Conference by the Numbers: October 2017

Here it is: Conference by the Numbers, October 2017. If you'd like to know a little more how I got the numbers, you can visit this blog post. But basically, the "% Increase over Average # of mentions" is calculated by the frequency with which a word is referenced in October 2017 Conference divided by the average frequency with which the same word is referenced in all conferences from 1971 to 2017 minus 100%. The # of mentions shows how many times the word was used in October 2017 Conference. Thus, the word "Light" was mentioned about 200% more than the average conference. In other words, it was referenced ~120 times in October 2017, but usually it is referenced about 40 times.

For a few words and phrases, I wanted to look at how the conference usage has increased or decreased over time. Below are a few graphs of words showing their frequency of usage (# of times the word was used) vs the conference session. It is interesting to see which words/phrases have increased over time and which have just gone up or down depending on the conference.

Lastly, as a tribute to Elder Robert D. Hales, who passed away Oct. 1, 2017, I did an analysis of his talks over the last 30-40 years. You can see some of the words he emphasized in the Word Cloud below. I will miss Elder Hales' ministry and testimony that he gave, even while facing personal trials and hardship.

Conference by the Numbers: April 2017

It's time again for Conference By the Numbers: April 2017. If you didn't get to watch or listen to conference, you can read, listen, or watch here.

First, a few notes on the infographic. As with the past two Conference By the Numbers (October 2016 and April 2016), the main graphic focuses on emphasized words from conference talks. The horizontal axis indicates how many times a word was mentioned during the conference, in the text of the talk or in the footnotes. The vertical axis shows how the frequency of usage compared to an average conference. For example, an average conference would use the word "felt" about 25 times. This conference, the word was used 100% more, or about 50 times.

After looking at some of the emphasized words, I noticed that several words seemed to go in pairs, such as "Holy Ghost" or "Heavenly Father." I did a separate search to see how often these word combinations. In the box above the graph, you can see how many times the exact phrases "Doctrine and Covenants," "Holy Ghost," and "Heavenly Father" are used.

After looking over the emphasized words, I notice a theme of referring to the Godhead (Heavenly Father, Savior, Holy Ghost, see Elder Oaks' talk), the plan of salvation (President Eyring, Elder Oaks), and feeling or hearing the voice of the Holy Ghost (see Elder Stevenson, Elder Rasband).

For top scriptures, Moses 1:39 is not a surprise--it consistently comes in at the top at general conference (see this post). John 3:16 is also not a big surprise, given its wide popularity in Christendom. While not an obscure scripture, 2 Ne 28:30 usually doesn't come out in the top 10 list of cited scriptures. However, it is an appropriate reference for this conference given the emphasis on the Holy Ghost.

Of course, this is only a sampling of some of the topics that were emphasized in conference. What stood out to you from conference?

Conference by the Numbers: October 2016

Listen to October 2016 conference at https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10?lang=eng

 

A few notes on the infographic:

The most cited scripture chapter and verse are based on the chapter / verse cited by the most speakers. Some scriptures were cited multiple times by the same speakers, but these repeat citations weren't counted.

All word data is based on conference talks available online at lds.org. This limits the range of comparison from conference in 1971 to the present.

Emphasized words were selected based on words that occurred with above-average frequency during the October 2016 general conference.  Additional details on word comparison methods can be found at this blog post: http://visualscriptures.blogspot.com/2015/01/top-20-words-of-ezra-taft-benson.html

Conference by the Numbers, April 2016

What topics were mentioned most frequently or especially emphasized during the April 2016 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Take a look at the infographic below and see which words occurred with higher frequency than the average general conference. You can also see some of the words that were used for the very first time in a general conference--including the very first Star Wars reference that I could find. (Note: "all" conferences means conferences going back to April 1971, the earliest for which transripts are provided online at lds.org)

Family Proclamation References

A while back, my brother asked if I had looked at references to "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" in general conference talks. I had not looked at this previously, so I decided to give it a whirl. