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MACL 602 SP CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS This paper provides a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) General conference which took place in October 2020. This paper seeks to illuminate the discursive practices and linguistic features that are used for drawing a specific representation of the social actors and their messages on social and moral beliefs. This analysis will also look at patterns of imagery, rhetoric, and tropes the social actors of this conference use to deliver their message to the audience. The social actors in this conference negotiate moral and symbolic meaning in attempt to validate and induce the church’s teachings and authority to LDS members and the non-LDS public. The LDS general conference is the twice annual speaker box for church leaders and others with power within the church. Many tune in for updates on the church’s stance on many topics and is heavily reported on by Utah media. This conference and its messages have an impact on the LDS members and the entire state of Utah. 62% of Utah’s population (Horowitz, 2020) is comprised of LDS members and the LDS church has heavy influence on the economy, politics, social norms, and legislation of the state of Utah. For this CDA I will begin by using the tools supplied by Huckin (1995) for looking at the text as a whole and at a sentence level. The genre of this general conference is religious. This genre is concerned with the discussion of beliefs, commandments or laws, ritual practices, ethical conduct, spiritual aspirations, and fostering and maintaining a religious community. Within the conference the producers also use epistle writings from the bible and The Book of Mormon to give further evidence to their claims. The following quote from the president of the LDS church Russell M. Nelson is an example of the genre and the usage of religious texts within the conference:
MACL 602 SP As we gather to hear the words the Lord has inspired His servants to deliver, I invite you to ponder a promise the Lord made. He declared that “whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning … and the wiles of the devil, and lead the [disciple] of Christ in a strait and narrow course. (Nelson, 2020, pg 6 : Helamen 3:29 Book of Mormon) This passage was in one of the opening sessions of the conference and emphases that the messages that will be delivered are directly from the “Lord” and inspired by religious texts. The framing of this conference is carefully constructed around morality and rationality. The producers “select some aspects of a perceived reality and make them more salient in a in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and /or treatment recommendation for the item described” (Entman, 1993, p. 52). The producers of this conference frame the narrative around worldly/moral issues and offer up spiritual/rational solutions to these issues. In the conference Nelson (2020) discuses covid-19 being a major struggle for many but offers his solution to enduring the pandemic: I pray that we as a people are using this unique time to grow spiritually. We are here on earth to be tested, to see if we will choose to follow Jesus Christ, to repent regularly, to learn, and to progress. Our spirits long to progress. And we do that best by staying firmly on the covenant path. (pg. 8) Within the conference the producers also use personal stories to frame the narrative around lived realities and how the solutions played out in these stories. The foreground device that is most common in this general conference is the producers use strong language when speaking about “heavenly father” and the importance of his love and
MACL 602 SP only way to have access to this portion was to watch the recording. The speakers were predominantly white with there only 1 Asian American speaker. Their actual stance on whom is worthy to belong in their social group is also omitted. “We are, after all, brothers and sisters, spirit children of our heavenly parents—literally. There is no prejudice or “us versus them” mentality in the greatest of all cultures. We are all “us.” We are all “them” (Jackson 2020, pg 49). This statement excludes those who identify of non-binary. It also fails to mention that in reality any member of the LGBTQ+ community do not have access to temple marriages and ceremonies which are required to obtain eternal salvation. The main presuppositions of this conference are that those who are tuning in are faithful or prospect members of the LDS church. The “holy ghost” is also rereferred to countless times which according to the LDS can only be obtained through an LDS baptism. “I pray for the assistance of the Holy Ghost for all of us as I share the thoughts and feelings that have come to my mind and heart in preparation for this general conference” (Uchtdorf 2020, pg 55) Another major presupposition is the LDS church is the only true church in the world and the only pathway to salvation and happiness. In Gee’s (2014) An Introduction to Discourse Analysis he discusses the use of figurative worlds as a CDA tool. Figurative worlds are the “culturally constructed realm of interpretation” (pg. 89). Within this general conference the figurative world is centered around good and evil. The assumed reality is one where there is a negative force of temptation and suffering and a positive force that is attainable through repentance and faith. The typical stories shared with the listeners range from personal stories with a moral lesson and stories from the Bible and Book of Mormon. The stories that are told in the conference paint a picture of what the norm looks like for this social group and what is acceptable and unacceptable when belonging to this group. “In
