“I Speak Unto You These Things for Your Profit and Learning”

Brant Gardner

Redaction: Lehi concludes this part of his discourse by spelling out both his motive and his key concepts. He is teaching his sons a lesson for their “profit and learning.” The lesson is that there is a God, that God has created the earth, and therefore that there are “things to be acted upon.”

Lehi’s conclusion repeats the last major point of his argument. While it might be tempting to see it as an incomplete chiasm, it is really a much simpler parallel structure. His tight argumentation and use of parallels indicate his forethought and artistry. His terseness provides evidence that he has already taught these concepts and here is presenting a tightly structured précis. These same qualities also suggest that Nephi is actually copying Lehi’s sermon, rather than relying on his own recollection. The absence of details is part of Lehi’s design, not Nephi’s reconstruction.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2

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