Hebrew Parallelism

Staircase Parallelism

Staircase Parallelism examples from the Book of Mormon

Staircase Parallelism. A steplike pattern in which some elements from the first line are repeated verbatim in the second and others are added to complete the thought.
(Berlin, Adele. "Parallelism." In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary vol. 5, pp. 154–162, New York: Doubleday, 1992.) (Wikipedia: Synonymous Parallelism)

A Staircase parallelism contains repeated information like Anadiplosis, execpt the ideas reach a specific or general point. Epistrophe.
Epiphora can re-state all the previously stated elements of the Staircase parallel.

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Staircase/Progressive Parallelism
Helaman 2:68-Helaman 2:69
(Staircase parallel)
Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents
which came out of the Land of Jerusalem;
And this I have done that when you remember your names,
that ye may remember them;
And when ye remember them,
ye may remember their works;
And when ye remember their works,
ye may know how that it is said and also written that they were good.
Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, Even as it has been said and written of them.

(LDS: Helaman 5:7)
Here is the breakdown of the progressive parallelism in the passage:

  1. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents
  2. which came out of the Land of Jerusalem;
  3. And this I have done that when you remember your names,
  4. that ye may remember them;
  5. And when ye remember them,
  6. ye may remember their works;
  7. And when ye remember their works,
  8. ye may know how that it is said and also written that they were good.

3 Nephi 9:20-3 Nephi 9:23
And it came to pass that Jesus departed out of the midst of them
and went a little way off from them
and bowed Himself to the earth.
And He saith:
Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast given the Holy Ghost
unto these whom I have chosen.
And it is because of their belief in Me
that I have chosen them out of the world; (increasing intensity)

Father, I pray Thee that Thou wilt give the Holy Ghost
unto all them that shall believe in their words;
Father, Thou hast given them the Holy Ghost
because they believed in Me,
And Thou seest that they believe in Me (increasing intensity)
because Thou hearest them and they pray unto Me.
And they pray unto Me because I am with them;

And now Father, I pray unto Thee for them,
And also for all they which shall believe on their words,  (increasing intensity)
That they may believe in Me,
That I may be in them
as Thou Father art in Me,
That we may be one.
(LDS: 3 Nephi 19:23)

1 Nephi 3:10-1 Nephi 3:12
And much spake my father concerning this thing;
And my father saith that he should baptize in Bethabara beyond Jordan,
And he also spake that he should baptize with water,
yea, even that he should baptize the Messiah with water;
And after that he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God which should take away the sin of the world.
(LDS: 1 Nephi 10:10)

1 Nephi 3:23-1 Nephi 3:26
And it came to pass that after I, Nephi –
Having heard all the words of my father concerning the things which he saw in a vision,
And also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost,
which power he received by faith on the Son of God,
And the Son of God was the Messiah which should come –
(Epiphora:)
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see and hear and know of these things by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek Him, as well in times of old as in the time that He should manifest Himself unto the children of men,
(LDS: 1 Nephi 10:17)

2 Nephi 1:88-2 Nephi 1:93
And if ye shall say there is no law,
ye shall also say there is no sin;
And if ye shall say there is no sin,
ye shall also say there is no righteousness;
And if there be no righteousness, there be no happiness;
And if there be no righteousness nor happiness,
there be no punishment nor misery;
And if these things are not, there is no God;
And if there is no God, we are not neither the earth,
For there could have been no creation of things,
neither to act,
nor to be acted upon;
Wherefore, all things must have vanished away.
(LDS: 2 Nephi 2:13)

2 Nephi 6:51-2 Nephi 6:55
Wherefore, He hath given a law;
And where there is no law given,
there is no punishment;
And where there is no punishment,
there is no condemnation;
And where there is no condemnation,
the mercies of the Holy One of Israel hath claim upon them because of the atonement,
For they are delivered by the power of Him;
For the atonement satisfieth the demands of His justice upon all those who hath not the law given to them,
That they are delivered from that awful monster death and hell and the devil and the lake of fire and brimstone,
which is endless torment.
And they are restored to that God who gave them breath,
which is the Holy One of Israel.
(LDS: 2 Nephi 9:26)

2 Nephi 11:49-2 Nephi 11:56
Wherefore we speak concerning the law,
that our children may know the deadness of the law;
And they, by knowing the deadness of the law,
may look forward unto that life which is in Christ
and know for what end the law was given;
And after that the law is fulfilled in Christ,
that they need not harden their hearts against Him
when the law had ought to be done away.
And now behold, my people, ye are a stiff-necked people;

Wherefore, I have spoken plain unto you, that ye cannot misunderstand;
And the words which I have spoken shall stand as a testimony against you
For they are sufficient to teach any man the right way;
For the right way is to believe in Christ and deny Him not,
For by denying Him ye also deny the prophets and the law.

