,

and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father,

that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed,

that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled

which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel;

K’) 5 Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity;

J’) 6 For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; 7 And when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things—it shall be a sign unto them,

I’) that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel.

H’) 8 And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

G’) a’) 9 For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it,

b') although a man shall declare it unto them.

c') 10 But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

F’) 11 Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant.

E’) 12 And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

13 Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off.

14 Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they repent; for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots;

15 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds;

16 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers;

17 Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands;

18 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities.

19 And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away.

20 For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel;

21 And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

D’) 22 But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;

23 And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.

C’) 24 And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.

25 And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst.

B’) 26 And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem.

27 Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name.

28 Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.

29 And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward.

3 Nephi 22: 1-17 quote of (Isaiah 54:1-17) (Black text is unique to the BofM),(green text is commentary)

1 And then shall that which is written come to pass:

Barren Jerusalem to be blessed with many children

a) Sing, O barren,

b) thou that didst not bear;

a) break forth into singing, and cry aloud,

b) thou that didst not travail with child;

A2) a) for more are the children of the desolate

than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

b) 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent,

and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations;

spare not, lengthen thy cords

and strengthen thy stakes;

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left,

and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Jerusalem restored to marriage covenant with YHWH

B2) 4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed;

neither be thou confounded,

for thou shalt not be put to shame;

for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth,

and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth,

and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

a) 5 For thy maker, thy husband,

b) the Lord of Hosts is his name;

a) and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel—

b) the God of the whole earth shall he be called.

6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,

and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

 The certainty of YHWH’s covenant love

C2) a) 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee,

b) but with great mercies will I gather thee.

a) 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment,

b) but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

The unbreakable Oath: As in the days of Noah

D2) 9 For this, the waters of Noah unto me,

for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth,

D2’) so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee.

C2’) a) 10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,

b) but my kindness shall not depart from thee,

a) neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,

b) saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Renewed Jerusalem glorified and at peace

B2’) 11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted!

Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors,

and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates,

and thy gates of carbuncles,

and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

Jerusalem will be defended by YHWH

A2’) a’) 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord;

and great shall be the peace of thy children.

b') A3) 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established;

thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear,

and from terror for it shall not come near thee.

B3) 15 Behold, they shall surely gather together against thee, not by me;

C3) whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

D3) 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire,

E3) and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work;

D3’) and I have created the waster to destroy.

C3’) 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;

B3’) and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.

A3’) This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

A’) 3 Nephi 23:1 And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things.

Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.

2 For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel;

therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles.

3 And all things that he spake have been and shall be,

even according to the words which he spake.

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Below are Bible verses quoted above.

Mica 5

8 ¶ And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:

11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

Mica 4

12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

Deuteronomy 18

15 ¶ The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

Acts 3

22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 22:18

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

1 Kings 2:44

The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;

Isaiah 52

1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

7 ¶ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

9 ¶ Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

11 ¶ Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.

12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.

13 ¶ Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isaiah 29

14: "Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder..."

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Some Thoughts on this large Chiasmus:

The chiasm is not just a literary frame. It is the sermon’s argument: the Father will keep his covenant with Israel by a last-days reversal between Gentiles and the remnant, and the coming forth of this record is the sign that the reversal has begun.

1. Search Isaiah — everything he said about Israel and the Gentiles will happen

The outer pair (A / A′) locks the whole speech. Isaiah is already written, already in their hands, and he speaks of both the house of Israel and the Gentiles. The command is to search him because the rest of the sermon is Jesus applying Isaiah (especially 52, 54) and Micah to their future.

2. The Father’s covenant is the engine

B and I (and their primes) keep repeating the same claim: when Isaiah is fulfilled, the covenant the Father made with Israel is fulfilled. That covenant includes:

·         forsaken only “a small moment,” then gathered with great mercies;

·         kindness and the “covenant of my peace” will not be removed;

·         sworn as surely as Noah’s flood will not return.

The structure says the covenant is not abandoned when Israel is scattered; it is paused until the father’s “due time.”

3. The great reversal: Gentiles first, then Israel

This is the moral spine of the chiasm (E / E′ and F / F′).

First movement:

Second movement (the inversion):

The chiasm therefore preaches both warning and invitation to the same group: power first, then accountability.

4. The center is the sign: this record coming from the Gentiles to the remnant

J–L–J′ / I′ is the hinge.

