Reflection Paper

Reflection Paper

            Writing my opinion editorial was harder than I was expecting.  Going in, I kind of thought that all we were going to have to do was state our opinion about something and say why we think so.  But, that’s not how it really was.  It was fun to learn how to structure an argument that actually persuades others.  I think the part I liked most about writing the paper was being able to think about the people I was writing to, and try to formulate my paper to be the most effective towards them.  However, the most difficult part form me was trying to back up my claims with substantial and meaningful evidence, that was specific to my topic.  I think that I just like to have opinions about things without really thinking about all the reasons I have that opinion. 

When I was first introduced to the Style Academy website in class, I went home that day and started exploring it.  In my exploration, I found a topic that sounded interesting to me, and that I recognized that skilled writers often use: the appositive.  I learned about tit the first day and tried to implement it into my paper.  One example of my use of an appositive is when I say, “That being said, some may be surprised when they hear that BYU, a private university owned by a church that is one of the largest supporters of religious freedom, is being criticized with the very denial of it.”  Before I watched the instruction on appositives, I guarantee that I would’ve worded that sentence very differently, and much less eloquently.  Another example of my use of appositives was when I stated my source, Jim Slaughter.  Instead of saying that he was the University Chaplain of BYU in a different sentence, I was able to combine the sentence to help the overall flow of my paper.  I really liked Style Academy because of how clearly they explained the concepts.  I usually struggle with English terminology, but with Style Academy, I was able to remember it quite well.

            With regards to GASCAP, I think the one I used most in my paper was generalization.  Almost my whole paper, I was talking about the entire student body of BYU, or an entire group of people in general.  I generally stated the opinions of a mass quantity of people and what the general consensus was concerning saying prayers in the classroom.  I also used the concept of principle a lot in my paper.  When I talked about whether it was right or wrong to pray in the classroom, I based my argument on the principle of religious freedom, and how it applies to everybody. 

Introductions and Conclusions

Introduction:

Without safety ropes, harnesses, or climbing gear of any kind, two brothers—Jimmy, age 14, and John, age 19 (though those aren’t their real names)—attempted to scale a sheer canyon wall in Snow Canyon State Park in my native southern Utah. Near the top of their laborious climb, they discovered that a protruding ledge denied them their final few feet of ascent. They could not get over it, but neither could they now retreat from it. They were stranded. After careful maneuvering, John found enough footing to boost his younger brother to safety on top of the ledge. But there was no way to lift himself. The more he strained to find finger or foot leverage, the more his muscles began to cramp. Panic started to sweep over him, and he began to fear for his life.

Unable to hold on much longer, John decided his only option was to try to jump vertically in an effort to grab the top of the overhanging ledge. If successful, he might, by his considerable arm strength, pull himself to safety.

In his own words, he said:

“Prior to my jump I told Jimmy to go search for a tree branch strong enough to extend down to me, although I knew there was nothing of the kind on this rocky summit. It was only a desperate ruse. If my jump failed, the least I could do was make certain my little brother did not see me falling to my death.

“Giving him enough time to be out of sight, I said my last prayer—that I wanted my family to know I loved them and that Jimmy could make it home safely on his own—then I leapt. There was enough adrenaline in my spring that the jump extended my arms above the ledge almost to my elbows. But as I slapped my hands down on the surface, I felt nothing but loose sand on flat stone. I can still remember the gritty sensation of hanging there with nothing to hold on to—no lip, no ridge, nothing to grab or grasp. I felt my fingers begin to recede slowly over the sandy surface. I knew my life was over.

