Regarding the part of this discovery that requires the lands to be listed in the same verse, the 1830 Book of Mormon had no verses. Verses were added later as a means to make it more readable. This discovery is readily apparent using the RLDS system of versification. This discovery is not so evident with the LDS system of versification. This discovery really applies to places included in lists. The RLDS system of versification maintains these lists in the same verse. In the LDS system of versification, some of the lists extend over several verses. It is the lists that are important for this discovery, not the system of versification.
So, did the Hebrews place any importance on lists? Even though the lists of geographic places fit a pattern, the pattern of lists should be expressed in other verses as well. A list requires forethought and planning. They do not appear randomly. If any importance were attributed to lists, they would show up in verses other than just geographic places.
Rev Jack Cascione[1] identified list structures in the Book of Revelation as well as other books of the Bible. He identified that the length of the list determined the list subject matter.
- A list of length two symbolizes the word of God.
- A list of three speaks about God, including the communicating of God's word.
- A list of four refers to mankind, human activity, or earth.
- A list of five symbolizes human experience or human emotions.
- A list of six symbolizes the process of creating or destroying.
- A list of seven is a list of three (about God) and a list of four (about mankind) and symbolizes judgment or prophesies.
- A list of ten speaks about a complete topic. It describes a topic as a complete concept.
- A list of twelve speaks about the church.
If thy children will keep
(1) my covenant
(2) and my testimony
that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.
An example from the Book of Mormon that has two lists of two occurs in Alma 20:2 [43:2],
Now we shall say no more concerning their preaching, except that they preached
(1) the word,
(2) and the truth,
according to the spirit of
(1) prophecy
(2) and revelation:
and they preached after the holy order of God, by which they were called.
Another example occurs in II Nephi 6:104 [9:52],
Let your hearts rejoice,
(1) and behold how great the covenants of the Lord,
(2) and how great his condescensions unto the children of men;
A list of three occurs in Isaiah 45:6,
That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that
(1) there is none besides me.
(2) I am the Lord,
(3) and there is none else.
And in Alma 2:21 [4:14],
Being filled with great joy, because of the resurrection of the dead, according to
(1) the will,
(2) and power,
(3) and deliverance
of Jesus Christ from the bands of death.
A list of four (mankind, human activity, or earth) can be found in 2 Timothy 2:20 to 2:21,
But in a great house there are not only vessels
(1) of gold
(2) and of silver,
(3) but also of wood
(4) and of earth;
and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
In the Book of Mormon, in I Nephi 1:38 [2:11] is the following list of four,
Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave
(1) the land of their inheritance,
(2) and their gold,
(3) and their silver,
(4) and their precious things,
to perish in the wilderness.
A list of five (human experience or emotion) occurs in 1 Peter 2:1,
Wherefore laying aside
(1) all malice,
(2) and all guile,
(3) and hypocrisies,
(4) and envies,
(5) and all evil speakings,
And, a list of five occurs in I Nephi 3:140 [13:5]
And the angel said unto me, Behold the foundation of a church, which is most abominable above all other churches,
(1) which slayeth the saints of God, yea,
(2) and tortureth them
(3) and bindeth them down,
(4) and yoketh them with a yoke of iron,
(5) and bringeth them down into captivity.
Another example is in Alma 1:45 [1:30]
And thus in their prosperous circumstances they did not send away any who
(1) were naked,
(2) or that were hungry,
(3) or that were athirst,
(4) or that were sick,
(5) or that had not been nourished;
Revelation 18:16 to 18:17 contains a list of six (creating or destroying); this being a verse providing an example of destruction,
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed
(1) in fine linen,
(2) and purple,
(3) and scarlet,
(4) and decked with gold,
(5) and precious stones,
(6) and pearls!
For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off.
A similar list of six describing destruction occurs in the Book of Mormon in III Nephi 4:69 [10:14],
And now whoso readeth, let him understand; he that hath the scriptures, let him search them, and see and behold if all these deaths and destructions
(1) by fire,
(2) and by smoke,
(3) and by tempests,
(4) and by whirlwinds,
(5) and by the opening of the earth to receive them,
(6) and all these things,
are not unto the fulfilling of the prophecies of many of the holy prophets.
