Consequences and a Loving God

One needs only to read the definition of rhetoric as said by Chaim Perelman to agree that religion uses rhetoric: “As soon as a communication tries to influence one or more persons, to orient their thinking, to excite or calm their emotions, to guide their actions, it belongs to the realm of rhetoric.”

It is obvious that scripture, being a form of communication, tries to influence others, orient their thinking, and guide their actions. Nephi even states explicitly in 1 Nephi 6:4 “For the fullness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.” So, if the question is not a “does it use rhetoric?” then it must be a “how?”

One might say it does so by showing the harsh consequences of not following the commandments.  2 Nephi 9:34 states, “Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell.” However, such scare tactics are scarce in the Book of Mormon. More commonly, the love of God and his mercy is shown as a method of persuasion. A few scriptures before convey the consequences more lovingly, “O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment (2 Nephi 9:19).” Instead of emphasizing hell, this scripture points more toward a loving God who wishes to save us rather than condemn us. Such rhetoric brings a popular idiom to mind: “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

The Book of Mormon is brimming with praises to the Lord and examples of how he loves us and only wants us to return to his presence. Of course, He can only do so if we keep the commandments, and in saying that, our actions are guided, our thinking oriented, and we are influences to follow the teachings of the scriptures.

Jessica Swenson

Rhetoric Is Not Enough

Rhetoric plays a prevalent part in religion, specifically in the process of conversion. Nephi tells us that his intent in keeping the record that would become part of the Book of Mormon was to persuade men to come unto and God and be saved. However, in religion there is another aspect that rhetoric can’t compete with, the Holy Spirit. Without the spirit’s confirmation, no amount of rhetoric can convince an individual of the validity of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Laman and Lemuel were Nephi’s older brothers. They followed their father Lehi into the wilderness. They were reprimanded by an angel and saw Nephi freed from cords they had bound him with in rebellion. They were led through the deserts of Arabia by the Liahona and were fed by game shot with Nephi’s bow. They sailed to the Promised Land in ships crafted after the manner of God by Nephi’s hand. They witnessed countless miracles and spent their days in the presence of two prophets of God. If rhetoric were sufficient to induce conversion, then Laman and Lemuel should have been faithful and righteous. Instead, they lived lives filled with wickedness and fell away from the Lord. The two brothers of Nephi were past feeling. They ignored the confirmation of the Holy Spirit until they no longer felt its promptings. Without the Spirit, conversion could not take place.

A similar instance occurred in the experience of Samuel the Lamanite. From the top of a wall, he preached the word of God. His orations were powerful enough to cause the people to throw stones and shoot arrows. His words struck a chord so deep within the people that they wanted to kill him. If his words were powerful enough to do that, then shouldn’t they have been powerful enough to convince the people that Christ would come? The answer is yes, but words alone cannot convert a soul. True conversion needs the Spirit, and the Spirit cannot dwell in unclean places. The people were wicked, sinful, unclean, and the Spirit was not with them.

For every instance where the Spirit was not present and rhetoric could not suffice, there are many others where together rhetoric and the Spirit converted souls to the gospel. When Nephi and his brethren returned to Jerusalem to bring the family of Ishmael to the wilderness, they sat and taught Ishmael the gospel. The scriptures tell us that the Lord softened the heart of Ishmael, and it was then that he believed the words of Lehi’s sons.

Another prime example of rhetoric and the Spirit is in the conversion of Alma. When Alma heard the words of Abinadi, he believed because he had witnessed the things that Abinadi spoke about. He had seen the wickedness of King Noah and Abinadi’s rhetoric made sense. Rhetoric was enough to convince Alma to run away from the king, but he wasn’t truly converted till he knelt in the king’s woods and prayed for forgiveness and confirmation. The Spirit touched Alma’s heart, and Alma knew that the gospel was true.

Thus the scriptures show us that rhetoric is essential when preaching the gospel. Words must be used to teach doctrine and prepare an individual for the confirmation of the Spirit. Without the Spirit’s confirmation, an individual isn’t truly converted. Words have immense power, but they can’t come close to the power of the Holy Spirit.