Alicia's Analysis of "Mother Eve"

Alicia Lutui

Dr. Kerry Spencer

Writing 150 Honors, Winter 2012

“Mother Eve, Mentor for Today’s Women”

Beverly Campbell is a very experienced and well educated woman who has held the title as the director of International Affairs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has worked with various types of people around the world from different cultures and religions. In her article, “Mother Eve, Mentor for Today’s Woman: A Heritage of Honor”, she uses logos and ethos to effectively analyze her opinions on the world’s deranged beliefs that our oldest mother Eve is to blame for all the trials, tribulations, and agonizing pain this world suffers. Their ignorance and stubbornness for these misinterpretations of scriptures and incorrect images and ideas cause not only Eve but women in general to be portrayed and treated as if they are abominations to this life.

Throughout the article, Campbell constantly uses deductive logic to portray her point of view. Most of her evidence comes from latter-day prophets; she uses their counsel and guidance to prove her claims. For example, when discussing the matter of whether or not Eve was actively or passively included in the Garden of Eden, there are quotes from President Spencer W. Kimball and Elder McConkie and after a brief but clear analysis of their doctrines, she writes, “. . . in this phrase ‘man’ is always in the plural from the beginning. . . Thus the name of Adam and Eve as a united partnership”. She is basing all of her evidence off of other’s discoveries and revelations. She speaks with complete confidence in her sources therefore and never leaves room for any questions. And at the end of every section of her article he always states how misinterpretations and/or how clarity changes the dynamics of every story. Her analyzing and use of deductive logic to prove that many Eve is a “cornerstone” for this gospel and many others is effective. Also, she does a phenomenal job making it clear that those who do not believe the words of her sources are uneducated and ignorant.

Another example of logos throughout Campbell’s article is found when Campbell is explaining what “help meet” means. She gives a definition from the Oxford English Dictionary, and then she breaks down the word origin in Hebrew. Her explanation and analyzing of the word only makes her article stronger because of how clear and reasonable her explanation is. She states that the literal meaning is “even with or equal to” and then she breaks down the word which says that it means “to save, or as a savior” and to “be strong". After which she tied in a personal experience with how definition had helped a sister-in-law. She made her explanation clear and personal only making it le arguable. She then ends the section by stating that Adam and Eve were equal partners, just like how all men and women are equal today.

Aside from logos, she also uses ethos to make her argument even more credible. Campbell was a director for International Affairs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and also wrote two books about Mother Eve called Eve and the Choice Made in Eden and Eve and the Mortal Journey. She is a well-educated and confident woman. She definitely knows her material because she has already written two books on the subject and she has had plenty of research and seen different points of views to help create her own. She begins her essay with a quote from a work of her own. In introducing this, she says, “In the entry on Eve in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, which I was privileged to write, the lead paragraph reads,” and then she quotes the segment. Because of how she introduced her work, she owns her article, has complete confidence, and gives off a vibe as if she’s ready to defend anything that comes to her way making no one even have to desire to question her argument.

Another example of ethos used in this article is Campbell’s use and presentation of the sources she provides. She has obviously conducted some research and uses her own background knowledge to state her argument. Her evidence consists of examples and quotes from prophets, scriptures, scholars, writers, and a variety of other reliable sources. And because of how she presents these claims and examples one after another yet still managing to give a clear analytical point of view, one will never want or even think to question her research or point of view because it is so obvious that she knows what she is writing and has shown her work in that way. Her authority and credibility throughout the article is so strong that one respects Campbell immediately and believes all of her views on Eve.

Beverly Campbell is a woman with big ideas. She has a passion for letting the world know that Eve is falsely accused of bringing doom to all man kind and presents it effectively using logos and ethos.