Revising General Conference Analysis

I'd like my students to return to the rhetorical analysis that each did of a General Conference speaker in order to formalize these analyses slightly: adding brief biographical background, standardizing format, and making some rhetorical adjustments.

Add Biographical Background

• Find and read biographical information about the speaker. Add to your analysis something from the speaker's general background or from his/her recent history that sheds light on the speaker's topics or rhetorical approach. You can find biographies of general authorities on LDS.org.  You might also, however, look up recent history of the speaker using their social media or via the LDS Church News archive. Don't make this a long addition to your analysis. Consider these examples:
  --"It's no surprise that Elder Packer would emphasize the scriptures, since he has been involved in developing the LDS editions of the scriptures and served for years in the church educational system teaching youth to study the scriptures..."
  --"Elder Oaks' sensitivity to other cultures may in part come from the fact that from 2002-04 he served as Area President in the Philippines."
  --"Because Elder Nelson remarried in 2006, it comes as no surprise that in 2008 he would speak so enthusiastically about marriage in General Conference."

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.

The Logical and Confident Speech of Elder Jorg Klebingat

For my analysis of a General Conference talk (or speech) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I decided to focus on the talk "Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence" given by Elder Jorg Klebingat, a member of one of the quorums of the Seventy.

I’m also going to compare the talk "Living According to the Words of the Prophets" given by Carol F. McConkie to Elder Klebingat’s talk.

Elder Klebingat stated after his brief introduction to his talk that he had six suggestions for the audience to help them avoid wasting time feeling unworthy or less in some way.  Elder Klebingat’s six suggestions made a ton of sense to me, and because of this they helped give him plenty of credibility.  Often, with a speaker who is new (especially a Seventy as in this case), it can be difficult to pay attention.  This can be for many reasons, but, whatever the case, Elder Klebingat avoided this by building up his logos early on and continuing to build it up throughout his talk.

After starting in these two ways, Elder Klebingat began to speak quickly (probably because of how little time he was given to speak) and confidently on his topic.  This is the part of Elder Klebingat’s talk that I would like to compare with Sister McConkie’s talk.

Elder Klebingat and Sister McConkie spoke confidently, grabbing the attention of the audience and keeping the attention throughout their talks.  Considering the calling of Elder Klebingat to be a leader over the young men of the church, and considering the calling of Sister McConkie to be a leader over the young women of the church, it makes sense that they would know how to speak confidently in order to grab the attention of the audience.  Working with young men and young women would definitely require this.

Also, neither one employed a fake voice, which can make the whole talk seem fake.  They both knew what they wanted to say, and they said it confidently, letting the whole audience know that they meant it with all their hearts.  This really helps grab the audience’s attention and keep it throughout the talk or speech, and often people prefer this approach because they can pay attention more and get more out of the talk or speech.

The Burden of Wounds

            In my section there wasn’t any “spoken word”, but only prophecies of Isaiah and some writings of Nephi. So I decided to analyze a part of Jacob’s speech to his brethren as he explains why he must address them. Jacob preached unto them saying, “Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from God, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds; and those who have not been wounded, instead of feasting upon the pleasing word of God have daggers placed to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds.” 

         From this we can see the emotion and pain that Jacob feels for the words he is about to unleash upon his audience.  His tone has a melancholy feel as he uses phrases like “burdeneth my soul”, “enlarge the wounds”, and “daggers places to pierce their souls”.  Through his words and phrases, we can feel his disappointment and pain for what he is about to do to his beloved brethren.  Another thing that I thought was interesting was the repetition of the word wound throughout this verse. Jacob uses wound as an adjective, noun and verb which creates different meanings, and the repetition reinforces the imagery of a wound. And through this imagery of wounding and wounds, we realize the seriousness and intensity of what Jacob is going to tell his audience. Using his language, Jacob sets the context of his following discourse, and the absolute gravity of his audience’s situation.

Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis - General Conference

For Latter-day Saints, the semi-annual General Conference meetings are a rich feast -- not only of religion, but of rhetoric (I am using rhetoric in the neutral sense of the term). In short, there is a lot of engaging speaking and speakers!

I want my Mormon literature students to analyze one of the speeches presented during one of the various sessions of the conference. To this end, I have created a form they will use to make notes while listening to a speech of their choice, and this will be used as they prepare a blog post.

Here is the link to the speech analysis form. There, students will find instructions for how to do an analysis, and they can also consult Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric if they need to review any rhetorical terms.

What will they do with this?

Assignment: Book of Mormon Speaking

My LDS literature students keep returning to the Book of Mormon to analyze this work. Since we are studying Mormon oratory currently, we will use this as a lens for our next discussion of the Book of Mormon as literature.

Each of my students has been assigned one section of the Book of Mormon to study more closely, using Grant Hardy's Reader's Edition. For Friday, October 3, they are to review their assigned section, looking exclusively through the lens of rhetoric and spoken discourse.