Lists of seven very often contains a list of three (about God) and a list of four (about mankind) and the result is judgment or prophesy, as in Revelation 7:9 to 7:10,
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number,
(1) of all nations,
(2) and kindreds,
(3) and people,
(4) and tongues,
stood
(1) before the throne,
(2) and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes,
(3) and palms in their hands;
And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
The Book of Mormon has a good example of two lists of two followed by a list of seven (four then three) in I Nephi 1:20 [1:19] to 1:23 [1:20]
And he testified that the things which
(1) he saw and heard,
(2) and also the things which he read in the book,
manifested plainly of
(1) the coming of a Messiah,
(2) and also the redemption of the world.
And when the Jews heard these things, they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had
(1) cast out,
(2) and stoned,
(3) and slain;
(4) And they also sought his life, that they might take it away.
But behold I, Nephi, will shew unto you that the
(1) tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen,
(2) because of their faith,
(3) to make them mighty
even unto the power of deliverance.
As for a list of ten (a complete topic), the ten commandments in Exodus 20:3 to 20:17 are a famous example. Another example occurs in Galatians 5:22 to 5:23
But the fruit of the Spirit is
(1) love,
(2) joy,
(3) peace,
(4) long-suffering,
(5) gentleness,
(6) goodness,
(7) faith,
(8) Meekness,
(9) temperance;
(10) against such there is no law.
A good example of a list of ten from the Book of Mormon occurs in Moroni 10:10 [10:9] to 10:12 [10:17]
For behold,
(1) to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom;
(2) and to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
(3) and to another exceeding great faith;
(4) and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
(5) And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;
(6) and again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things;
(7) and again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits;
(8) and again, to another, all kinds of tongues;
(9) and again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues.
(10) And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ;
and they come unto every man severally, according as he will.
A twelve-part list (about the church) can be found in Revelation 3:3 to 3:8
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
(1) Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand.
(2) Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand.
(3) Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
(4) Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand.
(5) Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand.
(6) Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
(7) Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand.
(8) Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand.
(9) Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
(10) Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand.
(11) Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand.
(12) Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
A twelve-part list occurs in Alma 11:25 [16:15] to 11:29 [16:18],
And the establishment of the church became general throughout the land, in all the region round about, among all the people of the Nephites. And there was no inequality among them, for the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land, to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming, That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, But that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God. Now those priests who did go forth among the people, did preach against all
(1) lyings,
(2) and deceivings,
(3) and envyings,
(4) and strifes,
(5) and malice,
(6) and revilings,
(7) and stealing,
(8) robbing,
(9) plundering,
(10) murdering,
(11) committing adultery,
(12) and all manner of lasciviousness,
crying that these things ought not so to be;
Now, the Book of Mormon starts with two lists of three. Not only that, but they are in chiasmus format. Chiasmus is a Hebrew format of parallel thoughts where the central thought in the middle of the structure is the key thought. Chiasmus was discussed in texts as early as the early 1800's using names other than “chiasmus”. However, it did not become well known until the 1940's. Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon was not identified until 1967. The format for highlighting the parallel structure is to use matched sets of letters to show the parallel structure. For example, in Genesis 32:22 to 32:31, there is a chiasmus structure that describes the important event when the name of Jacob is changed to the name of Israel,
A And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
B And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
C And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh.
D And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
E And he said unto him, What is thy name?
F And he said, Jacob.
F' And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
E' And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?
D' And he blessed him there.
C' And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:
B' for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
A' And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
The first verses of the Book of Mormon are two lists of three (communicating God's word) in chiasmus format. First, it talks about Lehi's knowledge, followed by making a record, followed by a statement of the truth of the record.
A I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days -- nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days;
B yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days;
C yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
C' And I know that the record which I make is true;
B' and I make it with mine own hand;
A' and I make it according to my knowledge.
Lists do occur in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The length of the list covers the same subject matter in both. And, both identify lists of geographical places in the order that the places border each other. That the list structures exist at all shows a high degree of forethought in the writing of both. These are not random occurrences. That the lists in the Book of Mormon parallel the same subject matter and show the same consistency regarding the treatment of geographical places further supports the conclusion that the lists were created with purpose.
References
1. Cascione, J. M.. In Search of the Biblical Order, Biblion Publishing, Fairview Park, Ohio, 1987.
2. "Are You Listless? A New Revelation About The Book of Mormon," Zarahemla Record issue 60, March/April 1992.