Both Mormon and Moroni indicated that they spoke as though "from the dead" to a latter-day audience (Mormon 9:30). Richard Rust notes that one of the ways in which "dead" people speak is through the repetition of recorded events. These events affect people in different ages in similar ways.
Repetition links scriptural narratives together in what Robert Alter in The Art of Biblical Narrative calls "a kind of rhythm of thematic significance." He says, "Recurrence, parallels, analogy are the hallmarks of reported action in the biblical tale. . . . The two most distinctively biblical uses of repeated action are when we are given two versions of the same event and when the same event, with minor variations, occurs at different junctures of the narrative, usually involving different characters or sets of characters.'' Alter calls the recurrence of the same event a "type-scene" and considers it "a central organizing convention of biblical narrative." Some examples Alter notes are an annunciation to a barren woman (Rebekah, Sarah, Hannah), the encounter with the future betrothed at the well (Abraham's servant and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Moses and Jethro's daughter), and a life-threatening trial in the wilderness (Ishmael, Isaac).
The skillful use of repetition and contrast in the Book of Mormon as a principle of reinforcement and witness can be appreciated by close examination of various narrative threads woven by Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni. While it might be argued that some repetition and contrast in the Book of Mormon is accidental, there are evidences that the narrators such as Mormon and Moroni purposefully included parallel materials to instruct and convince. It seems that every important action, event, or character is repeated in the Book of Mormon. A few examples are as follows:
We find that two wealthy men (Lehi, Amulek) lost their riches as they pursue prophetic callings. Kings Benjamin and Limhi each assemble their people in order to speak to them. Two sons of kings (Ammon and his brother Aaron) speak with kings (Lamoni and his father). Alma2 and Lamoni fall into trances in which they appear to be dead. Two detailed accounts are given of prophets threatened within a prison (Alma2 and Amulek, Nephi and Lehi). Two Lamanite leaders (who also are brothers) are killed by a spear within their tents. And prophets (Abinadi, Alma2, Samuel) are cast out of cities and then return at the Lord's bidding. Further, prophet-leaders (Lehi, Zeniff, Mosiah) gather people to read records to them. Antichrists (notably Sherem, Korihor, and Nehor) lead people to follow their iniquities. A man named Ammon living in the time of King Mosiah is captured and taken before King Limhi--and ends up helping Limhi's people escape from captivity. Mosiah's son Ammon is captured and taken before the Lamanite king Lamoni and helps save Lamoni's people both spiritually and physically. And three prophets, Alma2, Nephi2 (the son of Helaman), and Samuel the Lamanite, depart out of the land and are "never heard of more," with it being the implication that Alma2, at least, is translated and does not taste of death (Alma 45:19).
Thus repetitions in the Book of Mormon emphasize not only the law of witnesses at work within the book, but people speaking "from the dead." [Richard D. Rust, "Recurrence in Book of Mormon Narratives," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 3, Num. 1 (Spring 1994), pp. 40-43]