Jorg Klebingat Keeps It Simple

The talk I decided to analyze was given by Jorg Klebingat in the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference entitled  “Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence” and I’m going to compare to the talk given by President Uchtdorf entitled “Lord, is it I?”.

Elder Jorg Klebingat immediately surprised be because he was speaking in English with his clearly foreign name, considering the change of format and allowing speakers to use their native languages, but he didn’t despite the slight accent. He is from Germany which naturally gave him connections to to President Uchtdorf. Both are very competent in english, and very adept speakers despite the slight accent in their voices. They are both very concise in their statements, which makes their purpose and meaning so very clear. Having learned a foreign language myself, I fill at times it makes you simplify what you are going to say so that you get straight to the point so that no meaning is lost, because that is the most important thing. If you make it too complicated, then obviously your meaning is lost. 

This also allows both of them to speak with boldness and confidence in their words. Neither got overly emotional, but instead kept a very calm and collected tone throughout. They both told stories, it illustrate the points that they are trying to make. These stories are also concise enough so that you don’t forget the reason that they are probably telling the story for. The best thing about both of these speakers is simply their simple word choice. They use simple words, so that understanding is immediate. This keeps the attention of everyone in the audience and not just the english scholars.

Ascribing Divine Authority

In Mormon rhetorical theory, it is common for the speaker to call attention to the listener to not attribute the thoughts and feelings that they are having to themselves, but rather, to Deity Himself. Elder Neal A Maxwell when speaking about teaching quoted Brigham Young who said, “Anything besides that influence (the Holy Spirit), will fail to convince any person of the truth of the Gospel of salvation.” It is this focus of Mormon rhetoric that becomes so powerful. The turning of the audience towards the Godhead itself allows each individual to connect what they are thinking and feeling as divinely appointed.

Photo from: sites.lib.byu.edu

In 1989, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke in a BYU devotional address he entitled, “Of Souls, Sacraments, and Symbols”. In this address, Elder Holland spoke to the student body about a difficult topic that most speakers usually avoid. During this address he specifically follows the Mormon rhetoric tradition of focusing on the Holy Spirit as a source of support as well as a source of authority.

Elder Holland opens his address by humbly stating, “I always need the help and sustaining Spirit of the Lord to succeed at such times, but I especially feel the need for that spiritual help today.” What are the effects of such a statement? Here is an example of reference to deity to help him with the subject he is about to speak on. The rhetoric behind this is powerful because it is humble in the sense that he admits inadequacy and his reliance on God, but at the same time connects that if he is speaking with the help of God, he is speaking with God’s divine stamp of approval.

Near the end of his talk, Elder Holland again focuses on deity, saying, “That we may ‘come unto Christ’ for the fullness of soul and symbol and sacrament he offers us, I pray…”
So here is one source behind the power of his narrative. His entire purpose of the subject is to lead us to God and for his speech to have divine support. It speaks to the listener that his thoughts and feelings that are from God. The premise behind this is a powerful one. After listening to him speak, the question is, is this true? Are you drawing closer to God with his words? The answer is for the listener to decide. 

What Makes Jeffrey R. Holland Such a Great Speaker

In Jeffrey R. Holland’s BYU devotional address titled “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments”, the language is incredibly eloquent.  Jeffrey R. Holland is my favorite speaker out of all of the apostles, and this devotional address is yet another reason why.

The message that Elder Holland gives in this address is incredible in and of itself, but the way he gives it is what really makes it special.  Elder Holland truly speaks from the heart, which is where I believe a good portion of the power of his speeches comes from.  When someone is truly sincere and speaks with such conviction, it is hard to ignore the message that he/she is giving.  It also helps support the truthfulness of the message, because usually people are very sincere about the truth, or at least about what they perceive to be the truth.

However, I wanted to mostly focus on how Elder Holland “ornaments” his speeches using powerful language.  Elder Holland uses some of the most powerful words and phrases available in the English language to teach even some of the most basic (and yet still very important) doctrines.  He uses words such as “devastated”, “merely sensational”, and “carelessness” to convey intense messages about his topic.  One of the phrases Elder Holland begins with is “If I am not careful and you are not supportive, this subject can slide quickly from the sacred into the merely sensational, and I would be devastated if that happened.”  The choice of words there conveys his meaning perfectly, and really grabs the attention of the listener or reader.

Elder Holland could have just given a simple speech about the Law of Chastity and why one should obey it.  Teaching in such a way can be alright, but it is not nearly as effective or lasting.  When one uses words and phrases and sincerity that are combined together in such an incredible way as Elder Holland did in this devotional address, the important messages are remembered and internalized much more efficiently.