In a short blog post (for which they should use the label "Book of Mormon Speaking"), they are to account for the spoken word as it occurs in their section of the Book of Mormon. They should do so in the following way:

1. List the incidents of the spoken word that occur, labeling these according to their genre (sermon, dialogue, prayer, etc.). For it to count as spoken word, there must be a primary audience from the speaker's time. In other words, "speaking" to the future through written form doesn't count.
2. If there is NOT any spoken word in the student's assigned section, he/she should go to a neighboring section and look there. After finding a given instance of public speaking or the spoken word, the student should characterize it and analyze it using the rhetorical concepts of audience, decorum, context (kairos), rhetorical appeals (logos, pathos, ethos), logical proof, arrangement, and stylistic use of language. This should go beyond prior efforts to bring rhetorical analysis to bear on the Book of Mormon and should, if possible, link to others' sections or analyses.

A third part of the assignment -- though not to be included in the Friday blog post -- will be to watch General Conference carefully for 1) how speakers use the Book of Mormon (as a topic, as support for another topic, manner of citation or manner of representing the stories or ideas in it); and 2) any quotations of or references to their assigned section of the Book of Mormon. They are to bring these notes to class on Monday to use in our discussion. 

As a help for this, students have the option of using this Google Document where they can help one another to keep track of any references to the Book of Mormon across the conference.

The Perfect Balance

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. 

Rhetoric Should Match the Audience

Rhetorical Theory Analyzed

In his address, “Teaching by the Spirit – The Language of Inspiration,” Elder Neal A. Maxwell establishes rhetorical theories LDS speakers and teachers can utilize to effectively inspire their audiences. One of those theories is the need to base one’s remarks around the intended listeners, and to do so with authentic care for their wellbeing:

“…If we already care deeply about those to be taught, it is so much easier for the Lord to inspire us to give customized counsel and emphasis to those we teach,” Maxwell said.

The notion of customized counsel for the intended audience is a powerful form of rhetoric. The most changing and memorable sermons of my lifetime were all ones where I felt the message was directed to me; that the speaker prayed specifically to know what I needed to hear, to know what I needed to be instructed to do. Because I knew the speaker had spent time seeking inspiration on my behalf and cared if I actually followed it, I was much more likely to take he or she’s words to heart.

Rhetorical Device Analyzed

Elder Holland’s address, “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments,” employs many rhetorical devices to capture the listeners’ attention and maintain the level of reverence such a sacred topic requires. What stood out most to me came before he got to the heart of his message, however. The way he introduced his topic and cautioned the listener had me studying the first paragraph of Human Intimacy, especially these lines:

“It would be better not to address the topic at all than to damage it with casualness or carelessness. Indeed, it is against such casualness and carelessness that I wish to speak.”

Elder Holland’s use of repetition with the words “casualness” and “carelessness” evokes a powerful call to action in listeners. By stressing both of them twice in his introduction, Elder Holland alerts his listeners to the importance of his topic and gently but definitively demands their attention.

If he were to have demanded, “listen to me” or “don’t act immaturely because I’m talking about sex,” the feeling in the Marriott Center would have been entirely different. Instead, his intentional use of simple words with repeated endings lulls listeners into a spirit of reverence akin to that of which such a topic necessitates.

Bold but Respectful

Paul writes to the Corinthians that God uses the weak things of the world, the simple words, and the inefficient speaker to shoot the message through the heart of the intended. Something that makes a huge difference in the effectiveness of the message is whether the speaker truly believes it and truly says it with conviction. To be an effective speaker one must believe in it, use simple and concise words, and convey direct imagery or metaphors. Appealing to the audience’s sense of reason, emotion or character help a speaker convey his message.  If the Spirit is with you then the speaker and the audience can be edified together.

As I analyzed Jeffrey R Holland’s address to the students at BYU, I was amazed with his power: his words, his references, his character and his appeals full of love for those in his audience.  In the beginning he used appeals through reason as he spoke of reports, studies and news to back up his point. Next he appeals to our emotions by using words, metaphors and imagery as support. One example of his emotional appeal is when, in reference to the sacred powers of procreation, he said “And when one toys with the Son of Righteousness, the Day Star himself, one toys with white heat and a flame hotter and holier than the noonday sun. You cannot do so and not be burned. You cannot with impunity “crucify Christ afresh”.”

Throughout the whole message, we listen to him and pay attention because of his character. We know who he is and he has credibility, and he shows us he cares with his words of love. He believes in what he is saying and that his message is important. One of the most important parts of his address is his tone of honest and open but respectful communication. His boldness is evident in his speech but so is his respect for the sacred.  

Assignment: Mormon Rhetorical Theory and Practice

Public speaking is a core component of Mormonism, and the accumulated sermons and talks given by church leaders and members since the 1820s comprise a formidable literary heritage. I want my students of Mormon literature to understand both the theory and the practice of Mormon speaking.

