Speech

Of Things that Matter Most
by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1298-7,00.html

1.) Focusing on the simple fundamental importances in life will increase one's joys.

2.) The audience are LDS members of this day, and all those listening to general conference.

3.) The goal of this article is to convince LDS members that they need to slow down and take time to learn the fundamentals in life, rather then get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the modern day and their busy lives. President Uchtdorf wants to convince Latter Day Saints that in order to become the best they can be and have ultimate happiness they need to first master basic principles and doctrine.

4.) Logos: President Uchtdorf uses a lot of logical reasoning as to why people need to slow down in order to succeed. The first example he uses is the nature of how a tree grows. He explains that when there are optimal conditions for growth the tree matures faster, but when conditions have declined that tree will only focus on sustaining life rather then growth. This relates to his topic because in the face of modern adversity if we don't turn our attention to the fundamental principle and commandments of the gospel we would perish, just as the tree would if it didn't turn its attention to the simple matter of sustaining life. Another example he uses is that of an airplane when confronted with turbulence. He explains that younger pilots would think it best to speed up in order to more quickly escape the turbulence, when in theory it is better to slow the airplane down in order to mask the negative conditions. This logically supports his claim that people need to slow down rather then speed up in their lives to find happiness.

Ethos: The fact that this talk is being given by one of them members of the first presidency proves that the content is credible, but President Uchtdorf uses other respectable sources to support his claim. He quotes the scriptures, which to his specific audience is a solid recognized resource that is firmly agreed upon. He also uses the words of past and current prophets and church leaders, who are all credible and prominent figures. In addition to church leaders he uses the testimony of a famous football coach to prove his point. All the different resources that President Uchtdorf uses in his speech add to its believability because his audience will more likely trust what he is saying.

Sufficient: This speech is the perfect length and has various examples and resources to back it's claim. When giving a speech about religious or personal issues many different angles of the argument must be addressed because the matter is so opinion based. This speech does the perfect job of doing so by using the right amount of evidence and public figures and resources to sway the audience.

Relevant: Any speech that is given to the LDS congregation is relevant to their current needs because modern day prophets are here to give their people revelation important to their specific needs of their day and age. The topic addressed in President Uchtdorf's speech is a problem that many people this day face and is therefore a relevant issue.

5.) President Uchtdorf does a very good job of convincing his audience that they need to focus on what is most important in their life because he uses many different techniques of addressing the issue and considers both sides of the argument and addresses each side in his speech.

Painting: Washington Crossing the Delaware

1.) This painting increases America’s desire to sustain freedom.

2.) The specific audience of this painting are all American’s, but also in a broader sense it is for all those who have a great desire for freedom.

3.) The goal of this painting is to commemorate the hope and perseverance George Washington and soldiers had during the revolutionary war. 

4.) Ethos: The highlight of this picture is general George Washington. During the time of this picture he was the general of the entire continental army. After the War, when this picture was painted, he was the President of the United States. Today his name is associated with banks, colleges, and various credible institutions. The mere fact that George Washington is in this picture convinces the viewer of its importance and purpose.  George Washington is the Father of our Nation, and he represents strength and freedom in the United States

Pathos: The contrast in lighting of this picture represents hope in the face of adversity. During the time of this Painting the continental army was nearing defeat. This surprise attack on the Hessians, hired assassins, would give General George Washington and his army hope that they could turn the battle around. The emotion on the face of Washington also shows the strength and courage that the continental army had. They were the underdogs in this battle, but they still persevered in the fight for their freedom.

Relevant: This painting was painted right before the start of the civil war. Although it was painted to commemorate the events of the Revolutionary War, it was a great reminder to those soldiers during the Civil war to remember the courage and strength these soldiers had to fight for their freedom.

Sufficient: This picture only shows a few of the boats that were crossing the Delaware, but the few soldiers in this boat perfectly fulfill the purpose of this painting. The emotion on their faces, the strength of George Washington, and the aura of hope in the lighting of the photo represent the fortitude these had for their fight for freedom.

5.) This painting achieves it’s goal to strike hope and courage in the American population to fight for their freedom by reminding them of their forefathers who gave their life to earn freedom for our country. It uses the respect people have for the George Washington, and the artistic techniques in the painting to convince the American people of the strength and courage the revolutionist had in their fight for freedom

Link to the photo:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://joelmp98.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/washington-crossing-the-delaware.jpg&imgrefurl=http://joelmp98.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/triviafact-quiz-for-dec-6-2009/&h=347&w=600&sz=28&tbnid=rHzqq9ozkrsPXM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwashington%2Bcrossing%2Bthe%2Bdelaware&zoom=1&q=washington+crossing+the+delaware&hl=en&usg=__n0TSAnAhPvegcDe2OOsvgYQOgx4=&sa=X&ei=OrTeTIvZK4L0tgOJj8G1Cg&ved=0CB0Q9QEwAA

Paper A

1. The HCG Diet does not have lasting results.

2. The audience are obese Americans who are interested in the HCG diet as a method to lose weight.

3. The goal of this paper is to convince the audience that the HCG diet is not practical because in the long run it does not keep weight off.

4. Logos: This paper uses facts and statistics to support its claim that the HCG diet does not keep weight off. One example are the percentages of how many people gained weight back after participating in the HCG diet. Presenting scientific evidence as support appeals to the logical side of an argument.

Ethos: Readers of this paper would find it very easy to trust the evidence presented because it is provided by doctors. Doctors and scientists have high credibility. Using their testimonies as support in the paper strengthens the argument, and gains the trust of the audience.

Sufficient: This paper has too many reasons to support the topic. In order to make the paper more efficient and persuasive, rather then informative, only one reason should be focused on in the claim.  Providing two many reasons and too much information can make the paper look unorganized. If the claim was limited to one reason then the paper would be easier for the audience to understand.

Accurate: The information provided as support in the paper is accurate because all of the sources are credible, but some of the information contradicts itself. One sentence claims that the Doctor who created the HCG diet does not state how many years he follows up with patient relapse, while another sentence in the same paragraph does. This makes the paper look like the information it is using is faulty. In order to fix this problem the accuracy of the evidence used needs to be checked.

5. Overall this paper has good reasons and evidence as to why the HCG diet does not keep off weight, but could be organized in a different manner to better achieve its goal. Right now the paper might grasp the attention of its audience but not convince them to stay clear of the HCG diet. To improve this paper one claim, opposed to two, needs to be developed.

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