He's known for his stories on aviation and this conference he didn't disappoint. Right off the bat he recalls some experiences from his flying days. He uses amazing imagery through this to help us picture what he was seeing. Allusion is a tool he uses throughout his talk. Continuing with the space and flight theme he talks about our understanding of the universe. Showing us how really small we are and how throughout history we've grown to understand the universe more and more. He then compares this to the gospel. It is almost chiasmus in it's form. This analogy is one that stays present throughout his entire talk. He breaks down the gospel to its simplest form and though he uses figurative language and amazing imagery he doesn't over complicate it with bells and whistles. He tells it like it is, and this is something that is true of all the speakers.My favorite part of his talk, and the part that I felt was the most powerful is his use of imagery. He describes light, in both the stars and just the light of the truth of the gospel, and this continued and repetitive theme hit me harder and harder every time he came back to it. He compares the gospel to light. And one of my favorite quotes from his talk is "The process of gaining spiritual light is a process of a lifetime". This shows to us the importance of the gospel always being a present "light" in our lives.
Though he is telling it how it is, he isn't beating us down. It is agreed among many that the most memorable quote of his entire talk is " There is no sign on the door that says 'your testimony must be this tall to enter'" This is also an amazing example of him creating ethos, humor, to calm his audience and relate to them on a deeper level.
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ReplyDeleteI think the last quote about "Your testimony must be this tall to enter." is also providing pathos. Though there is humor, the audience can feel reassured that no matter how big their testimony is, they are still accepted. There is hope that they won't be left behind because their testimony isn't as strong.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how he used stories, ones we can understand; we know that stars give light, we know that space is huge, etc. We understand that and are given the proper perspective that President Uchtdorf wants us to have
I also loved his use of images. General Conference does not strive simply to expound spiritual principles; we are encouraged to take what we learn and apply it to our lives. Images help support this goal. We may not remember every word of a talk, but we can remember the images of space, and its accompanying spiritual application in our lives and thinking.
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