MACL 602 SP most man-made cultures, there is found both good and bad, constructive and destructive” (Jackson 2020, pg. 48). What is normalized in this conference is assuming all evil and temptation comes from destructive forces in existence to test the faith of this social group. Existing and participating in any other “culture” outside of the LDS church leads to unhappiness and damnation. Jackson (2020) refers to the LDS faith as “the greatest of all cultures and comes from the great plan of happiness, authored by God and championed by Christ. It unites rather than divides. It heals rather than harms” (pg. 48). The producers assume that their listens are afraid of hell and construct reality around avoiding suffering and in the long-term hell. The producers simplify human struggle into an anecdote constructed around good and evil. This anecdote normalizes the sentiment that suffering comes from evil and you must believe in the church and its teachings to relieve any suffering. The producers use stories to create simulations in the listens minds that reiterates the cause of struggle and its only remedy. The conference is held at a prominent LDS building and is attended and viewed by many of those in the LDS community. The ceremonious qualities of the conference perpetuate and validates the worldview of the members of this figured world as a community building experience. During this conference metaphors are utilized to “provide the emotional texture of simple narratives” (Lakoff 2008, pg. 93). The LDS social culture is heavily embedded with an “extensive system of mostly unconscious primary metaphors for morality and immorality” (Lakoff 2009, pg. 94). The most dominant metaphors used within this conference Lakoff (2008) calls Moral Accounting. Within the LDS church there is a distinct hierarchy of moral order centered around god above man, and presumed notion of man above women. “Our culture is governed by the priesthood, the authority to act in God’s name, the power of God to bless us his children” (Jackson 2020, pg. 50). This quote emphasis god over man and man over women since
MACL 602 SP dominated effects members and non-members who do not fit into this mold. There is no place for the LGBTQ+ community to exist in this figured world which leads to alienation, depression and even suicide. This strict moral family order also effects the politics in Utah for many of the representatives belong to this religious community and represent their moral beliefs in their political conduct including anti-abortion laws and anti-equality policies. The way in which the Utah media reports heavily on this general conference gives validity and importance and normalizes the messages of morality that are delivered by the producers which is also harmful and erosive to those who do not fit into this figured world. The next section I will be reframe the opening talk by Russel Nelson who is the leader (prophet) of the LDS church. It will be reframed using metaphors and labels that are less rigid leading to a more diverse and accepting figured world.
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Moving Forward
The world is steadily moving forward. My dear people of this world, what a joy it is to be with you as we begin the 190th^ Semiannual General Conference. I love joining you in your homes or wherever you gather to listen together to the messages of our diverse array of speakers and leaders. How grateful we are for the technology that allows us to be connected as one great worldwide gathering from many different communities, backgrounds, and identities who come for inspiration and guidance. During the past few months, a global pandemic, an environmental crisis, and social unrest revolving around the treatment and justice for BIPOC communities has challenged us in new ways. I grieve with each of you who have lost a loved one during this time who have been personally affected by the social unrest and climate crisis. Meanwhile the work of our organization is steadily moving forward along with the world as we all grapple with the intersection crisis that have arisen. Amid social distancing, face masks, and Zoom meetings, we have learned to do some things differently and some even more effectively. Unusual times can bring unusual rewards. Our communities are community leaders have been resourceful, resilient, and truly remarkable. Although our communities have had to find new, creative ways to stay connected and supportive, many communities have reported they have become closer during these challenging times. We have decided to halt all temple construction projects and instead are using that capital to support community members worldwide to endure and thrive during these dark times. If you are
MACL 602 SP WORKS CITED Gee, J. P. (2014). An introduction to discourse analysis. London: Taylor & Francis. Lakoff, G. (2008). The political mind: Why you can't understand 21st-century politics with an 18th-century brain. New York, New York: Viking. Horowitz, J. (2020, January 09). Trends in LDS membership in Utah. Retrieved April 02, 2021, from https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-lds-membership- in-utah/ Various. (2020). 190th Semiannual General Conference : October 6-7 2020 (pp. 1-97). Salt Lake City, UT, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10?lang=eng