In a blog post of 300-400 words, they are to respond to Mormon rhetorical theory as set forth in the texts provided; and second, after studying a model rhetorical analysis, I want them to do a brief rhetorical analysis of a sermon by Jeffrey R. Holland listed below.

Mormon Rhetorical Theory
To understand LDS rhetorical theory--that is, Mormon views about communication, especially public speaking and teaching--I'd like my students first to read the following.

• 1 Cor 1:17-31, 2:1-4 - St. Paul's cautions about worldly words.
• George A. Smith "Preaching the Gospel" An address by Elder George A. Smith delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, August 12, 1855. (Focus on the highlighted paragraphs).
• Neal A. Maxwell, "Teaching by the Spirit - 'The Language of Inspiration.'" CES Symposium on the Old Testament, 15 November, 1991. (HTML version via LDS.org | PDF version via LDS Church Educational System)

Rhetorical Analysis

In addition to applying the principles for communication set forth above, one may also analyze Mormon speaking in terms of traditional rhetorical categories. First, students should read an example of such analysis (Burton); then, they are to briefly analyze the speech by Jeffrey R. Holland, applying to this speech the ideas from Mormon rhetorical theory, above, and/or the analytical strategies demonstrated by Burton. (The focus must be narrow since the blog post, in its entirety, should not exceed 400 words).

• Gideon Burton, "Twentieth Century Mormon Eloquence: A Stylistic Analysis of Two Sermons by Neal A. Maxwell"
• Jeffrey R. Holland, "Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments"

Alma the Judge

1.  Form Analyzed:

I decided that I would look at Characters as I was reading through my section of the Book of Mormon. The knowledge of What the name was and why they mattered in this part of the Book of Mormon.

2.  Passage Analyzed:

My assigned section (Alma 1-7) has one of few characters mentioned throughout my section, but I am going to be focusing on the first few chapters.

 3.   Annotated Text:

4.  Breakdown / Listing of things found:

Multiple accounts of scenes including Alma, from why he is who he is to what he does.

·         King Mosiah dies (Alma 1:1)

·         Alma is reign over the people or is in the judgment seat now (Alma 1:2)

·         Alma judges a case by who and what happened and why(Alma 1:2-21)

·         Peace is restored then the next event comes into play. The fifth year of the reign of the judges (Alma 1:21-2:5)

·         Alma is the judge over the Nephite and Amalici goes to war with Alma(2:8-3:1)

 5. Interpretation:

Following through the plots and settings throughout the chapters of Alma I noticed that the character  Alma at the beginning was looked up to exceedingly over his great characteristics or quality that made him somebody or something recognizable through the readings I had done (Alma 1:2).I noticed that people would go against and fall away from him many times during the reading(Alma 1:7-23 and Alma 2-3). Others were introduced and were told who they were and why they mattered (like the man who was prideful in Alma 1:5, Gideon Alma 1:7 orAmalici Alma 2:1-5). Each individual were noticed why they were there, who they were, and their own characteristics.

 6. Connections / Questions:

I wonder if in each different stories or plots the characters were so in depth recognized and announced to you? The different stories might be similar in the Book of Mormon I wonder if they go to the same length to introducing each character?

Assignment: Book of Mormon Literary and Rhetorical Analysis

Collectively, my students will read the entire Book of Mormon in the next two days, each focusing on about 22 pages of text. Rather than taking a strictly religious approach, we will do a literary and rhetorical analysis. 

Why literary and rhetorical analysis?
The purpose of performing this sort of analysis is that students will better appreciate the literary nature of their faith and its central scripture. They will improve their understanding of the scripture by recognizing genres, patterns, and the persuasive nature of Book of Mormon writings. And as students compare their findings, we will collectively identify larger themes and forms at work across the book as a whole.

How does one perform literary or rhetorical analysis?
In general we will be looking for the "how" to shed light on the "what": identifying form in the writing or speaking and then considering how this form affects the meaning or impact of that communication. First look at form, then interpret its influence. The pattern is simple. Start with concepts of form out of literary and rhetorical terminology, find them, and decide what the use of that form does.

Instructions
Follow this pattern to do an initial attempt at analyzing for form:

1. Review your lecture notes, class recordings, or this list of Literary and Rhetorical Terminology
2. Select one these kinds of literary or rhetorical form
3. Find examples of this form within part of your assigned segment and mark them.
4. Create a post of 200-300 words showing your annotations and drawing conclusions about that one aspect of form that you used. Use the headings and follow the pattern of the example, below.
5. Before posting, check other students' posts to see if they used the same literary or rhetorical concept. If they have, then in the final section ("Questions and Connections" --see example), mention their post(s) and link to it/them, commenting on your similar or different approaches.

Three example analyses follow: