Carlos A Godoy: Making Plans and Decisions

Elder Carlos A. Godoy, a Brazilian member of the Seventy, spoke during the Sunday Afternoon session.  His talk was centered around each member's divine potential and how we can follow God's individual plan for us.  I decided to use this talk and one from General Conference October 2008 for my comparisons.

Elder Godoy's talk in 2008, entitled 'Testimony as a Process,' (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/testimony-as-a-process?lang=eng) was given in English.  It relayed that to receive the witness of the “still small voice” sometimes can have a stronger impact on our testimonies than the visit of an angel.  His talk last Saturday, entitled 'The Lord Has a Plan for Us!,' (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/the-lord-has-a-plan-for-us?lang=eng#watch=video) was spoken in Portuguese and dubbed over in English.  It asked each of us to ponder this question: If we continue to live as we are living, will the promised blessings be fulfilled?

As I listened to both talks, I realized the differences between them and began to better appreciate the literary aspect of them.  Because it was easier to listen to the 2008 talk, (because it was in English), I did not gain as much insight because I was less focused on his words.  He has a very thick accent so it was difficult for me to understand him at some points.  During his 2014 talk, though, I was intrigued by his native language, and had to listen and read more closely to understand him.  However, because he was dubbed over in English, no accent, I did not have to listen and comprehend nearly as much as before.

I also noticed that he had much more confidence and power to his words when he spoke in Portuguese.  His jokes were funnier because they were understood, and the Spirit during his testimony was stronger because you could hear his authentic, heartfelt tone as he solemnly bore testimony of truth.

This assignment helped me see and appreciate the differences between his speaking in English versus Portuguese.  I gained a lot of insight from both of his talks.  Did Godoy or any of the other foreign speakers strike you as unique during General Conference this year?

Elder Neil A. Andersen Speaks to the Youth in their Language

Elder Neil A. Andersen is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is ordained to the office of Elder as a distinction of his status as an apostle and disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Elder Andersen has the opportunity to speak to members of the LDS Church and other viewers when he speaks at the Church's General Conferences, which are semiannual sessions when Church leaders assemble to deliver inspired messages from God. 

Elder Andersen follows a specific form and style when he speaks at General Conference: he speaks to the youth and he does so by using media to appeal to their interests and skills. His most recent address, "Joseph Smith" (October 2014) and “Spiritual Whirlwinds” (April 2014) both follow this pattern. 

Because he chooses the youth as his audience, Elder Andersen crafts his talks in a way that appeals to them and their interests. One way he does this is through his use of form and style, specifically regarding his use of media. 

In "Whirlwinds" he features images of a tornado, a tree with its roots growing underground, and a cellphone that displayed a text about the need of the recipient to catch up with the times. In his most recent address, Elder Andersen used a movie clip of a man and his son on an airplane putting on oxygen masks.

Youth in this “chosen generation” are tech savvy, and they respond well to messages delivered in their language: the language of media.

Texts, tweets, pins, status updates, photos, and clips appeal to youth because they help them feel engaged. Using the form and style his audience most resonates with through the images and videos helps Elder Andersen's message reach its intended listeners effectively. 

Speaking to youth through media is not a new practice for Elder Andersen. He was the key devotional speaker for youth attendees in February at the RootsTech Conference, the largest family history conference in North America. Continuing to use media to engage youth and to inspire them to take action (in the devotional he calls on them to find their cousins, and in his most recent address he asks them to find favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon and share them) helps Elder Andersen establish credibility with his audience and gives them a form they can look forward to in the future. 

Parenting: You Can Do Better. (In The Nicest Way Possible by Tad R. Callister)

Elder Tad R. Callister is the Sunday School General President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He recently spoke at General Conference - a meeting held by the LDS leaders for those wanting to learn more and to draw closer to Christ - which was viewed by thousands. I will be analyzing the talk he gave at the Saturday Afternoon session of the October 2014 General Conference titled, "Parents: The Prime Gospel Teachers of Their Children." and his 2011 talk, "The Book of Mormon - a Book from God."

In this most recent session (October 2014) Elder Callister spoke about the role of parents, and how they should be teaching their children not only how to have self-discipline and gain knowledge, but how to draw closer to Christ. He is qualified for this topic, as he and his wife have six children and 25 grandchildren.

In his 2014 speech, he started with a story about a man and tied it in to his topic: Parents should be better teachers. He had a very soft-spoken voice and tone, like he was lovingly criticizing the parents of the LDS church. Most of his talk were stories showing how parents magnified their calling and went above and beyond to teach their children. He showed the impact made, but he also used humor to keep the audience invested. In other words, his pathos kept the audience invested with his stories as well as provided ethos to talk about this subject and logos to create the "OH YEAH!" moments. He also provided ethos by quoting scriptures and relating the LDS scripture (the Book of Mormon) to today's times through the Stripling Warriors.

His soft tone and gentle way of pushing parents to step up is very different from his talk from 2011. He starts off this talk declaring boldly the truth about the Book of Mormon, with most of his talk being quotes from this scripture providing logos about his point. He also uses an example that is easy to be understood about two dots and a single straight line.

Elder Callister's tone in these two speeches are very different in approach, but both leave the audience/reader with a personal reflection on their life and a deeper appreciation for him. He knew that he shouldn't be as bold to parents about their parenting because that makes them defensive. Elder Callister understands his audience and knows how to best appeal to them and their lifestyle, while still getting his point across.

October 2014, "Parents: The Prime Gospel Teachers of Their Children"

 

 

October 2011, "The Book of Mormon - a Book from God"

 

Elder Scott Uses a Change in Tone While Teaching of Faith

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints hold a general conference two times a year in which members are given the opportunity to hear from religious leaders. One of these leaders is Elder Richard G. Scott. I have always found great hidden messages in talks given by Elder Scott I decided to analyze his talk entitled Make the Exercise of Your Faith Your First Priority. This conference I was shocked to see Elder Scott deviate from his normal soft, understanding voice he uses while speaking publicly and put a little more aggression into his tone.

I compared this conference talk to the talk he gave last conference in April entitled I Have Given You an Example because although the loving quality of his message was the same, his tone of delivery was completely opposite. 

This conference report Elder Scott had a little bit more fire while he was speaking. As I listened to him, I felt like he was also saying "we have been over this multiple times so lets try to get it this go around". In all honesty I quite enjoyed the change of pace in his delivery and found much more drawn in to his message because he seemed to be speaking with much more vigor. He was straight forward with his message, giving 4 easy steps that we need to follow in order to make our mortal life easier to endure by helping us have a greater abundance of the spirit. This format made the talk very educational and easy to follow. This report had no stories of his personal life and made no mention of his wife Janeane which is worthy note because his wife died about 20 years ago and the last couple of conferences he has mentioned her and how much he loves and misses her.   

April 2014 conference he talked of examples in his life that helped him become who he is today. This message was very heart felt and endearing. His tone was soft and gentle as he reminisced of the sweet memories he had from his child hood. The tone in this talk was similar to past conferences where he seems to urge the audience gently along the correct path, giving quiet and subtle hints to help us along. He shared stories that helped us connect with him on a more personal level and allowed us to gain a little insight to his life. 

This change in tone and style that Elder Scott showed during this session was interesting to me because it is so different than what we are used to hearing but I really enjoyed it. Elder Scott is one of my favorite speakers and I enjoy every moment I am able to learn from him.