He Simplified Before He Said To Simplify

Putting aside the ethos Uchtdorf has established over time in his position as the second counselor of the First Presidency, his simple talk given in the Women's Conference session showed a great deal of thought on his part, as well as his awareness of his audience.  In a session that included mainly women, ages eight through one hundred and eight, Uchtdorf delivered a talk that could be understood by the masses.  Using a modern humorous style (nicknaming a "stalker cat"), and the appropriate storytelling intonations, he told of a young girl named Eva who had to stay with her Great Aunt Rose.  Throughout the story, Uchtdorf uses simple terminology and a tone that carries with it the expectation for you to be looking for your own story in his parable.

Uchtdorf understood his audience: he knew that little girls and tired mothers and parallel great aunts were going to need the simplicity and excitement of a straight forward story in order to understand a little more about faith.  The comparison, a topic of invention, was not done explicitly, but was done by the audience as per his request.  I thought it fascinating that his introduction and conclusion were so short and succinct, and that he really allowed the story and imagery involved speak for themselves.  As Christ taught, so did Uchtdorf, telling us the parable of Great Aunt Rose and Eva and saying nothing more as we had to "awake and arouse [our] faculties" on our own to gain such insight.

What I got out of the talk: The trials we go through are specific for us, and we can be happy through and despite them.

Judging for ourselves

It's way easy to be harder on yourself than it is to be hard on other people. Why? Why can't you just love you for what you can do? Uchtdorf put it best when he said "if we look at ourselves only through our mortal eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our Heavenly Father sees us as who we truly are and who we can become." Just cut yourself some slack, friend.

Allow His grace to carry us.

The majority of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk was about simplifying and thinking about the beauty of the pure, unadulterated gospel. However, towards the end he starts taking about this very struggle that we as humans go through. We are constantly unsure of ourselves and doubting what we are capable of doing.

He goes on to reference several other humans that had these same doubts: Moses, the great prophet; Saul, the king; and Gideon, who ended the worshiping of Baal among the Israelites. Hey, at least we're in good company. He finishes this thought with a bit of anaphora, repeating the phrase "his grace." This helped tie up his talk by compelling the listener to this about the atonement of Christ and the grace it provides. It was an easily noticeable rhetorical device, but that doesn't diminish the profound emotional effect that it could have.

Behold the Comparison

Elder Holland is one of my favorite speakers. His talks are almost always powerful, and this conference was no different.

While there are many reasons his talk was so effective and there are many rhetorical examples in it, I’m going to focus on his use of the topics of invention—particularly comparison and degree.

Elder Holland’s entire talk was basically a comparison between the love of Jesus Christ and the love of a mother. He used words like “bear, born, redeem, carry, lift, deliver, labor” to describe Christ. Then he pointed out how we use those words with mothers as well.

Also, Elder Holland made many allusions to mothers in the scriptures. While this comparison was not as explicit, he was still setting up mothers today with those great women in the past, implying similarities.

© Liz Lemon Swindle

In addition to comparison, he also employed degree. One example of this is when he stated “no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.” He had several others throughout the talk.

Degree helped with comparison. We hold Christ in the highest regard, so this added to the comparison of mothers being high as well.

The comparison between Christ and mothers was the most memorable for me. I think it is what made this talk so effective. Comparisons can be used to show similarities between different subjects, and the purpose of this could be to better and explain one or both of the differing subjects. That was the case for this comparison.

I generally understand Christ’s love and I generally understand my mother’s love. But in my mind, they’ve always been different. However, when Elder Holland put them together, I learned more about both types of love.

After Conference, I think we all generally come away with a greater appreciation for Christ. Since Elder Holland compared mothers to Christ, this time we came away with a greater appreciation for our mothers, as well. 

Senior Saint Spins Scintillating Stories, Stirring Spiritual Strength

The order of the speakers in General Conference almost always add an interesting element of interpretation to the talks, and the pair of cardiothoracic surgeons who spoke one after the other proved no different.  Upon hearing the woeful tale of the demise of Elder Renlund's young heart patient Chad, participants were given but a few short verses of "How Firm a Foundation" before President Russel M. Nelson took his place at the pulpit.

