“The Kingdom of God”

Alan C. Miner

Climactic Hebrew poetry builds progressively on ideas in what is called "staircase parallelism." In Moroni 10:20-22, Moroni not only ascends the staircase of ideas, but descends with dramatic power. According to Gary Hatch, consider the following passage on faith, hope, and charity:

Wherefore, there must be faith

and if there must be faith there must also be hope

and if there must be hope there must also be charity

And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved

in the kingdom of God

neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith

neither can ye if ye have no hope

And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair

and despair cometh because of iniquity. (Moroni 10:20-22)

Note how Moroni begins coordinate sentences in the same manner to emphasize the relationships among these sentences. . . . These words from a mirror reflection around the word God, the foundations of the gospel--faith, hope, and charity--opposed by Satan's inversion of this trinity--lack of faith, despair, and iniquity. [Gary L. Hatch, "Mormon and Moroni: Father and Son," in The Book of Mormon: Fourth Nephi through Moroni, From Zion to Destruction, pp. 112-113]

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

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