18. General Conference Mini-Analysis

This general conference was full of enlightening messages and exhortations to make changes in lives for the better. Some of these arguments for change were a lot more persuasive than others so here are some of the most effective techniques for persuasion.

In his talk "To the Friends and Investigators of the Church", Elder Joaquin E. Costa used the technique of logos to help us see the process that takes place in the heart when we wish to draw closer to Christ. He said, "experience repentance; nothing draws you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ than a desire to change." This methodical approach makes perfect sense because when one first desires to change, they see the need for repentance to assuage them of guilt which, in turn, brings them closer to Christ. This sentiment persuades us to desire to draw closer to Christ and since we've established drawing closer to Christ is a direct result of a desire to change and thus repent, he's actually exhorting us unto repentance.

In his talk "The Voice of Warning", Elder D. Todd Christofferson uses strong diction such as inclusion and tolerance to establish this idea of a culture that accepts everyone and juxtaposes it with a true society that follows the ideals of being unmerciful to those who don't fit in. He says, “the guilt culture could be harsh, but at least you could hate the sin and still love the sinner. The modern shame culture allegedly values inclusion and tolerance, but it can be strangely unmerciful to those who disagree and to those who don’t fit in.” This thought-provoking truth persuades us to look at society in a new light where one thinks of examples of this exact idea happening in this so-called tolerant age. He paints a picture of a Utopian Society were everyone is extremely understanding of all situations in life, but shows that in truth usually the opposite is true.

Lastly, Elder Ulisses Soares in his talk "Confide in God Unwaveringly" uses pathos to exhort us to push off the heavy yoke of uncertainty. He says "brothers and sisters, if we are not rooted by steadfast trust in God and the desire to serve Him, the painful experiences of mortality can lead us to feel as though we are burdened by a heavy yoke; and we can lose the motivation to live the gospel fully." His language helps us imagine a life where we can't get the burden of a heavy yoke off of us. If we wish to avoid this horrible sentiment, we need to envision a life where we are rooted by steadfast trust in God so He will help us remove the yoke brought upon by disbelief and confusion.

(Elder D. Todd Christofferson)