Extra Credit

I love the instructor conferences. I don't think anything helps quite as much as those. I also personally have a hard time getting started with my topic, and so I really thought the instructor conferences for the issues paper being two weeks before the deadline were very helpful. I think having one so soon in the writing process really helped me to be able to more clearly obtain a vision for where I want to go with my paper and how to get there instead of being unsure all the way through the paper until the last few days before the deadline. Having said that, I would prefer to have an instructor conference right off the bat like we did for the issues paper, but to then have another one like the weekend before the assignment is due. That would be very helpful in trying to make the paper as good as possible with some last minute feedback.

I am really looking forward to this weekend and listening to conference. A lot of times, I take this opportunity to listen to Prophets and Apostles speak for granted and I don't typically prepare myself like I should. However, my mom challenged me this week to really take advantage of it and go to conference with the questions that I feel like I need answers to. So, being a momma's boy, I have done just that. I feel like I am looking forward to Dallin H. Oaks, Jeffery R Holland, President Monson and his presidency speak this weekend. I love listening to Elder Oaks for multiple reasons. First, he reminds me of the bald X-man especially with his voice. It is very captivating and demands your attention. But I also feels like he gives very spiritual messages but in a scholarly way that's not over the head of his audience. He uses appropriate diction for all ages while sounding professional and educated at the same time. Elder Holland because his talks are so passionate and emotional that he really develops a pathos with his audience which adds to the Spirit that we feel. President Monson and his presidency all speak majestically and establish pathos and ethos with his audience. Conference is a time where the Lord's servants have received revelation for all of us and is such a good opportunity to receive personal revelation and guidance for ourselves with our individual problems and questions.