Save Rock Canyon

To Mayor Lewis Billings (lbillings@provo.utah.gov) and

Brent Wilde (bwilde@provo.utah.gov):

I love Rock Canyon. I'm not even a citizen of your state, yet I'm hoping to help save this natural treasure of our Provo community. My one and only (yet life changing) encounter with Rock Canyon happened when I been in Utah for only about a week when my Environmental Studies class at Brigham Young University hiked through Rock Canyon to Squaw Peak. This was the hardest physical task I had ever attempted in my entire life (coming from sea level made it even worse); it took me a little more than two hours, but I finally made it to the top and got to take in the spectacular view of the entire valley. I realized then that if we work hard and long enough, we can do anything, even if it seems impossible.

Even though the problem that faces you, as a government authority, of what to do about Rock Canyon may seem impossible to resolve, I know that if you work long and hard enough, you can come up with a solution that will please the majority of your constituency. I have my opinion, and you have yours, but it's not about us, it's about the community.

There will be economic benefits if you allow mining to happen in Rock Canyon, but the small financial incentive is not as powerful as the general public welfare, safety, and health benefits that will come from keeping Rock Canyon a natural public recreation area free of mining enterprises.

Natural “untouched” treasures such as Rock Canyon are no longer prevalent in the world; the loss of Rock Canyon would have a severely detrimental effect on the citizens of Provo and the surrounding communities who use Rock Canyon as a place to relax, renew, and unwind from the constant activity of everyday life. It's proven that even just being in nature can reduce stress and promote general wellness.

Safety issues such as loose rock falling onto trails and hiking areas, injury from excavation equipment, and issues that arise from the merging of heavy truck and foot traffic would be nonexistent if the canyon remained free of mining and its equipment. That's one lawsuit you could avoid altogether.

Health issues will also arise. Dust from the mining excavation could affect hikers on the trail – how are you supposed to hike when you're coughing and gagging? The stream next to the mining area could become polluted, which would affect all the wildlife in the canyon that get their water supply from the stream, potentially killing native species. The water supply of Provo that comes from the canyon is also in danger of being contaminated.

Please consider these issues while making your decision. I know the process will not be easy, but please remember that all of Provo, and many others, are counting on you to keep the community's best interests at heart. And our dearest interest is to preserve Rock Canyon in its current state, without the threat of a rock quarry looming in the future.

Thank you for your time,

Dottie Bateman

Allow Beards at BYU (Email Rough Draft)

Dear President of the Honor Code Office,

I would like to call into question BYU’s current policy concerning facial hair. As it stands, beards are not allowed, however male students may grow a moustache if they wish. I find these two policies contradicting.

I am confused as to the difference between a beard and a moustache. Both are forms of facial hair. If the purpose of banning the beard is for a clean-shaven male populous, allowing the moustache is contradictory. I believe that either all facial hair should be banned or beards should be allowed.

Now, I do not suggest that there be no rules about facial hair. Just as men’s haircuts are given specific guidelines, so should the beard. In fact, the current rules for growing a beard if obtaining a beard card would work well. Full, well-kept beards can be just as wholesome as a clean-shaven face.

The Honor Code has been updated and expanded to keep up with the growing times. I believe that it is now time to allow men at BYU to grow beards. There is nothing morally wrong with it, and the Honor Code Office has issued no explanation for its prohibition.

Thank you for your time,
Jessica Swenson

Enter To Learn-and Marry!

Dear (person to be decided),

When you walk through the front door to Horne Hall one of the first things you will notice is an engraving on the brick wall. This relief depicts an engagement ring encircled by one ominous word: June.

It seems like every where I go at BYU the message of BYU has been slightly altered. Enter to learn-and get married!

I know that Brigham Young University is a great place to meet individuals who share my values, but give me a break! I’m eighteen, a freshman, and nearly completely dependent on my parents financially! Most freshman guys haven’t gone on their missions yet and most of the freshman ladies are living on their own for the very first time. Neither group is ready to marry.