President Nelson has long been characterized by his predominantly jagged, avian-like features, which juxtapose nicely his warm, inviting smile and tone.  When he speaks of levity, he elevates this tone: When his topic is something of a grave matter, he drops to almost nothing, occasionally finishing his sentences with brief aposiopesis (Pauses brought about by oncoming waves of emotion), evoking powerful pathological connections with his listeners.

His talk began as an encomium, of sorts, of the deceased apostles (whose replacements had finished speaking only a few chords prior), and he established his ethos largely through his personal stories about each of their lives and passings.  Emotional pauses were aplenty as he described vividly the experiences of each surviving wife, and a picture of Sister Packer and her late husband were even thrown in for good measure.

Perhaps the most powerful persuasive moment, however, occurred as he shared his experience in losing not one, but two of his patients on the operating table: the two patients being sisters, and the third child lost to those parents.  Given Elder Renlund's emotional conveyance of a similar story only moments prior, the audience's fresh wounds were opened, and the impact of both stories hit as President Nelson described himself lying on the living room floor, completely inconsolable.  In this moment, President Nelson became so human- so relatable, despite the difference in years and knowledge between us. This ecphrasis made me want to do whatever it was he asked: and he made sure to ask, using his wife's response as a means of telling women to "speak up and speak out."

All in all, President Nelson provided a well-articulated experience showcasing many of the powers of rhetoric.  While I didn't largely notice his logos, that could well be due to its lack of impact on me; it's a lot easier to analyze what I personally connect with.

The Best Place to Start is the Beginning

Of all the talks, Elder Larry R. Lawrence’s, of the Seventy, was understated and simple, and only after I looked at my notes again did I realize how powerful his message was. I want to focus on the arrangement of his talk and how it ties in with the possible/impossible topic of invention.

Elder Lawrence began the body of his message with one of the Lord’s commandments: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect.” Elder Lawrence then remarks about how discipleship isn’t easy. He uses the story in the Bible of the rich young ruler who was humble enough to ask the Lord what more he could do, but not humble enough to act on the Lord’s advice. At this point in the talk, discipleship seems impossible. Elder Lawrence makes it seem like a gauntlet of hardship and upward drudgery, with no end in sight, acknowledging that we’ll have to wait for perfection in the next life. But Elder Lawrence set up the rest of his talk perfectly. As soon as he had his audience wondering about whether or not they’d be up for the task, he surprises them with small, simple stories of where they can start.

The seemingly insignificant anecdotes, reminiscent of the Spirit’s still small voice, act as the “possible” part of his talk. In these stories, the Holy Ghost whispered to those that had asked these bits of advice: “stop complaining”; “clean up your language”; “don’t interrupt people”; “keep the Sabbath day holy”; and in stunning simplicity, “clean up your room.” With each successive story, Elder Lawrence’s implicit message becomes clearer: the best place to start is at the beginning. It is possible to walk the strait and narrow. In contrast to his earlier anecdotes, discipleship becomes a possible task. With such an arrangement, Elder Lawrence is able to amplify the topic of invention of possible, and encourage and lift others to the task of discipleship.

Elder Rasbands Encomium

Don’t Be a Bully, Use Rhetoric

Have you ever been bullied or beaten up? Bullying is a way of making yourself look better by making others look a feel stupid and insecure. This is one way to create ethos but there is a better way! The alternate option is displayed by elder Rasband in his talk this past Sunday morning. Elder Rasband’s use of encomium, name dropping and expert delivery sold him as a solid

compassionate apostle with exceptional credibility.

His talk is an encomium because of its extensive praise of the apostles both past and living. He praises them extensively and then compares and contrasts himself to them. He does this by saying “I am not worthy to stand in their shoes”. This statement alone would have left the audience feeling that he was unworthy but with his beautifully added that he will “stand on their shoulders”, it leaves the audience with a feeling of security. In doing this he is the opposite of a bully he literally builds himself up by building up other, and then standing on their shoulders.  

The use of so many apostles and prophets names is a rhetoric tool. If done correctly the audience associates those people with Elder Rasband and his message. This use of namedropping improves his credibility and appeal.

