According to Donald Parry, the prevalent poetic form of the canon of scripture is not the ode, the lamentation, nor the psalm, but parallelism. . . . Apparently, the prophets and writers of the scriptures employed the repetition of alternating parallel lines for the purpose of reinforcing their teachings and doctrines. . . . In Helaman 8:15 we find the concept of the serpent being lifted up in the wilderness by Moses compared to the Son of God being lifted up. This concept is more fully understood through parallelism:
a. And as many as should look upon
b. that serpent
c. should live,
a. even so as many as should look upon
b. the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit,
c. might live.
[Donald W. Parry, The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns, F.A.R.M.S., pp. i, x, 358]