Logically, I know that our leaders acknowledge that the students of BYU are all in different levels of progression. These reminders about the worthiness of potential mates here in Provo are largely targeted to older students. As a freshman, however, the constant focus on marriage is both stressful and annoying. Both the closing speech for New Student Orientation, as well as the opening devotional spoke about the importance of trying to find a spouse here at BYU. I, along with approximately 20% of the undergraduate students don’t need to be thinking of marriage for several years to come. If there is any way to do so, can the speakers at BYU please tone down the marriage theme, at least when talking to us freshmen?

Happily Single,

Erika Hunt

Come visit!

My dearest OJ,

Now that I'm out in the Wild West, I've considered the possibility of you visiting me during your coming spring break. By next spring, we will only have seen each other at Christmas. It's so hard for such close friends to part for so long! We both know you need to experience BYU and meet everyone out here. Also, we both know the cost of a flight out here. Nevertheless, I know a trip out here for you would be fantastic!

Another thing to consider is the possibility of me working here next summer. Jobs in Tennessee are hard to find, but it would be easy to find an on-campus job here. So, if you consider the possibility of me not returning for summer break, you will see the need for you to fly out here. Maybe you could even come during the summer! Let me know what you think, and we should start planning. Regardless of what happens, know that I miss you very much and can't wait to see you as soon as possible!

Truly,
Rachel

Bad Habits?

Dear Dr. Lee,

I feel that the “Bad Habit” video you assigned the Student Development 110 class, designed to reveal our worst academic study habit, is not an effective way to eradicate poor study skills. Although public shame could curb an unruly student in the 19^th century, it is not relevant to today's 21^st century students. Due to more relaxed societal rules, our generation has grown somewhat accustomed to being embarrassed in public. It doesn't affect us, as a population, nearly as much as it once did, especially when it comes to our academic habits. Some students even take pride in having the worst study skills, yet somehow still sliding through school.

Even though we may be consciously unaffected by it, embarrassment and guilt can still affect our body and mind. These emotions may heighten already existent conditions caused by bad study habits, such as nervousness and inability to concentrate, which can then lead to lack of sleep and poor eating habits, which lowers the body's immunity to infection. Thus, the humiliation of showing our worst habit will not have the power to induce us to do better consciously, but will affect out subconscious in the worst way, merely perpetuating the bad habits. Please reconsider this assignment.

Thank you,

Dottie Bateman

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 Versus Inspiration

“But what about dinosaurs and evolution? You can’t argue with the scientific data that proves evolution exists. How does that fit in with the story of creation?”

Despite our best efforts, no religion will ever make perfect logical sense. In the end, we must choose whether or not to believe (through personal revelation or otherwise) that our religion is true without scientific data to support our claims. My atheist friends would argue that people join religions for emotional comfort, or because they cannot cope with the “truth” that there is nothing divine. Despite these compelling arguments against religion, individuals believe in the miraculous and supernatural. Is this the result of superior rhetoric or societal pressures? Or is there an innate truth in religion that is made manifest? As an LDS I believe that the Holy Ghost testifies of the truthfulness of the gospel. However, if we assume that the Spirit manifests of truth, what is the role of rhetoric?

In some cases we may have a testimony of something, but not fully understand WHY we do. This is faith without rhetoric. An example of this could be feeling God’s love for you without hearing any words.

However, rhetoric can aid us by effectively communicating lessons and even increase faith where understanding is lacking. For example, a member of the LDS may have a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but not the Word of Wisdom. Simple rhetoric can be used here to help persuade someone to follow the Word of Wisdom. Joseph Smith was a prophet, therefore he received the Word of Wisdom as revelation from God, therefore the Word of Wisdom should be followed.