His demeanor and delivery was impeccable he seemed straightforward yet caring. Straightforward in that he strongly bore his testimony and his message with deviated eye contact and a firm voice. He was also very direct in his message stated exactly what he would like the audience to gain from his talk. He was also caring in that he showed emotions at opportune times and even touched his heart when talking about his ancestors. This use of direct delivery and ethos improved his credibility.

With the use of many rhetorical devices Elder Rasband not only convinced the audience of his message but of his personal character and credibility as a true apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Birth of a Hashtag

Before this weekend, most of us did not know who Devin Durrant was, except in our outdated Fantasy Basketball Leagues. After the Sunday afternoon session, most of us would still not recognize the name, but we would immediately spot the now-famous catchphrase:

Of course, the most memorable part of the talk was the new word added to each of our church vocabularies. The method of introducing a new word gave him the opportunity to apply a definition of it, fresh from any previous connotations that would have been introduced if he had used a more common word.

Also notable was the method in which he introduced his topic. The most painful part of being a missionary is listening to poorly prepared lessons with a weak commitment glued onto the end with a gluestick so weak it couldn't hold together your kindergarten art project. Rather than sticking his commitment onto the end of his work, Brother Durrant led in with the commitment. This allowed him to grab our interest before the particulars of the challenge ebbed away at us. Eager young minds immediately answer yes when asked to do something, so by selling us an idea before telling us what was required was an excellent skill to pique our interest.

As a member of the Sunday School presidency who has never given a talk in General Conference before, Elder Durrant provided an excellent introduction. Although his own name may not be remembered, the advent of the internet as well as the message's unique tone  ensure that ponderizing will stick around for several conferences to come.

Form Affects Function!

There are many different ways to organize a speech. Some speakers choose a long, rambling style, with lots of stories and examples. Others choose a more direct style, with clear organization and tight points. The talk that I analyzed, by Carole M. Stephens, offered an integrated approach that I really liked, and which effectively brought all of the elements of her talk together in an easily digestible, yet pointed and purposeful format.



Sister Stephens started by telling us a story about her granddaughter. She could not get her granddaughter to behave, despite rewards, punishments, and begging, until her granddaughter realized that she loved her. Once she realized this, everything went smoothly. This was a great little story that appealed to ethos and pathos, but then Sister Stephens transitioned to that little girl's trust that was based on love, and in turn to our trust for our Heavenly Father that we can have because of His love for us. What started as an engaging story turned into a point by point discourse of logos on the trust that we can have in Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and their servants on the earth. She then wrapped it up by relating it back to that original story of a little girl trusting her grandmother.

It was perfect. Ethos, pathos and logos were all effectively appealed to. The organization made it easy to remember, despite our occasional tendency to forget exactly what speakers said. The ending conclusion left us with the sweet feeling of a child's trust in our loving Heavenly Father, and the excellent organization of the talk was an important part of achieving that. The talk was a great example of how style can truly affect the content of a speech and its effect, rather than being simply a tool to be used.

Power in Stories

A captivating and relatable story is one of the best ways to not only set up your ethos, but to draw in and connect with the audience almost instantaneously. Howard Gardner (1995), a Harvard psychologist, wrote that “[L]eaders achieve their effectiveness chiefly through the stories they relate.”  Elder Allen D. Haynie of the Quorum of the 70 not only knew somewhat of the power of telling stories, but he mastered the art of relating to an audience of all ages, cultures and experiences.  He began his discourse with a fun memory of when he was a child digging up dirt with his friends.  He eventually got dirty because of a mud hole, and wanted to go back inside- to which his grandma rejected.  The story was funny and quickly grabbed the attention of the listeners.  Although most didn’t know who he was, they felt an instant connection, not only because of the humor, but because the story was relatable to every age- as either the grandparent scolding the child or the innocent, care-free child.  People from all countries could relate as well because most everyone has resources to getting dirty and playing with friends.  

