Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord,

he returned speedily to the land of Amaniah.

Alma chapter 8, verse 18.

Hey listeners, this is Nick from Book of Mormon Central, and today's podcast addresses the question, why did ancient prophets

follow literary patterns? In a study published in 2002, biblical scholar Brian Britt,

identified 25 Old Testament texts that all follow the same four-part core pattern.

One, crisis or danger arises.

Two, God or a divine messenger appears.

Three, the prophet is commissioned or recommissioned.

And four, God's new plan is enacted.

In addition to these four core features,

Britt noticed seven other elements that many of the texts in his study shared.

One, food or fasting.

Two, the mention of a successor or assistant.

Three, rival or false prophets. Four, a reference to crossing or passing over.

Five, mention of the prophet's death. Six, a rock or hiding place. And seven, the theme of prophetic

silence or concealment. While only a few of those 25 Old Testament narratives

contain all of the seven additional elements, most feature at least three of them in addition

to the core four. How can one account for so many biblical texts sharing these features?

Brits' thesis is that they all belong to what scholars call a

type scene, meaning a general narrative's template with standard elements, motifs, and themes.

A good comparison for modern readers might be the narrative pattern known as the hero's journey,

...