Doctrine & Covenants 4 Chiasmus / Structure Mapping

 A 4:1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

B 2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, 

C see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, 

D that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

B 3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God 

A ye are called to the work;

A 4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; 

B and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle 

C with his might, (might)

D the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, 

but bringeth salvation to his soul;

C 5 And faith, hope, charity and love, (heart)

with an eye single to the glory of God, (mind)

B qualify him 

A for the work.

C 6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.

7 Ask, and ye shall receive; 

knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

Doctrine & Covenants 3 Chiasmus / Structure Mapping

Here is my mapping of Doctrine & Covenants, section 3.  All underlines, italics, highlights, and/or parentheses are my own.

A  The work of God

3:1 The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, 

neither can they come to naught.

2 For God doth not walk in crooked paths, 

neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, 

neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, 

therefore his paths are straight, 

and his course is one eternal round.

3 Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, 

but the work of men;

B  Natural man must fall

4 For although a man may have many revelations, 

and have power to do many mighty works, 

yet if he boasts in his own strength, 

and sets at naught the counsels of God, 

and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, 

he must fall 

and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.

5 Behold, you have been entrusted with these things, 

but how strict were your commandments; 

and remember also the promises which were made to you, 

if you did not transgress them.

6 And behold, how oft you have transgressed 

the commandments and the laws of God, 

and have gone on in the persuasions of men.

7 For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. 

Although men set at naught the counsels of God, 

and despise his words—

C  8 Yet you should have been faithful; (to avoid fall)

and he would have extended his arm 

and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; 

and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.

D  Joseph must choose to fall or be faithful

9 Behold, thou art Joseph, 

and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, 

but because of transgression, 

if thou art not aware thou wilt fall. (// v. 4)

10 But remember, God is merciful; (v. 8)

therefore, repent of that which thou hast done 

which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, 

and thou art still chosen, 

and art again called to the work;

C’  11 Except thou do this, (or fall)

thou shalt be delivered up 

and become as other men, 

and have no more gift.

B’  12 And when thou deliveredst up 

that which God had given thee sight and power to translate, 

thou deliveredst up 

that which was sacred 

into the hands of a wicked man,

13 Who has set at naught the counsels of God, 

and has broken the most sacred promises 

which were made before God, 

and has depended upon his own judgment 

and boasted in his own wisdom. (// v. 4)

14 And this is the reason 

that thou hast lost thy privileges for a season— (// v. 4 must fall, v. 11 no more gift)

15 For thou hast suffered the counsel of thy director 

to be trampled upon from the beginning.

A’  a 16 Nevertheless, my work shall go forth, 

b for inasmuch as the knowledge of a Savior 

c has come unto the world,

d through the testimony of the Jews, 

b even so shall the knowledge of a Savior

c come unto my people— (here, the knowledge comes to the people, opp v. 20)

17 And to the Nephites, 

and the Jacobites, 

and the Josephites, 

and the Zoramites, 

d through the testimony of their fathers—

b 18 And this testimony shall come to the knowledge 

c of the Lamanites, 

and the Lemuelites, 

and the Ishmaelites, 

who dwindled in unbelief 

d because of the iniquity of their fathers, 

whom the Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren the Nephites, 

because of their iniquities and their abominations.

a 19 And for this very purpose are these plates preserved, 

which contain these records—

that the promises of the Lord might be fulfilled, 

which he made to his people; (hearts of fathers to children)

c 20 And that the Lamanites might come (hearts of children turn)

b to the knowledge of their fathers,  (here the people come to the knowledge)

and that they might know the promises of the Lord, 

and that they may believe the gospel 

and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ,

and be glorified through faith in his name, 

and that through their repentance they might be saved. Amen.

Doctrine & Covenants 1 Chiasmus / Structure Mapping

Here is my mapping of Doctrine & Covenants, section 1.  All words in italics and/or parentheses are my words to help explain my interpretation - I would love more time to work on this, but I think it's a decent first effort. 

A  Intro

1 Hearken, 

O ye people of my church, 

saith the voice of him who dwells on high, 

and whose eyes are upon all men; 

yea, verily I say: 

Hearken 

ye people from afar;

and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, 

listen together.

B  Lord’s voice & servants to all

A 2 For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, (all men expounded:)

and there is none to escape; 

and there is no eye that shall not see, 

neither ear that shall not hear, 

neither heart that shall not be penetrated.

B 3 And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow;

C for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, 

and their secret acts shall be revealed.

