Shirley Heater has discovered that Lehi's blessing to his son Joseph (2 Nephi 3) is a beautiful chiastic structure (see illustration).
Lehi is probably reading this prophecy to his son Joseph directly from the brass plates. Hebrew children were often given a name of significance and then reminded by their parents to live up to the name. In this case, Joseph was undoubtedly named for Joseph of Egypt after Lehi discovered his lineage was through Manasseh, the son of Joseph of Egypt (see 1 Nephi 5:14; Alma 10:3).
In his final blessing to his son Joseph, Lehi thought it appropriate to remind him of his namesake and of the prophecies connected with the tribe of Joseph which were to be fulfilled at a future time. By reading this prophecy which was originally given to Joseph of Egypt directly by the Lord, Lehi is transmitting the promises given to the first Joseph to his son Joseph. It is exciting to realize that Lehi designed the center point of his last message to his son Joseph to be a restatement of the covenant made by the Lord to Joseph of Egypt: his seed would be restored to a knowledge of the covenants of the Lord as well as their heritage as part of the house of Israel. . . . Lehi's careful chiastic structuring of his son's blessing confirms to us once again that understanding the Hebrew nature of the Book of Mormon is indeed a key to understanding the message of the book!
Verse #
1 A speak
2 B thy brethren
3 C Joseph
3 D may the Lord bless thee
3 E thy seed shall not be utterly destroyed
4 F covenants
4 G Joseph
5 H Joseph
5 I remembered in the covenants
5 J unto them
5 K in the latter days
6 L a seer shall the Lord my God raise up which shall be a choice seer unto the fruit
of my loins
7 M Thus saith the Lord unto me
9 N Moses
9 O I have said I would raise up
10 P Moses
11 Q power
11 R bring forth my word
12 S fruit of thy loins
12 T confounding
12 U bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers
12 U' and also to the knowledge of my covenants
14 T' confounded
14 S' fruit of my loins
15 R' the thing which the Lord shall bring forth
15 Q' power
16 P' Moses
17 O' the Lord hath said I will raise up
17 N' Moses
18 M' the Lord said unto me also
18 L' I will raise up unto the fruit of thy loins and I will make or him a spokesman
20 K' after many generations have gone
20 J' by them
21 I' remembering of my covenant
22 H' Joseph
22 G' my father
23 F' covenant
23 E' thy seed shall not be destroyed
25 D' blessed art thou
25 C' Joseph
25 B' thy brother
25 A' spoken
The chiastic center point (U and U') emphasizes the covenant made to the seed of Joseph of Egypt. [Shirley R. Heater, "Lehi's Blessing to His Son Joseph," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 2, p. 55]
2 Nephi 3:1-25 (Blessing of Joseph -- Chiasm) ([Illustration]): 2 Nephi 3:1-25: Lehi's Blessing to Young Joseph [Shirley R. Heater, "Lehi's Blessing to His Son Joseph," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 2, p. 55]