I, for one, can often remember with much more clarity the doctrines and principles taught by Elder Holland very easily, and they have really meant a lot to me.  However, I have heard plenty of speeches from others that have failed to do the same, and I have mostly forgotten them.  I believe this is due to the incredible way that Elder Holland “ornaments” his speeches.

Teaching the Spiritual Gifts

Before identifying some marks of Spirit-empowered preaching, it may be helpful to begin with what Spirit-empowered preaching is not. Particularly, it refers to the act of trying to be someone else in the pulpit. Some Mormon speakers do an incredible transformation, turning into an entirely different person on the platform; nevertheless, the lack of genuineness is not a sign of the spirit.

Preaching by the power of the Spirit is often tempted to push the audience’s in order to elicit a response. In contrast, as speakers we should avoid such manipulation and make an effort to deliver our messages with prayerful hearts. Getting a verbal response is no a barometer for the presence of the spirit, instead we have to communicate based on the principles we are inspired to share. Similarly, we learn that “the man who has the fewest words communicates his ideas“; this phrase suggests that every principle God has revealed carries its own convictions of its truth to the human mind. Therefore, during such a deliberate pause, the spirit will supply the evidence of things not seen, and will focus on the teaching moment by becoming settled and serene in your own heart.

Rhetorical Analysis

A speaker’s basic motivational drive is to discover and validate the truth. While Elder Holland addressed the issues we are facing as youth, he expresses his great gift of teaching the doctrine. It was during his talk “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments” that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland recognized the responsibility that was given to him to speak to BYU students. In addition, Holland’s talk was linguistically and rhetorically focused on persuading the growth and happiness that we can develop as latter day saints.

Moreover, Holland’s style draws the audience’s attention to the sense and substance of his words. The reason for the “Human Intimacy” section was due to the social issues we are facing as a society that reflects the current temptation of this time, giving the students an eye to the future. 

The Weight of the World

 Jeffrey R. Holland has an unparalleled ability to inspire personal responsibility in all who listen to his sermons.  In his adress "Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments"  he uses great imagery to call attention to his address.  Elder Holland  mentions that the future of this world's history will "be in [our] hands very soon.  Because of this, he encourages the rising generations to receive high and full educations to be contributors to society.

He furthers this responsibility by saying that this future "must be vigorously fought for".  These simple words call the audience to action.  To rise.  To fight. To struggle.  It all depends on us.  In essence he tells his audience and members in general that if we don't fight for our beliefs and values, they will be stripped from our hands by those "more bloody" than ours.

Later in the sermon, he mentions that unless we support his teachings, the sacredness of doctrine will be sullied and what would be a sacred experience could turn into a devastation.  We are not to be "casual" or "careless".  By addressing these consequences and the seriousness of the subject, especially by likening it to the weight of the world being in our hands, Jeffrey R. Holland is very successful in calling his audience to attention and to immediately start to apply what he is teaching.

In reading his sermon, as soon as he mentioned that the future would be in my hands, I started thinking about carrying the weight of the world.  As soon as he mentioned that we should not treat the gospel casually or carelessly, I really paid attention to his words.  I felt personally warned and personally responsible to carry out whatever his message was as soon as he started speaking.

Jeffrey R. Holland used the same tactics in a similar sermon addressed to Temple Square missionaries that I was privileged to be a part of.  The first thing that he said to us was that the brethren pray for us sisters every day, because we are carrying out part of what they have been called to do, but do not have time for.  We have been called to fill a part of their shoes.  Instantaneously, I felt inspired and responsible to carry out part of the work of an apostle and to do it in the way an apostle would do it.

That is why Jeffrey R. Holland is so successful- he commits his audience before he shares his message.

Power from the Pulpit

After many years of being an active member of the LDS church, I can say that one of my favorite speakers has and always will be Jeffrey R. Holand of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. From powerful, even punishing, phrases, to loving inspiration, Jeffrey R. Holland knows how to drive home a point, and do it well. In analyzing his address titled "Of Souls, Symbols and Sacraments," many of his best speaking traits are shown. One of his best speaking traits is that of being blunt, bold and not skirting around the truth. Holland is earnest and gets his point across without leaving room for confusion or error.