Another tool Elder Haynie used in telling a story was the canon of memory- specifically, making one’s speech memorable.  As well as using a story to help the audience remember his speech, he also focused completely on one topic- every scripture, quote, and testimony relating directly to how the Savior’s Atonement can give us hope and make us clean.  Throughout the talk he used powerful word patterns to help his audience remember what was said.  “The Atonement makes the Saviors invitation to ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect’, perfectly possible, rather than frustratingly out of reach.”  People today LOVE these elegant phrases.  Elder Haynie realized the great power in focusing on the canon of memory.  Besides, what good is a talk if the audience can’t remember it?     

Timing is Everything

              As the finale of six sessions, Elder Bednar had the unique opportunity the wrap up and to have the final say in this October’s Conference.  This placement gave him the privilege of being well heard—as speakers placed in the middle of sessions often get muddled together for the audience.  It also helped ensure that his message would be remembered—as his words were the final echoing bells in the ears of those listening.  With such a setup in place, it was pivotal that Elder Bednar take full advantage.  And, he did.

             Elder Bednar absolutely played to his given kairos.  One, his subject perfectly summed up the previous conference addresses.  With the passing of former leaders and the calling of the new, it was fitting that he focused on the role of leadership throughout his talk.  He combined the sense of humility and capability of the church’s leaders that had been constant themes.  Two, he appealed to pathos—reminding the audience of their love and admiration for former leaders and giving them a desire to form such affinity for the newly called.

            Not only was his subject well placed in the conference setting, but it also fit perfectly with the current status of the world in general. Many question church leadership—claiming that the elderly are outdated.  As the world becomes more pressed for equality and increased social liberty, people have a hard time conforming to the “old ways.”  However, Elder Bednar addressed such concerns with logos—explaining not only that “it’s the Lord’s way” (which would generally be seen as a weak argument to society) but logically describing the “why”.
            By addressing leadership, Elder Bednar was able to created ethos for all of the previous speakers, create an increased desire in the audience to act on what they had learned throughout the conference sessions, and address/rebuttal the concerns of society on the matter. (listen to address)

Making the Most of Maxims

While many general authorities quote or reference others' proverbs and maxims, President Uchtdorf creates his own. Personally, I have always remembered President Uchtdorf for his short, profound expressions that hold weight in any context. Although I never realized it before, I now understand that these clever and inspirational ideas have always added ethos to his messages.

In the Saturday morning session, for example, he declares, "Sometimes we take the beautiful Lily of God's truth and guild it with layers upon layers of manmade good ideas, programs, and expectations". He mixes imagery and personification to intensify a quite simple idea: simplicity is always better (no pun intended). It's almost ironic how he expresses simplicity through complex and sophisticated means.

President Uchtdorf's classic use of his hands

He later summarizes his motivation for speaking by saying, "Exaltation is our goal. Discipleship is our journey." As we discussed in class, the parallelism contributes to the logos of his claim. We can easily see the differences between exaltation and discipleship, and yet we understand that one leads to the other. Such simplicity makes his claim more memorable and transposes it to a maxim as we are familiar with.

Uchtdorf prepares the audience for each of his "proverbs" through his delivery. His tone changes, he adds pauses throughout, and he uses his hands to emphasize the key words. While sometimes cliche patterns like this can remove credibility from the speaker, I feel like he maintains his originality by varying his tone and the length of his pauses.

My mission journals are filled with inspirational quotes from President Uchtdorf. I always look forward to his talks because I have the expectation that I'll walk away with a profound and original idea for improving my life. He obviously has gained credibility for me through his clever use of maxims and proverbs.

Creating Ethos Through Personability

As Elder Larry R. Lawrence of the 70 spoke, I was pleased to realize that his talk was extraordinarily easy to listen to. Gavin goes into the precise parallelism Lawrence used to accomplish this purpose in his blog post.  

I could go on for pages about the brilliance of Lawrence's arrangement, but what I would like to instead briefly focus on is how he strengthened his credibility.

I don't know about you, but during general conference, I tend to be more excited about hearing familiar speakers, such as members of the first presidency or the quorum of the 12. I wasn't expecting to get anything life-altering out of Lawrence's comments, but that attitude was quickly changed. With his confident and wise demeanor and discussion of how important it is for us to undertake the journey of discipleship, I was quickly comforted and captivated as he explained how the Holy Ghost "is an ideal traveling companion". The overarching subject of this talk was achieving perfection--but it wasn't intimidating, because Elder Lawrence emphasized that "our direction is more important than our speed"--and that he too was on that same journey.

