5. Rhetorical Analysis on "Receiving a Testimony of Light"

        On Saturday morning, I had the opportunity to attend the conference center for the morning session of general conference. Being there in person always brings a different feel than watching it at home on the couch. The very last talk given by President Uchtdorf really stuck out to me, because I believe that everyone could've gained something from it. In his talk "Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth," he focused on the simple concept of testimonies and all the ways we could help it grow. Believing and testifying of what we can not see is difficult, but if we do our part in strengthening our testimony, the Lord will strongly bear witness of the gospel's truth. President Uchtdorf opens his talk with an analogy to establish a relationship between the coming of present day technology and the truth of the gospel.

        
          An analogy provides a mental linkage between two concepts, so the new concept is provided in a simpler manner. Uchtdorf starts of by stating how astronomers and technology, such as telescopes, have  made it possible to learn more about the mind boggling universe. Our understanding has changed, and it has been made possible for us to even view distant galaxies. Now we know for sure that they are there and that they have been there for a very long time. If we traveled back in time and told people of the great technologies we have in our day, would they believe us? Many would not and would condemn us for trying to mislead others. 
         

          Uchtdorf then says, "But they simply would not be able to see clearly because they had not yet received the more complete light of truth." As members of the church, we have the complete light of truth that people around the world are oblivious to. Sharing a message of the Savior and his restored church is not easy, because majority of us have never seen God or the Savior in the flesh, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Through faith, we build our own personal testimony of gospel truths. We ask and seek out answers and confirmation if we ever have any questions or concerns. Our testimony of light and truth can be strengthened through communication with Heavenly Father. Testimony is how we share the gospel with those who are seeking for the truth. When we testify, the spirit does also. Overall, having a testimony is important, because it doesn't die off in this life, our testimonies will continue to accompany us into eternal life. 

4. Research Topic Ideas:

There are so many stories that I've been told about my family's past experiences and adventure. These stories led to questions...

What was the main reason my grandparents moved their whole family to America from the Philippines?
Why is it tradition to go to New York City every year for Christmas?
Why does my mother put such a huge emphasis on hard work?

*Maybe focus your topic a little bit more.

Find out the events that lead to your mother emphasizing hard work. What happened?
Possibly find out how Christmas started and how it evolved into your family going to New York. 

Those are some really cool topics. Maybe there are connections as to why your family moved to with your mother and hard work. Find connections. I would be interested. 

Find out the story of what happened in New York. Maybe they were poor and had to live in a tiny apartment and work in factories hours on end just to barely survive. Just a possibility.. But what happened then would definitely have an effect on what's happening now.

Can't go wrong with a New York City topic! Make sure to include a solid thesis and lots of personal accounts to give reason and pull your reader in :)

Interesting last comment- the emphasis on hard work. Research into that field would lend itself to the events your Mom has been through, the culture of the family she was raised in, and possibly even family traditions of hard work that have persisted to the present day. It should be fun!  


Thesis:
While some traditions are kept and enriched when moving to a different country, Filipinos often customize or completely forget about past customs and assimilate to new cultural traits over a period of time.