A distinct writing style employed by many ancient writers, chiasmus involves arranging a series of words or ideas in one order and then repeating them in reverse order. In Alma 36:1–27, at least seventeen key elements are mentioned then repeated in the opposite order. A repeated declaration that Jesus Christ is the Son of God appears in the exact center of the chapter, and the symbolism of this placement cannot be easily missed. Scholar John W. Welch, who discovered chiasmus in the Book of Mormon in 1967, has stated: “Alma 36 is, in my opinion, the very best chiasm in the Book of Mormon, if not in all of world literature… . It is a masterpiece of composition …” (Echoes, 340–341). Upon studying the many examples of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, it becomes obvious that Joseph Smith—with his extremely limited formal education—could not have created such complex passages using a writing style quite foreign to the culture of his day. (See the more detailed explanation in Echoes, 340–347; see also John W. Welch, “Chiasmus in Alma 36,” FARMS Paper, 1989; John W. Welch, “Alma 36: A Masterpiece,” in John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne, eds., Rediscovering the Book of Mormon [Salt Lake City and Deseret Book, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991], 114–130)