Elder Holland is one of the most popular speakers, for a variety
of reasons. As a speaker he has the ability to completely tear down all the
false pretenses we have and speak directly to our souls. The majority of the
reason he is able to do this is because of his powerful words and the rhetoric
he uses to address his audience.
Approaching the topic of his talk Elder Holland addresses his
goal.
“I wish to speak,” he says, “to the best of my ability, on why we should be clean, on why moral discipline is such a significant matter in God's eyes. I know that may sound presumptuous, but a philosopher once said, tell me sufficiently why a thing should be done, and I will move heaven and earth to do it. Hoping you will feel the same way as he and fully recognizing my limitations, I wish to try to give at least a partial answer to ‘Why be morally clean?’”
Beginning this way, he combines both pathos and logos to appeal to
the audience. The pathos comes as he quotes a philosopher and tells a story.
The logos appears more as he explains and helps us understand the reasoning
behind why we do (or do not) participate in certain activities.
He is, in a way, able to walk the line that so many others
struggle to find. His talks are so perfectly balanced—and real—that people have to pause what they are doing to listen.
That is ultimately the reason why Elder Holland is such a powerful
speaker. He approaches with enough love to make us want to listen, but then his
argument is so incredibly forceful and accurate that we can’t stop listening.
I love that you contribute it to his logos and pathos. But have you considered Ethos as well? In speaking so directly and calling the attention of the audience so quickly, that says something about him as well. As a speaker he is bold, committing and one worthy of apt respect and attention. He does this because he is so direct and bold and loving in his remarks. By listening to him, we know exactly what to do.
ReplyDeleteI like how you stated he is 'real.' That is why so many people can connect with him because of the plainness and reality of his talks.
ReplyDeleteI think through this talk, the fact that he was making a call to action, and answering a question, the audience was more able to connect and pay attention to Elder Holland. No one likes to just hear a lecture without some call to action or answer to question and most of all a few relatable stories.
Balanced is a great word to describe Elder Holland's speaking. He is able to blend many elements of captivating speaking while very sincerely speaking his real thoughts and feelings. I think the love and honesty he speaks with is what truly invites the spirit into his sermons
ReplyDeleteAddressing the 'Why' was something that really solidified Elder Hollands ability to use logos in his writing and speaking. It is obvious to see his sincerity as well as his intelligence.
ReplyDeleteAddressing the 'Why' was something that really solidified Elder Hollands ability to use logos in his writing and speaking. It is obvious to see his sincerity as well as his intelligence.
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