And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ
and deny Him not;
And Christ is the Holy One of Israel.
Wherefore, ye must bow down before Him and worship Him with all your might, mind and strength and your whole soul; And if ye do this, ye shall in no wise be cast out;
(LDS: 2 Nephi 25:29)

2 Nephi 11:6 
But I give unto you a prophecy according to the Spirit which is in me;
Wherefore, I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me
from the time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father.
(LDS: 2 Nephi 25:4)

Alma 16:134-Alma 16:136
And now, because ye are compelled to be humble, blessed are ye,
For a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance.
And now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy,
And he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
And now as I said unto you
that because ye were compelled to be humble, ye were blessed,
Do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?
(LDS: Alma 32:14)

Alma 19:99-Alma 19:104
Now how could a man repent,
except he should sin?
How could he sin,
if there was no law?
How could there be a law,
save there was a punishment?
Now there was a punishment affixed and a just law given which brought remorse of conscience unto man.

Now if there was no law given,
if a man murdered,
he should die,
Would he be afraid he should die
if he should murder?
And also, if there was no law given against sin,
men would not be afraid to sin;
And if there was no law given if men sinned what could justice do?
or mercy either? (Ellipsis)
For they would have no claim upon the creature.

But there is a law given,
and a punishment affixed,
and repentance granted,
which repentance mercy claimeth;
Otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law,
And the law inflicteth the punishment;
If not so, the works of justice would be destroyed
And God would cease to be God.
/
(LDS: Alma 42:22)

Helaman 5:95-Helaman 5:97
And behold, ye do know of yourselves - for ye have witnessed it –
That as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers and are led to believe the holy scriptures,
Yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets which are written,
which leadeth them to faith on the Lord and unto repentance,
Which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them -
Therefore, as many as have come to this - ye know of yourselves –
are firm and steadfast in the faith
and in the things wherewith they have been made free.
(Hebrew Emunah=Faith, is define as being firm and steadfast.’ This definition is exactly as the Book of Mormon teaches)
(LDS: Helaman 15:8)

Mormon 4:71-Mormon 4:72
Behold, He created Adam,
And by Adam,
came the fall of man,
And because of the fall of man, came Jesus Christ,
even the Father and the Son,
And because of Jesus Christ, came the redemption of man,
And because of the redemption of man,
which came by Jesus Christ,
they are brought back into the presence of the Lord.
Yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed
because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection,
Which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep,
From which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound;
(LDS: Mormon 9:13)

Ether 5:4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God,
Which hope cometh of faith maketh an anchor to the souls of men,
Which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. /
(LDS: Ether 12:4)

Moroni 8:12 
Behold,
baptism is unto repentance
to the fulfilling the commandments
unto the remission of sins
(LDS: Moroni 8:11)

Moroni 8:29 
And the firstfruits of repentance is baptism,
And baptism cometh by faith,
unto the fulfilling the commandments,
And the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins,
And the remission of sins bringeth meekness and lowliness of heart,
And because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost,
Which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love,
Which love endureth by diligence unto prayer,
until the end shall come when all the saints shall dwell with God. /
(LDS: Moroni 8:26)

Moroni 10:1 
A. Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good;
B. And I write unto my brethren the Lamanites,
C. And I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years    
have passed away since the sign was given of the coming of Christ; 
(Increasing Specificity)
(LDS: Moroni 10:1)

Moroni 10:5 
And if ye shall ask with a sincere heart,
with real intent having faith in Christ,
And He will manifest the truth of it unto you
by the power of the Holy Ghost;
And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things
(Becomes broader)
(LDS: Moroni 10:5)

Moroni 10:29 
Yea, come unto Christ and be perfected in Him
and deny yourselves of all ungodliness,
And if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness
and love God with all your might, mind and strength,
Then is His grace sufficient for you,
that by His grace ye may be perfect in Christ;
And if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ,
ye can in no wise deny the power of God.
(Becomes broader)
(LDS: Moroni 10:32)