Rhetorical Analysis of Quentin L. Cook's "Let There Be Light!"

Since General Conference at the beginning of this month, there has been much ado in the media about President Packer's talk. Many people were offended by his words. Others applauded his bold address on a public controversy. Under more normal circumstances, I believe that Quentin L. Cook's conference talk would have received more attention than it did. It, too, included bold words about a controversial topic. The strongest statement in his talk was: "Let me be clear that all voices need to be heard in the public square. Neither religious nor secular voices should be silenced." This appealed to logos through his straightforward and insistent diction. His talk was rhetorically solid in other ways, too. He appealed to pathos through his anecdotes about a favorite song, wartime in Britain, the efforts of William Wilberforce, etc. In short, Quentin L. Cook's conference address may not have been well-publicized, but it was nevertheless rhetorically sound.