6. Rhetorical Analysis of Dieter F. Uchtdorf's "Lord Is It I?"

     Occasionally when members of the church sit in meetings, they think the messages presented from the pulpit are not to them, but to everyone else in the congregation.  In other words, they are the exception to the rule or do not need to hear the message.  In his 2014 General Conference talk, "Lord, Is It I?", President Dieter F. Uchtdorf exhorts the men of the church to examine their lives for sin through the use of repetition, anecdotes, and authoritative tone.

     President Uchtdorf uses repetition to soften the hearts of the men and allow them to examine their lives for worthiness.  He repeats the phrase, "Lord, Is it I?", which was taken from the scriptures during the last supper when the apostles wondered who would betray the savior.  As Uchtdorf eloquently weaves this phrase within his talk, he prompts individuals to examine their own weaknesses and shortcomings.  He sums up the message of his repetitions by saying, "Have you disengaged--even slightly--from the gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to [your trust]"  (Uchtdorf).  Overall, this repetition of "Lord, Is It I?", which even serves as the talk's title, gently, yet purposefully encourages men to examine their lives.

     President Uchtdorf uses anecdotes to help men see where they could be overlooking their own weaknesses.  He first describes a man who observes his neighbor's yard with one dandelion.  The man is distressed because one dandelion could ruin such a nice lawn; however, at the anecdote, the man goes back to his own yard, which has a myriad of dandelions and weeds.  Uchtdorf's use of anecdote helps individuals see how blind they can be in seeing their own issues and how members of the church should focus on their own weaknesses instead of others.  Some additionally anecdotes used by Uchtdorf include the parable of beams and motes in one's eye from the scriptures, the study in which the worst students rank their abilities as the highest, and the modern story in which divorce devastated a ward that had some of the best statistics in the church.  All of these anecdotes used by Uchtdorf demonstrated the importance of examining one's life honestly to truly be able to improve, to stay on the straight and narrow path, and become more like Heavenly Father.

     President Uchtdorf uses both an understanding tone  to persuade the men of the church to truly analyze their own lives.  Uchtdorf says, "Brethren, none of us likes to admit when we are drifting off the right course, often we try to avoid looking deeply into our souls and confronting our weaknesses, limitations, and fears" (Uchtdorf).  By placing himself in the category of struggling to evaluate one's own life, he places himself as one who also struggles to examine his life, which is what he wants the brethren to do.  He, in essence, says he is not perfect; many times, the most persuasive individuals are those who we see like ourselves, not someone put up on a pedestal.
     Additionally, though, he does use an authoritative tone when saying, "Those who do not which to learn and change probably will not and most likely will begin to wonder if the church has anything to offer them" (Uchtdorf).  Through this quote, the reader understands that Uchtdorf is an apostle of the Lord, and that consequences, like not valuing the gospel, will result if the audience does not follow his counsel.  Thus, the combination of an understanding tone and an authoritative tone to create a message that is both approachable but firm.

     President Uchtdorf''s message serves to persuade the men of the church to examine their lives to see if improvements are necessary to ensure that they stay on the straight and narrow; Uchtdorf portrays his message through the use of repetition, anecdotes, and authoritative tone.  As members of the church, individuals should examine their lives to be able to put them more in harmony with the teachings of Christ.