A’/D 4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, 

C’  by the mouths of my disciples, (mouths opp spoken v. 3)

B’ whom I have chosen in these last days. (chosen opp rebellious v. 3)

5 And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, (opp none to escape v. 2)

for I the Lord have commanded them.

C  commandments shall be fulfilled by power given

6 Behold, this is mine authority, 

and the authority of my servants,

and my preface unto the book of my commandments, 

which I have given them to publish 

unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.

7 Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, 

for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled.

8 And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, 

bearing these tidings 

unto the inhabitants of the earth, 

to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, 

the unbelieving and rebellious;

D1  wrath to the rebellious

9 Yea, verily, to seal them up 

unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out 

upon the wicked without measure—

10 Unto the day when the Lord shall come 

D2  judgment to all

to recompense unto every man according to his work, 

and measure to every man according to the measure 

which he has measured to his fellow man.

E  The message:

11 Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, 

that all that will hear may hear: (the message:)

12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, 

for the Lord is nigh; 

13 And the anger of the Lord is kindled, 

and his sword is bathed in heaven, 

and it shall fall 

upon the inhabitants of the earth.

14 And the arm of the Lord 

shall be revealed; 

and the day cometh (come v. 12)

that they who will not hear 

the voice of the Lord, 

neither the voice of his servants, 

neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, 

shall be cut off from among the people; (//v 13)

D2’  15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, (measures, see v. 10)

and have broken mine everlasting covenant;

16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, 

but every man walketh in his own way, 

and after the image of his own god, 

whose image is in the likeness of the world, 

and whose substance is that of an idol, 

which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, 

D1’  even Babylon the great, which shall fall.

17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity 

which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth,  (come v. 10)

C’  called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., 

and spake unto him from heaven, 

and gave him commandments;

18 And also gave commandments to others, 

that they should proclaim these things unto the world; 

and all this that it might be fulfilled, 

which was written by the prophets— 

B’  the weak proclaim to all

a1  19 The weak things of the world shall come forth 

a2  and break down the mighty and strong ones, 

b  that man should not counsel his fellow man, 

c neither trust in the arm of flesh—

d  20 But that every man might speak 

in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;

d 21 That faith also might increase in the earth;

c  22 That mine everlasting covenant might be established; (vs. trust in flesh)

b 23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed (vs. man’s counsel)

a1  by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, 

a2  and before kings and rulers. (mighty & strong v. 19)

C’’  how commandments & power given/received

24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; (// spake v. 17)

these commandments are of me, 

and were given unto my servants in their weakness, 

after the manner of their language, 

that they might come to understanding.

25 And inasmuch as they erred 

it might be made known;

26 And inasmuch as they sought wisdom 

they might be instructed;

27 And inasmuch as they sinned 

they might be chastened, 

that they might repent;

28 And inasmuch as they were humble 

they might be made strong, (opp weakness v. 24)

and blessed from on high, 

and receive knowledge from time to time. (// understanding v. 24)

29 And after having received the record of the Nephites, (// given v. 24)

yea, even my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., 

might have power to translate through the mercy of God, 

by the power of God, the Book of Mormon.

30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, (given, v. 24)

might have power to lay the foundation of this church, 

and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness,

the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth,

with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, 

speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—

D2’  a 31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin 

with the least degree of allowance;

b 32 Nevertheless, he that repents (all that hear v. 11)

c1 and does the commandments of the Lord 

c2 shall be forgiven;

b’ 33 And he that repents not, (all that will not hear v. 13)

c2’ from him shall be taken 

c1’ even the light which he has received; (commandments v. 32 are light)

a’ for my Spirit shall not always strive with man,

saith the Lord of Hosts.

D3’  34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: 

I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;

35 For I am no respecter of persons, (v. 2, all recompensed v. 10)

E’ and will that all men shall know 

that the day speedily cometh; 

the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, (nigh v. 12)

when peace shall be taken from the earth, 

and the devil shall have power over his own dominion. (people split/sword)

36 And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, 

and shall reign in their midst, 

D1’’ and shall come down in judgment 

upon Idumea, or the world.

C’  37 Search these commandments, (v. 6)

*  for they are true and faithful, 

and the prophecies and promises which are in them 

shall all be fulfilled (v. 7).

**  38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, (true)

**  and I excuse not myself; 

**  and though the heavens and the earth pass away, 

**  my word shall not pass away, (faithful)

but shall all be fulfilled, 

B’  whether by mine own voice 

or by the voice of my servants, 

it is the same.

A’  Outro

39 For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, 

and the Spirit beareth record, (Spirit, v. 33)

***  and the record is true, (true)

***  and the truth abideth forever and ever. (faithful)

Amen.