The sign that gathering and Zion are about to happen is not a cosmic spectacle first. It is this:

Establishing the Gentiles as a free people in this land is instrumental: so the book can leave their hands and reach the remnant. Gentiles who do not harden their hearts may repent, be baptized, learn the true points of doctrine, and be numbered among Israel. The structure makes the Book of Mormon itself the covenant-clock.

5. Hear the Prophet or be cut off

F and F′ place Deuteronomy 18 at the heart of covenant identity. Christ is the prophet like Moses. Every soul who will not hear him is cut off from the people. All the prophets from Samuel onward testified of him. The children of the prophets are the children of the Abrahamic covenant; blessing the Gentiles with the Holy Ghost is how “in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed” — and also how scattering happened. Rejecting the same words when they come forth again repeats the cut-off.

6. Two Zions, one Lord in the midst

C / D and C′ / D′ hold both geographies:

Isaiah 52 in the G band supplies the pictures: watchmen seeing eye to eye, waste places singing, Zion putting on strength and beautiful garments, no more uncircumcised in the holy city, redeemed without money, the Lord going before and being rearward (the last image returns at 21:29). G2 / G2′ states the theology in one line: the Father bares his arm in the eyes of all nations — and the Father and the Son are one.

7. A marred servant, shut-mouthed kings

H / H′ and the servant lines in G quote Isaiah 52:13–15 in both directions. A servant is marred more than any man, then healed; his life is in the Lord’s hand; wisdom outruns the devil’s cunning. He sprinkles many nations. Kings shut their mouths at what they had never been told. In the second half that “marvelous work” is declared among the Gentiles and many will not believe it even when a man declares it. The chiasm treats that rejection as expected — and as the prelude to the same kings finally seeing.

What the Chiasmus inversion as a whole is saying

Read the pairs as a single sentence:

Search Isaiah. The Father’s covenant with Israel will be kept. Scattered remnants will be gathered and given land. Gentiles who first scattered them will either repent and join the building of New Jerusalem or be trodden down and cut off. The sign that this has started is the coming forth of Christ’s words from a free Gentile nation to the remnant. Hear that Prophet. The Father and the Son are one; they go before the gathering and are its rearward.

That is the message the structure is built to make unavoidable.

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The Book of Mormon handles this prophecy in a unique way. When Jesus Christ quotes this Moses prophecy to the Nephites in 3 Nephi 20:23, the text reads:

"And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people."

This word choice is highly significant because it diverges from both the King James Version of the Old Testament ("require it of him") and Peter’s phrasing in the New Testament ("shall be destroyed from among the people").

How the Book of Mormon Uses the Phrase

Instead of using "destroyed" like the KJV New Testament (Acts 3:23), the Book of Mormon consistently favors the phrase "cut off."

Interestingly, Joseph Smith followed this exact same pattern elsewhere. In 1 Nephi 22:20, when Nephi references the same prophecy from the Brass Plates, he also writes that the disobedient "shall be cut off from among the people."

Why "Cut Off" Was Used (Theological & Textual Reasons)

1.     Restoring the Original Covenant Legal Term (Kareth):
As noted in the linguistic background, the primary Hebrew penalty for violating God’s covenant is kareth, which literally means "to be cut off" from the community. By utilizing "cut off," the Book of Mormon bypasses Peter's localized Greek translation ("destroyed") and aligns perfectly with the underlying Mosaic legal penalty found throughout the Torah.

2.     The Context of the Covenant Discourse:
In 3 Nephi 20, Jesus is delivering what scholars call the "Covenant Discourse". He is explaining how the remnant of Israel will be gathered and restored to their lands. In a discourse entirely focused on being gathered into the covenant community, the ultimate punishment is its exact opposite: being severed or cut off from that community.

3.     Independence from the King James Bible:
Critics often argue that Joseph Smith simply copied biblical passages when text overlapped. However, Latter-day Saint scholars point to 3 Nephi 20:23 as evidence of translational independence. If Joseph Smith were merely copying the KJV text of Acts 3:23 or Deuteronomy 18:19, he would have written "destroyed" or "require it of him". Instead, the text uses a phrase that matches ancient Near Eastern covenant frameworks

 

 

Victor L. Ludlow, “The Father’s Covenant People Sermon: 3 Nephi 20:10–23:5,” in Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture, ed. Andrew C. Skinner and Gaye Strathearn (Salt Lake City and Provo. UT: Deseret Book and Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2012), 147–174.