Words from the Heart

At the heart of all great oratory in the church there is a certain mystical quality, something that manages to be simple yet divine in the words of the speaker.  In a description of his own gospel speaking the apostle Paul stated that it was not "with enticing words of man's wisdom" which he spoke, "but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power"  (1 Corinthians 2:4).  Great gospel figures and spiritual leaders continue to follow this model in the present day, placing emphasis on powerful spiritual convictions rather than the wisdom of the world.  By powerfully expressing his passions and convictions in "Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments" Jeffrey R. Holland too follows this pattern.  In his early establishment of Ethos through purposeful diction, Holland enables his spiritual message to powerfully shine throughout his address and arrive to the very heart and soul of his audience.

Holland begins to establish his character early on in the sermon by reflecting on how much the student body truly means to him.  With powerful emotion no doubt creeping into his voice, he tells the students that they are the "central and most compelling motivation" to everything that he does as their president.  In preparing to speak on the sensitive topic of sexual immorality, it is essential that the students know that he loves them and has only their best interests at heart.  Holland eloquently conveys the purest of motivations for his message and wins the trust of his audience from the very first paragraph.  As he sums up so plainly the reason for his sermon later on, it is not just with forethought to some future on the horizon but to "your future."  The student body is to hear exactly the message that the Spirit has prepared personally for them.