“And Cast Them into the Fire”

Alan C. Miner

Richardson, Richardson and Bentley note that many Hebrew literary forms are found in the Book of Mormon; among them are epistrophe and amoebaeon. Epistrophe is defined as "the repetition of an identical word and/or expression at the end of successive sentences. While epistrophe is used in the poetic writing of sentence endings, Amoebaeon is used in narrative writings for paragraph endings. While these literary techniques seem awkward and redundant to the modern reader, they were quite fashionable in ancient times.

A good example of epistrophe is found in Alma 14:8-19:

And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire

And they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also,

that they might be burned and destroyed by fire

. And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire

And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire. he also was pained.

And he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames

But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hands; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also

And Alma said: Be it according tot he will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not

Now it came to pass that when the bodies of those who had been cast into the fire were consumed, and also the records which were cast in with them

the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek, as they were bound; and he smote them with his hand upon their cheeks, and said unto the: After what ye have seen, will ye preach again unto this people, that they shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone

Behold, ye see that ye had not power to save those who had been cast into the fire

Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames

Other Book of Mormon examples of epistrophe and amoebaeon can be found in 1 Nephi 10:12-13; Mosiah 1:6; Alma 9:2-3, 323-33; 14:4-5, 8-14, 18-19; 26:31-32; 29:11-12; 31:7-8; 33:11-18; 35:1-2; 37:9-10; 39:16-->40:2; 40:18-20; 62:18; Helaman 7:23-24; 10:8-10. Biblical examples of epistrophe and amoebaeon include Deuteronomy 27:16-26; Job 1:15-19; Psalms 115:9-11; 118:10-12; 136:1-26; Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21; Joel 2:26-27; Amos 4:6-11. [Allen H. Richardson, David E. Richardson and Anthony E. Bentley, 1000 Evidences for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Part Two-A Voice from the Dust: 500 Evidences in Support of the Book of Mormon, p. 262]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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