Rhetorical Analysis

Proclamation

In 1995 The Church of Jesus Crist of latter-day Saints published a document titled “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”. The purpose of this document as told by the LDS prophets is to "warn and forewarn" the world to the dangers of deviating from its standards. In it modern LDS prophets successfully convey their message by using a formal, alarming and a steady or authoritarian tone. The document is full of words that transmit different deep emotions and was used as part of Gordon B. Hinckley’s message at the general relief society meeting.

The title of the document is written as something serious and alarming. The word is defined in some dictionaries as “A major statement made in front of an audience or the authoritative word on some subject is a proclamation. It's usually used in an official or government context.” When the reader sees the word proclamation it makes him feel that it has to be something serious and immediately gets the reader attention and its appeal. In the title we also see the word “Family” which will also create an emotional appeal to readers that are family oriented.

Shortly after the title of the document we see its authors “The first presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles.” This has two effects on the reader; Credibility is built when the reader knows who the author is and also it creates an emotional appeal because it reinforces the importance and urgency of the document that was settled with the title.

With so many changes that have happened in our society recently, it is obvious that anything that talks about any subjects like homosexuality are going to create some kind of emotional appeal. The main idea of the first paragraph of the proclamation of the family is about gender. It talks about how each one of us had a gender even before being born and how it is an essential characteristic. This paragraphs creates an emotional appeal because it is the introduction of a now broad subject, homosexuality. In the recent years people have been sharing their insights on homosexuality and people either on favor or against have a strong opinion about it. The reader will either feel empathy or a need to debate when he reads the first paragraph. It will also create a need to read more because at this point the reader can assume that the rest of the document will contain more details on the subject.

One of the most powerful persuasive method is using history facts. When you give your word to someone that you are going to do something (kind of like a contract) it is very easy to feel a need to act according to your agreement. The third paragraph of the proclamation of the family uses this tool where it says that each one of us accepted Heavenly Father’s plan. This plan consists according to the proclamation of the family of “obtaining a physical body and grain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize our divine destiny.” Furthermore, the proclamation of the family also explains that part of the plan is to do sacred ordinances in the temple. This paragraph creates a need to know more in the reader and engages the reader.

                Society now days is very liberal. People talk more and more about rights but less and less about obligation. Because of this people more and more protest against responsibilities and law duties. In the paragraph six the proclamation to the family addresses parents and their responsibilities. Talking about someone else’s responsibility could really create a negative effect on the reader but it all depends on who the author is and its ethos. Since the author of the document is the twelve apostles it basically leaves no room for the reader to come up with “excuses” to turn away from what the document assures are parent responsibilities.  This way instead of creating a negative emotional effect it creates a feeling of burden and responsibility.