General Conference Rhetoric
"By Divine Design" - Elder Ronald A. Rasband
In Elder Rasband's talk "By Diving Design", he persuades us to follow God and to believe in his perfect plan. Throughout the talk, we can feel Elder Rasband's love for us, which makes us more inclined to listen to his words. He says to the audience, I "feel your strength and your spirits." He furthermore appeals to pathos by emphasizing the loving character of our Heavenly Father. He said, "Each of us is precious and loved by the Lord, who cares, who whispers, and who watches over us in ways unique to each of us."
Elder Rasband establishes ethos by backing up his statements with scripture, such as when he said, "The Lord is in the small details of our lives, and those incidents and opportunities are to prepare us to lift our families and others as we build the kingdom of God on earth. Remember, as the Lord said to Abraham, 'I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee.'" In giving examples of stories that could not be merely coincidence, he lends support to his argument that God has a hand in our lives.
He is aware of his audience and considers questions they might have. One particular question hit home for me: "Where does our agency fit in a 'divine design'? I have struggles with understanding the balance between agency and divine intervention. Elder Rasband answers the question by explaining that we always "have a choice to follow or not to follow our Savior and his chosen leaders." He gives the example of Saul who was headed in the wrong direction in life. God redirected him by sending him an angel on the road to Damascus. Saul let that moment be a turning point in his life and chose to devote his life to the Lord, but he had the freedom to have chosen otherwise. He could have rejected the message from the angel and continued in his old ways. God does not control us, but he can inspire us to act through spiritual promptings.
Appealing to pathos again, Elder Rasband, shares a scripture with a beautiful promise: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." By highlighting the blessings of following the Lord, he gives us incentive to walk the path of righteousness. He ends by blessing us that God will bless us, sustain us, and bring us peace.
In Elder Rasband's talk "By Diving Design", he persuades us to follow God and to believe in his perfect plan. Throughout the talk, we can feel Elder Rasband's love for us, which makes us more inclined to listen to his words. He says to the audience, I "feel your strength and your spirits." He furthermore appeals to pathos by emphasizing the loving character of our Heavenly Father. He said, "Each of us is precious and loved by the Lord, who cares, who whispers, and who watches over us in ways unique to each of us."
Elder Rasband establishes ethos by backing up his statements with scripture, such as when he said, "The Lord is in the small details of our lives, and those incidents and opportunities are to prepare us to lift our families and others as we build the kingdom of God on earth. Remember, as the Lord said to Abraham, 'I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee.'" In giving examples of stories that could not be merely coincidence, he lends support to his argument that God has a hand in our lives.
He is aware of his audience and considers questions they might have. One particular question hit home for me: "Where does our agency fit in a 'divine design'? I have struggles with understanding the balance between agency and divine intervention. Elder Rasband answers the question by explaining that we always "have a choice to follow or not to follow our Savior and his chosen leaders." He gives the example of Saul who was headed in the wrong direction in life. God redirected him by sending him an angel on the road to Damascus. Saul let that moment be a turning point in his life and chose to devote his life to the Lord, but he had the freedom to have chosen otherwise. He could have rejected the message from the angel and continued in his old ways. God does not control us, but he can inspire us to act through spiritual promptings.
Appealing to pathos again, Elder Rasband, shares a scripture with a beautiful promise: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." By highlighting the blessings of following the Lord, he gives us incentive to walk the path of righteousness. He ends by blessing us that God will bless us, sustain us, and bring us peace.
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