Matt's Analysis of "Why the Churchis as True as the Gospel"

Matthew Walden
Professor Kerry Spencer
English 150H
26 September 2011
The One True Church

“The Church is true;” we hear it every Sunday. However, what makes the Church true? Ultimately, we can determine for ourselves that the gospel is true, but that does not directly indicate that the Church is true. In fact, many other churches have adopted the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” as their official doctrine, and yet, they are still missing the fullness of the truth. It seems we testify about a true church, even though we are not sure what the definition of a true church is. In his essay entitled “Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel,” Eugene England uses personal anecdote, analogy, and appeals to logos to effectively show members of the LDS Church that the Church is indeed true and integral to salvation.

Brother England makes extensive use of personal anecdote to get his point across. For example, Brother England explains how when, as bishop, he read Book of Mormon passages to a young woman who was trapped in a cycle of despair, and that he knew that he had the power “to apply the atoning blood of Jesus Christ”(220). By sharing this very personal story, the reader becomes better acquainted with Brother England’s point: that the trueness of the Church can be found easily in its application of the gospel of Christ. Because the proof is contained in the experience of the author, the point is clarified and more straightforward.
Additionally, Brother England has a passage in his essay where he contrasts his experience as bishop of the Stanford ward, where he had to understand the gospel as “idealistic, abstract, and critical”(224), with his experience as a Bishop in a Utah young families ward, where the experience was “practical, specific, sacrifices, exasperating, and more satisfying and redemptive”(224). Once again, through the use of his own experience, Brother England is able to present two different views of the gospel: one of which is a theoretical, big picture view, and one of which is a practical and applicable view. By sharing these two views, Brother England shows his preference for the latter, strengthening his point that the church functions best as the gospel in action.

In another instance, Brother England uses anecdote when he discusses his childhood experience in church, Brother England describes the memorable aspects of his church visit, and he compares these aspects to what he remembers now. He describes the “Singing Mothers”(Jorgensen 219), and how the stake conferences were “boring”(219). These phrases are in direct opposition to the “presence of such grace”(219) that he had felt while listening to the words of President (then Elder) Harold B. Lee. Through the use of his anecdote, Brother England is effective in showing that the church is more than just a boring infrastructure, but a more divinely inspired infrastructure.

Throughout his essay, Brother England also draws upon effective and relevant analogy to get his point across. For example, in order to illustrate the fact that “There must needs be opposition in all things,” Brother England gives examples of how most philosophical ideas come with clear opposition, including “reason vs. emotion….. Men vs. women…. and justice vs. mercy” (220). Through the use of this likening, Brother England points out that all of these so-called “opposing things” actually work together to accomplish a clear goal. By doing this, Brother England is simply warming people up to his point: that opposition in the church is necessary and good.

In another instance, Brother England, spends a large portion of his essay comparing the church to a marriage, encouraging the reader to “substitute the word ‘marriage’ for church’” in the following passages. This analogy clearly and effectively helps to define the church in contrast to the gospel. This is because when the church is compared with marriage, it becomes clearer as to why the church is essential, which is to force us to change ourselves in order to be compatible with the teachings of the gospel.

Finally, Brother England uses scriptural comparison in order to get his point across, often citing the works of Paul, Lehi, or Joseph Smith. The reason he does this is so the audience, a group of informed members of the LDS church, would better relate to the points presented in the essay. In a sense, Brother England uses a sense of ethos through his scriptural analysis, as he builds off the knowledge of well-respected LDS heroes.

All in all, the core of Brother England’s essay is based around an appeal to logos. Brother England uses principles from the gospel, which he assumes his audience knows is true, and logically applies them to the church, bolstering the church’s validity. For example, Brother England presents the principle, from the Book of Mormon, that there “must needs be opposition in all things”(220). Because his purpose in writing is to defend the truthfulness of the church, he applies this statement to the church, and makes the claim that the church’s imperfections are constructive, thereby refuting and clarifying the contested statement that the “…gospel is true….but the church is imperfect”(220). Essentially, Brother England logically binds those who believe in Christ’s gospel but not the holiness of our church.

In a later part of the essay, England uses logos through the act of defining key words. For example, Brother England defines the “true church” in the beginning of his essay, saying that the true church helps us to “gain salvation by grappling constructively with the oppositions of existence”(221). By defining a term that is central to the meaning of the essay, Brother England uses logos to directly address the issue at hand.

Finally, in his conclusion, Brother England states “the church is the instrument provided by God in order to return to him”(228). In the pinnacle of his argument, Brother England provides a complimentary, yet alternative definition of the Church. Through the use of logos, Brother England essentially builds up his reliability, so that he can end with a final thesis statement.

In Conclusion, Brother England employs the use of anecdote, analogy, and logos in order to prove the validity of his claim: that the Church is just as true as the gospel. Through his syncretic blend of temporal argument and spiritual subject matter, Brother England is able to effectively change the perspective of his audience. He is able to prove to the audience that the organization and practices of the church are as divinely inspired as any teaching of Jesus Christ.