In this talk, Holland follows with his classic theme of "hit them where it counts so they wont forget it." In speaking of the problems that face the audience he is addressing he states that, "Our soul is what's at stake here-our spirit and our body...the purchase price for our fulness of joy-body and spirit eternally united-is the pure and innocent blood of the savior of this world." Right before this he was speaking about the growing problem of sexual immorality in the current generation. Straight from one serious topic, to a hard-hitting sentence about repentance and the pain we cause the Savior when we sin such as fornication. Somehow, in spite of this heave topic, he manages to keep a light air about his whole tone. Its an amazing feat.

He is a master of speaking, he knows just what to say to help you recognize the folly of your ways, and then brings love back into the equation to help you want to change, not make you do it, but make you want to do it. The last part of his talk demonstrates this perfectly when he says, "If some few of you are feeling the 'scars...that have come to you in places where you ought not to have gone,' I wish to extend to you the special peace and promise available through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ." This is what helps Elder Holland to be one of the most powerful speakers of our time, and helps so many of his messages to strike a chord in the hearts of all that hear his voice.

The Power of Being Earnest

Elder Neal A Maxwell, on the subject of teaching by the Spirit, stated that the lack of “visible earnestness” is what “deprives so many presentations of their desired influence even when content is commendable.” In my experience, I have found that the mien of the speaker can develop ethos as much or more as the language used. A speaker that talks with feeling and evident love for the gospel principle they discuss engenders my respect. I listen more closely to what they say because I want understand how they fostered this devotion and know how to experience it in myself. Gospel message are so much stronger to me when shared with an “earnestness” of physical demeanor and language.

Elder Holland’s “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments” talk is a great example of this intensity of language. He employs dramatic diction and repetitious rewording in his address to emphasize the seriousness of his message. He begins by asserting that he would be “devastated” if students were unchaste and that he is “thrilled” by the sexual purity of the majority of students. This use of diction represents two emotional extremes to enhance the juxtaposition between promiscuity and chastity. Likewise, “horrors”, “terror”, “crushing remorse and guilt” and “piecemeal dissipation” of virtue are associated with sexual immorality in the course of the discourse. Though popular culture may look lightly on sexual transgression, it is clear that Elder Holland does not. The powerful, dark words reinforce the seriousness of sexual sin.

Additionally, he stresses certain points by repeating and expanding upon them multiple times. In describing sexual sin, he declares that God does not want us to engage in these actions “illegally, illicitly, unfaithfully, without sanction.” This particular idea is not allowed to pass quickly by; it is reinforced to the audience, making it near impossible to ignore or miss. Similarly, temple marriage is compared to being “united, bound, linked, tied, welded, sealed” together. Elder Holland wants to strengthen this image in the mind of his audience. If they remember nothing else, they can remember his emphasis on the union of marriage. The importance of temple marriage is clearly portrayed in this way.

Throughout his talk, Elder Holland’s powerful word choice and repetition of ideas convey his earnest tone.

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”.

Grasp it Firmly

Joseph Smith taught George A. Smith to keep sermons and prayers short, and to “deliver (your) sermons with a prayerful heart”. Many times in Jeffery R. Holland’s sermon “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments”, did he talk about having a prayer in his heart, and wishing for the audience to do the same. He addressed the sensitivity of the subject, and the faith and maturity needed to do justice to the topic as well as to keep it sacred.

Elder Holland used much imagery as he used various poems, or described situations that fully contrasted the point he was trying to make. A few examples are when he said “…and if we do not grasp it firmly, then other hands, more determined and bloody than our own, will wrench it from us…” as well as when he described the following scene, “rush into the middle of a sacramental service, grab the linen from the tables, throw the bread the full length of the room, tip the water trays onto the floor…” Both of these descriptions are worded and packed with such imagery and with a sense of disruption that it articulates his point of the power of the sacred, and how we truly should have an opposite course of action in dealing with the symbolic and sacred unity of sexual intimacy within the bounds set by the Lord.

A big metaphor that circles throughout Holland’s sermon is that of fire, and the self destruction and burning that occurs to those who misuse the sacred power given to us by the Lord. Along with this metaphor, his articulations to describe both sides (being married or unmarried) apply the words and help them to stick out in our minds. He describes the unmarried (and murderers) as acting “illegally, illicitly, unfaithfully, (and) without sanction.” Whereas, the married and faithful members are described as “united, bound, linked, tied, welded, sealed, married.” The contrast and list formation of these two sections help us to clearly see and be impacted by what he is saying.

Elder Holland connects to the audience by first being converted by his words himself—which then gives a greater ability to impact all else who hears his words. His knowledge of the world and also of the doctrine, allows his message to be powerful and direct. His use of metaphors, alliteration, and imagery give amplitude and power to the message being shared.

-Lizzy S.