Explanation:
In his blessing to his son Helaman, Alma uses chiasmus in recounting
his conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This chart illustrates
the deep structure of Alma 36. Jesus Christ is the crux of the
chiasm, just as he is the center of the gospel and the only means
whereby salvation can be attained. The turning point in Alma’s
conversion was not the appearance of the angel or the fear of eternal
banishment, but calling on the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. Fittingly, Alma makes this spiritual turning point the literary
focal point of this entire chapter, one of the finest examples of chiastic
composition anywhere in world literature.
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