Post #7-General Conference Review

The talk that struck me the most in the last general conference was Elder Cook's talk "Choose Wisely" in the Priesthood Session. Elder Cook uses imagery and examples to establish his stance on agency that choices are very important.
Elder Cook uses imagery to stress the importance of choosing wisely. "Sometimes it feels like we are drowning in frivolous foolishness, nonsensical noise, and continuous contention"(16). Elder Cook uses 'drowning' to describe the prevalence of foolishness, contention, and noise in that these have a potential to spiritually suffocate us if we make poor choices, much like water suffocates a drowning individual. Another literary device that Elder Cook uses in his statement quoted above is the same letters at the beginning of each word in each adjective-noun combination. He uses this literary device to magnify the wrong in the traits of foolishness, noise, and contention.
Elder Cook also discusses an interview he had with a certain young man. Elder Cook was impressed with this young man's goals to go on a mission and attend the temple, but Elder Cook was unimpressed with the conduct of this certain young man and how it contradicted his worthy goals. Elder Cook uses this example of somebody who isn't focused on worthy goals as an example to tell young men to prepare to be "emissaries of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ"(11).