2 Nephi 25:15-19

Nephi(1) prophesied that, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, Jerusalem would be destroyed once more.  He continues:

15  Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations.

16  And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things.

17  And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state.  Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.

2 Nephi 25:15-17 (Emphasis mine)

After the destruction of Jerusalem, the Jews will be scattered among all nations.  They will also be scourged by the nations for many generations.  Yet, the day will come when the Jews will accept Christ and no longer look for the Messiah, knowing that Christ is their Messiah.

Terrence Szink describes events after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

“Because of this wickedness, vengeance was swift in coming. According to Nephi, ‘the Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations’ (2 Nephi 25:15). The Jewish historian Josephus described in graphic detail the Roman siege and capture of Jerusalem. Jesus, while prophesying of this destruction, identified the era as days of vengeance: ‘For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled’ (Luke 21:22, emphasis added).” [1] (Unless noted, emphasis mine)

Nephi(1) tells us in verse 17 that the Jews will be restored  from their lost and fallen state, that there will be a gathering of the Jews back in the land of their inheritance. 

Verse 15 gives us a simple example of chiasmus[2] in the Book of Mormon. 

A  Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations;

    B  yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed;

A’ wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations.

In this example, we see a direct repetition of line A in line A’. 

We will see another example of chiasmus in the next two verses.

18  Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.

19  For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 Nephi 25:18-19 (Emphasis mine)

The word of Christ shall be brought to the Jews for the purpose of convincing them that He is the true Messiah.  No other Messiah will come.  If one claims to be the Messiah, he is a false Messiah.  There is only one Messiah spoken of by the prophets – Jesus Christ.

He will come 600 years after Lehi and company left Jerusalem.  This is according to the prophets and angel who told Nephi(1) that the Messiah’s name will be Jesus Christ.

Terryl Givens explains the importance of Christology in the Book of Mormon. 

“Christology in the Book of Mormon is not an occasional intrusion, but the narrative backbone of the story and the dramatic point of orientation. All of Book of Mormon history, in other words, pivots on the moment of Christ's coming … Book of Mormon prophets even establish their chronology around his coming: Logic would dictate that dating ‘Before Christ’ can only occur from the perspective of a people living in the ‘Anni Domini.’ But Nephi states and twice reaffirms that their departure from the Old World to the New occurs ‘six hundred years’ before his birth (1 Nephi 10:4; 19:8; 2 Nephi 25:19).” [3] (Emphasis mine)

As mentioned earlier, verses 18-19 give us another example of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon.

David Sloan explains.

“Part of the convincing intended by Nephi is that Jesus Christ is the one true Messiah. He accomplished this by first establishing that there is only one Messiah and by then leading us from that Messiah to Christ through a progression of thought. Messiah next occurs six times in two verses (see 2 Nephi 25:18—19). These verses evidence some chiasticity…

“A Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which
words shall judge them at the last day,

B for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them;

C and unto the convincing of them

D that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah

E to  come,
E' for there should not any come,

D' save it should be a false Messiah

C' which should deceive the people;

B' for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and
that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.

A' For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh
in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem.

“… The conclusion of the repetition of Messiah in this chiasm marks a turning point in Nephi's writings. After verse 19, Nephi used the title Messiah only one more time on the small plates (see 2 Nephi 26:3). In contrast, beginning in 2 Nephi 25:19, Nephi's focus shifted to the name Christ. Although Christ appears only eight times prior to this point, beginning with verse 19 the name occurs sixteen times in thirteen verses, and an additional twenty-nine times thereafter in the remainder of 2 Nephi.” [4] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] The Vision of Enoch: Structure of a Masterpiece, Terrence L. Szink,  Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 23, 2011.

[2] A rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form; e.g. ‘Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.’ ( Definition found in Google dictionary.)

[3] Joseph Smith's American Bible: Radicalizing the Familiar, Terryl L. Givens, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 23, 2011.

[4] Nephi's Convincing of Christ through Chiasmus: Plain and Precious Persuading from a Prophet of God, David E. Sloan, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 23, 2011.