3. Analysis prep

Here we go with the analysis

So I am considering writing on my favorite BYU speech that I heard on the mission. Just so you know, a little fyi, I listened to BYU speeches every morning as I got ready for 2 years... so ya, I've heard my fair share of buy speeches. That means that this is a good one.

This guy is not a mormon but he gives a dang good argument for our paying of tithing. It's awesome. He throws all kinds of stats around and he mixes this with his personal experience to create desires inside me to just give more, and be a better person. I am very excited to look at analytically how it is that he accomplished this. I want to be able to inspire people like this. I am excited to see how it is that his stories play in my emotions, and how much the logic works, and how much I think that I believe him because he has studied this for a very very long time. Haha, that probably sounded funny, but its how I feel.

I am also thinking that I want to figure out, as I dissect this speech, how it is that tithing in specific is a necessary thing to do, along with just being good and giving a lot. I think that this goes hand in hand with what Jesus said, 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

2. General Conference mini-analysis: A Claim worth Proclaiming

 A Claim worth Proclaiming

             Family. Wow. All of the fun  images that pop into our minds upon hearing just that one word. It’s daunting to be for sure. However, there are probably lots of memories of sadness and tears, and fights that accompany those ideas of fun and laughter and smiles and confidence. Now, when you think of your family, you undoubtedly think, “well nobody’s family is like mine”, no other entity can be so quirky, or loud, or embarrassing etc. but you probably think—paradoxically—that all other family, or at least the definition of the word family can’t possibly differ much from your own. If you are like me, the idea that you can redefine what a “family” is didn’t even occur to me as possible or not—it just didn’t occur at all.

             Boy am I glad that the prophet of the earth has more foresight than I do. It is because of this foresight that I can have the confidence that I do in that ideas that I have. He and the quorum of the twelve apostles were lead by god to create this document proclaiming to the world what "family" means and God declares it should be, and how it should be governed, and what it is that makes a family happy. Why is it so important to have happy families? Well a happy and successful, and emotionally stable family leads to economically successful societies, that have lower crime rates (I think we can all agree that that is a good thing), fewer health issues (any of you that have been sick, you know what I am talking about when I say that this is an important point—especially if it is something preventable), more innovative, and therefore more comfortable and thriving lifestyles in which more people reach their full potential to make, create, grow, inspire, lead, invent, provide, and love. So I hope that helps you see why it is important that we are all on the same page here. Why it might be important to make sure that the idea of family, God's idea of family, is preserved, and prioritized.
            These ideas were kind of in my mind before reading this... again, but they are solidified on a whole new level, after having discussed it with my peers, my teacher, and the most effective way of getting this into my head was by writing it. I really feel what I am writing right now. I love it.

1. Elder Bender's talk: Virtually Essential

Gabe Wood WRTNG 150

Virtually Essential

Things as they really are by Elder David A. Bednar focuses on the importance of our bodies, their realness, and the potential dangers of getting caught up in a virtual world. Surprisingly enough Elder Bednar subsequently delivers a presentation to the world entitled Sweep the Earth as with a Flood advocating one aspect of the very thing he had previously warned against and even condoned the exaggerated use of. That is technology and our ability to communicate with people without ever really seeing them.

In both talks, he devotes large amounts of time to setting the stage and clarifying the doctrine that he is about to try and persuade us to live. He does this by liberally presenting both ancient and modern prophetic declarations of truth. This is important considering his audience–the more he can get you and I to truly believe deep down that what he is telling us comes straight from God, the greater chance he has at getting us to act upon what we are hearing. With this doctrinal background he also helps us see that we, the God-believing-church-goers that we are, can’t simply settle for the well-I’m-not-doing-anything-really-bad logic.

        What does this mean? You might ask. Well, the point that Elder Bednar is trying to get us to understand in both of his talks here, is that God has made available great resources in our day and they can be used for great evils, but are virtually essential to hasten to work and will of the Lord. If those of us wasting time with the evils of these great tools will move away from that, and along with those of us on the middle ground towards complete devotion of ourselves to capitalizing on the huge potential to do the will of God that is now possible, we will have heeded apostolic admonitions and we will surely gain prophetic promises. May we all fulfill our divine destiny and cease the misuse of and increase the correct use of to power given to us by God and actually do, post, and tweet those messages that the Savior would have us do, post, and tweet.