The Weak Things of the World

Ask a Latter-Day Saint how they gained a testimony of the Gospel, and more likely than not you will hear a story akin to Brigham Young’s, who said “when I saw a man without eloquence, or talents for public speaking say, ‘I know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord,’ the Holy Ghost proceeded from that individual (and) illuminated my understanding….” The testimony that Brigham Young heard was given in the common rhetorical pattern of Mormon orators. They focus on simple doctrines, and glory not in themselves, but in the Lord. While generally well educated, Mormons are exhorted not to boast in their learning, and to choose instead to earnestly invoke the spirit as they preach “Christ crucified.” This can be made more poignant in smaller settings that allow probing questions and silence to invite the presence of the Holy Ghost.

When analyzing Elder Holland’s talk, Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments, we see the Mormon theory of rhetoric in practice, combined skillfully with many sophisticated rhetorical elements. Holland’s talk is structured around a simple alliterative list, enabling easy recall and application by the audience.  Before beginning his doctrinal exposition, Elder Holland establishes his ethos by citing many statistics to illustrate the breadth of the problem he is going to address, and then he makes an allusion to the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob who decried sexual immorality. Following this he appeals to logos, using simple logic to explain how sexual relationships are related to Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments. 

In addition to the form in this talk, Elder Holland uses powerful phrases to drive home various points. He uses the parallel and inverted phrase “We are imperfect and mortal, while God is perfect and immortal” to illustrate both our similarities to and differences from our Heavenly Father. At other times, he uses powerful figurative language such as “Moral Schizophrenia” to describe the worlds depravity. In another instance, he uses a repeated prefix “unspeakable, unfathomable, unbroken”, to drive home the sacred nature of our procreative power.  Despite these relatively sophisticated phrases, Elder Holland’s talk remains approachable to most average readers, and throughout his message he maintains the focus on “Christ crucified”.

Parallelism in Prose

Author’s Note: I hesitate to write a post from my point of view as a speaker because I severely lack the wisdom, level of spirituality and experience found in all of the speakers previously mentioned. I fully acknowledge, and I only share this perspective due to its relation to form.

I shared my testimony in a Relief Society meeting a couple of years ago. It was going like a traditional testimony (is there such a thing?) until the very end when I felt the Holy Ghost prompt me to speak in a form that was foreign to me. I attempted to follow what it was guiding me to say, which was something like this:

I did not watch as they nailed Him to the cross, but I know His agony was real.

I did not look in the tomb, but I know that it is empty.

I did not feel the marks in His hands, but I know they are there.

I did not kneel at His feet and wash them with my tears, but I know one day I will.

I do not know all things, but I know He lives.

After the closing prayer, a sister came up to me and asked me if I was an English major. I thought this was a strange question, but she elaborated:

“There was something about the way you shared your testimony,” she said. “I’ve never heard someone speak like that (referring to the section above), and it was really moving.” 

After being in our class and listening to today’s discussion, I think the reason that sister found the testimony to be effective was partly because of the form it was delivered in. The parallelism in the prose, for which credit goes to the Holy Ghost, stood out to her and made the message resonate.

Using elements of literary form can give oratory a depth and richness, as long as the form rings true to the message.