“I Will Preserve Thy Seed Forever”

Alan C. Miner

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]

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

References