As Elder Lawrence shared promptings received by others and by himself, I was struck by how real he was. I think that I often put apostles up on pedestal, and sometimes it's hard to imagine them ever making mistakes. Lawrence shared personal promptings that he had received, such as "don't raise your voice", "take better care of your body by eating more fruits and vegetables", and "be patient when driving. Don't exceed the speed limit....I'm still working on that last one". For me, this showed me that he knew where we were at, and that he had been there too. This built his ethos by making me want to listen to this man who was also working on navigating life and had answers on how to do it successfully. This technique even drove home the message of his talk: I'm not going to be perfect in this life, and that's okay. But I can improve as I ask the Lord "what lack I yet?"

The Building Blocks of Rhetoric

I was originally going to go back after conference and analyze a talk I had heard in an earlier session, but as Elder Bednar spoke, I found the structure and approach to the topic of why it’s “wonderful” that the church is led by older, “spiritually seasoned” men under God too intriguing to pass up.

After the story of Gordon B. Hinckley responding to a reporter about our church’s leadership and then sharing his purpose, Elder Bednar states that he “speaks about this topic from a decidedly distinctive perspective” as he’s served as alongside many, much older apostles and prophets as the youngest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He then contrasts their physical weakness with their spiritual strength, relates scripture and testifies of the truth and power of their priesthood positions. Towards the end of his talk, he quotes some of these men, parallels each quote with the phrase “______’s message is a powerful lesson of a lifetime from a man I love” and then ends his talk with a promise that if we heed the words of General Authorities, our testimony of Christ will increase and we’ll be able to receive specific, individual guidance.  

The reason that this structure is so effective is because it persuades us from all sides. The story in the beginning provides a pathetic appeal as we imagine the smile on President Hinckley’s face as he responds confidently to the reporter. We remember President Hinckley’s positive personality and how much we respected his counsel. Next, Elder Bednar sets the stage for his talk with logos by explaining his ‘distinct’ perspective and statistics on his age compared to the oldest average age of the apostles. In the middle of his talk, the testimonies and scriptures that he relates combine pathos, logos and ethos because of the culturally common way that Latter-day Saints perceive scriptures and testimonies as emotional, logical and reputable evidence. He ends his talk with a strong ethical appeal as he quotes the respected apostles and prophets and then uses his own authority to make his promise.

Ultimately, all of these aspects come together powerfully to communicate the validity and strength of Heavenly Father’s older, earthly servants that Elder Bednar intends.

The importance of delivery

Note taking during general conference has always seemed exhausting to me. I'm not good at enjoying things I feel forced to do. And after the many years of being forced to take notes for class, I love just being able to listen without the looming mid-term or final exams. But that can make it hard to remember some talks.

Elder Hales' talk probably would have been one that I would have forgotten this conference. 

This may surprise you after reading Kevin's post about how memorable this same talk was. And it's not that I don't like Elder Hales, in fact, he's one of the apostles I respect the most. Honestly, I don't think I would have remembered his talk because of his delivery. The tone of his voice and his facial expressions did not seem to change through out his entire speech. I didn't see his arms, hands or even a finger. His eyes seemed to be fixed on the teleprompter reading line after line. 

Don't get me wrong, it was a great speech. His arrangement was especially impressive. He was able to tie in the story of him being a pilot through out his entire speech. His stories were descriptive and captivating with even a few laughs. Which makes this talk, in my opinion, a much better read. The only benefit that I gathered from watching the address was that he built his ethos by sitting down. Seriously, he was teaching to the youth from experience. He captivated them by his piloting days and showed them that he has been there and done that by simply sitting in his chair. I praise Elder Hales for his good writing skills and when I'm his age I don't think I'll have the strength to even get into that chair. 

Lists, Lists, Lists, and Lists

When the general authorities for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speak at general conference, they hope to motivate and inspire listeners around the world to better live the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Therefore, they hope we will not only listen to their prepared messages, but also remember and act on what they teach.  One way speakers help listeners remember the content of their speech is to arrange their message in the form of a list.  Many of us have been taught growing up that the easiest way to organize and remember information (whether it be homework to be completed, groceries needed at the store, or a personal plan for improvement, etc.) is to make a list.  It is a form we are familiar with and comfortable using.