“But then suddenly, like a lightning strike in a summer storm, two hands shot out from somewhere above the edge of the cliff, grabbing my wrists with a strength and determination that belied their size. My faithful little brother had not gone looking for any fictitious tree branch. Guessing exactly what I was planning to do, he had never moved an inch. He had simply waited—silently, almost breathlessly—knowing full well I would be foolish enough to try to make that jump. When I did, he grabbed me, held me, and refused to let me fall. Those strong brotherly arms saved my life that day as I dangled helplessly above what would surely have been certain death.”¹

My beloved brothers and sisters, today is Easter Sunday. Although we should always remember (we promise in our weekly sacramental prayers that we will), nevertheless this is the most sacred day of the year for special remembrance of brotherly hands and determined arms that reached into the abyss of death to save us from our fallings and our failings, from our sorrows and our sins. Against the background of this story reported by John and Jimmy’s family, I express my gratitude for the Atonement and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and acknowledge events in the divine plan of God that led up to and give meaning to “the love Jesus offers [us].”²

Conclusion:

That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.

This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that Jesus still stands triumphant over death, although He stands on wounded feet. This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that He still extends unending grace, although He extends it with pierced palms and scarred wrists. This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that we can sing before a sweat-stained garden, a nail-driven cross, and a gloriously empty tomb:

How great, how glorious, how complete

Redemption’s grand design,

Where justice, love, and mercy meet

In harmony divine!¹¹

What did Elder Holland do that was so effective?

            From the very beginning, he threw us into this story of the two brothers.  But it wasn’t just any story, it was a story about life or death.  By the time the anecdote reached its climax, it had its whole audience on the edge of their seats.  They didn’t want to stop listening.  That is the result of an effective introduction – that not a single person would want to stop reading the talk.  Then, as the talk progresses, it is clear to see how the anecdote ties into the subject.  His conclusion is equally effective because it summarizes what was taught during his talk.  Just as the brother in the story never left the cliffs edge, Christ, as Holland says, will never leave us.  It leaves us with an emotion that we will remember even after it is over. 

            The introduction and conclusion in this talk were especially effective because he knew what audience he was speaking to.  It was a message of hope, love, and repentance directed towards the youth of the church.  It is evident that it was directed towards them because of the story he told.  It caught the attention of everybody thinking, “I don’t want to sit through another boring talk.”  He immediately started it off with something that is exciting and gets your emotions involved.  Because his introduction was so effective, the audience was captivated and listened to the entire message, which the conclusion sums up so masterfully. 

Thesis Proposal

            The world in which we live in is an ever changing and developing place.  There are few things, however, that are unchanging; our rights.  Especially on a college campus, topics about what is ‘right’ is as common as the latest game around the water cooler at work.  College students are very familiar with their rights and tend to defend them quite tenaciously.  That being said, some may be a little surprised when they hear that BYU of all places, an institution owned by a church that is one of the largest supporters of religious freedom, is being criticized with the very denial of it.  What it all boils down to is that fact that the sporting events and many of the classes at BYU start with a prayer.

            In any religion involving a higher being or greater power, prayer is a central aspect; it’s what unifies us with it.  For many, no matter the religion or beliefs, it is the first thing done each morning and the last at night.  Having said that, it is clear to see just how important of a topic we’re dealing with here. 

            Critics of BYU have stated that it is unlawful to start a sporting event or class for that matter with a prayer because that would be forcing a certain religion upon someone else. For someone with no knowledge of BYU’s practices or beliefs, that point may appear to be true.  BYU would be going against one of it’s founding principles, something that allows BYU to even exist.  However, when a little research is done and some knowledge has been gained, it is quite clear that BYU had done nothing unlawful.

            Upon registering for the university of BYU, it was made clear to everyone that BYU is a private school owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Thus, being a private school, it may create its own traditions and practices.  If it were public, the government wouldn’t allow prayers to be offered in the classroom, but because it is private, each student is well aware what they are getting into.

            Even if you’re against the idea of prayers being said, that doesn’t mean that you have to participate.  One of the binding aspects of religious freedom is that it is for everybody.  Someone else exercising their religious freedom while you are present doesn’t mean that your religious freedom is being impacted.  If one would like their freedoms to be respected, that simultaneously means that they must respect everyone else’s as well. 

            Because BYU is a private school, they hold the right to practice their beliefs freely, and each person at the university understands that.  However, BYU will never force a different belief system on someone that doesn’t desire.