Rhetoric appeals not only to our logical side. We may know in our hearts and minds that heaven is real and hell is a terrible place. However, a detailed description of hell can create a visceral response that a simple statement of “hell is bad” never will. For example, in the parable of Lazarus and the the rich man, the rich man begs Abraham to allow Lazarus to “dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:24) This parable targets the senses, focusing on how the flames of hell physically effect those within. We envision hell in a detailed and physical way that we we would be unable to do with other less detailed descriptions (such as “endless torment”). The visceral response, coupled with the logical mind reaches the following (oversimplified) conclusion: Be good and avoid hell!

Humans process thoughts and ideas through language. Language crafted to elicit specific responses forms rhetoric. Because of this, it can be difficult to differentiate between the power of the Spirit, which can speak, inspire, and testify of words, and the power of how the rhetoric itself is crafted. Well formed rhetoric teaches us in a form we can quickly grasp and understand, however the Spirit tells us that these things are true.

Why Did Laman and Lemuel Ignore the Counsel of Their Brother? How Do We Avoid the Same Mistakes?

As we read the Books of Nephi we quickly see that Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto the Lord. We could attribute this to difficulty of the demands, and they use this as an excuse, but why would they refuse a meager temporal means in search of eternal gain? Why are we persuaded to do the same? Throughout this essay analysis will be given as to why we accept the merely earthly, and how persuasion and rhetoric using empathy and the spirit can assist us.

One of the prevalent features of rhetoric and persuasion that it is emphasized in the Writing and Rhetoric book that we read through is that rhetoric, and by consequence persuasion, is usually aiming to convince someone of one perspective or framework. However, one of the main features that we usually don't recognize or consciously focus on, is that we only try to convince someone of some perspective if we know it is in our own self interest to present it. Remarks could be made that this is untrue, citing examples like self sacrifice, but if we truly think about these things what more are they but an attempt to achieve a new equilibrium where prediction becomes easier, and order is better maintained? God intends these to be outcomes of righteous action. We see that generally when the actions of Nephi are emulated by the rest of the group, peace and order ensue. In the book Paved With Good Intentions, by C.S. Lewis, 2 devils are discussing the way that God is actually a hedonist. They interfere in the terrestrial world and obscure our perspective though. By succumbing to the lower sensual hedonist we all possess, we fall to the trap of Old Scratch. Righteous action according to principles of the Gospel is the way that we achieve the higher form of self interest that God intends. Laman and Lemuel lacked the necessary insight into true hedonism, because they refused to discern self interest. Temporal and eternal blessings always ensue righteous action, it's just a matter of perspective. Empathetic perspective allows us to view blessings that are usually unseen, and prove effective in rhetoric and persuasion.

Using empathy and understanding as a means to the deconstruction of ideology is crucial. In the reading that we recently did in Writing and Rhetoric strong insight was given regarding understanding others. In a lecture by Slavoj Zizek, he cites the proverb that "an enemy is just someone who's story we haven't heard." To an extent I agree with this statement. If we knew the way that the reasoning of position is constructed, we gain valuable insight into the way that we can merge horizons, and convince someone of something. Despite our limited amount of empathetic neurons, we should still try to understand the reasoning of others. The Savior is the utmost example of surpassing these boundaries and becoming truly understanding. Prayer is our attempt to appeal to him, and through rhetoric gain forgiveness. Becoming more like Jesus, should be one of our highest goal. Nephi reflects this, he was quick to forgive, and sometimes insightful to motives. Empathy is a strong tool that we should use in communication.

In conclusion, rhetoric should be decided based upon comparative reflection in empathy. Things are usually going very well for us if we simply examine our perspective and in discussion, verbally juxtapose it with some of the paradoxically hindering actions of self interest the world engages in. God's law is the highest, as well as the one that we should give the highest regard and value to.

Austin Hammer Sec 113

Nephi's Persuasiveness

Nephi's brothers did not always listen to the Spirit. For example, Nephi writes that he had to persuade his brethren to keep the commandments of God.

And now I give further thoughts and insights related to today's experience writing.