In the recent October conference, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk in which he addressed the youth and young single adults around the world.  He spoke of problems people of the rising generation face, including incurring debt and dating/marriage crises.  Elder Hales directly delivered wonderful advice and counsel to those he aimed to address.  Being a young single adult, I paid close attention to his wise remarks.  A few days later, his words are still fresh on my mind, and the sound counsel he gave continues to expand my understanding and influence me for good.  Why are his ideas so easy to hold in remembrance?  They were framed in tidy lists.

Here is a list of the lists he used:
1.) A list of scriptural accounts about a person or a group of people fleeing from evil.
2.) A list of sources we can turn to for guidance and direction.
3.) A list of questions we should ask ourselves to determine if he or she is "the one".
4.) A list of qualities we should strive to develop in order to be worthy of "the one".
5.) A list of blessing we will receive if we follow his counsel.

Elder Hales arranged his information in a simple, easy-to-remember format that subtly persuaded me to subconsciously remember all his words.

Simply, Simplify

In President Uchtdorf's opening talk to this weekend's General Conference, he advised people that if they felt the Gospel was not working for them, to simplify their discipleship and go back to the basic fundamentals of living the gospel of Jesus Christ. By making our worship a little less complicated, President Uchtdorf promised members would see remarkable changes, even through these small and simple principles.

President Uchtdorf relayed a story in the middle of his talk. He told of a woman who loved teaching the best relief society lessons. She wanted to make a quilt to go with her lesson. It would be the perfect touch and she wanted to go above and beyond. President Uchtdorf described how the woman's life became very busy, but still she stayed up all night making the quilt. He described the elaborate design, the vibrant colors, and the intricate patterns. In the middle of this rather complex quilt was the word, "Simplify," the ironic topic of the busy sister's lesson.

This story was a great example of the rhetorical concept, antithesis. Antithesis is contrasting two different opposite concepts or ideas. President Uchtdorf's contrasted the idea of being too busy and simplifying, weaving into one story. The sister was trying to teach a lesson about simplifying your life and your worship, but did it in a very complex way. By telling this juxtaposing story, President Uchtdorf not only brought about laughter from the audience and captured their attention, but his story highlighted his message of simplifying our discipleship. Audience members were clearly able to see the importance of simplifying due to the complexity and business in the story. It was an effective rhetorical tool that brought greater emphasis and attention to his ultimate point.

Predominant Parallelism

            Repetition is a well-known rhetorical technique for General Conference speakers, especially in terms of fundamental doctrines and practices.  Elder Lawrence of the Seventy integrated that pattern on a micro-level.  Uniquely, a large portion of his talk was simply the repetition of a single idea.  When a person restates an expression we call it repetition.  When he restates an idea, it becomes parallelism.  Elder Lawrence employed a variety of nuances to shape each iteration of his primary theme, the act of asking God what is inhibiting our progress, to give his message the feel of a rhythmic, ideological beat rather than a single note that is pounded out over and over again to the irritation of those paying attention.

            He accomplished this subtle shifting of ideas by first repeating the scriptural story that clearly explained the principle, sharing many short examples to quickly underline the continuity of his principle across a multitude of similar, everyday contexts, briefly expounding on the central theme to add contrast and depth, and concluding with personal examples and testimony.  The topic of invention of cause and effect was especially critical in the short example section because it helped us to see the real-world impact of asking God what we lack, and the consistency of the positive consequences that ensue.  However, even though parallelism was an effective tool, it was also important to the purpose of his message that not all of his talk followed that pattern.  Like an opera singer belting out an aria at a constant forte, sticking too strictly to unending repetition would have been too much to bear.  The ebb and flow of the non-parallel pieces of the talk ensured that we would not be distracted from the fundamental message by the overuse of a single method of delivery.  This allowed the parallelism to assume a supporting role, peripheral to the core truth that seeking correction from God unbars the stumbling blocks of our progression and facilitates our reentry into His Presence.

"parallelism," no changes made, by Barbara Krawcowicz. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode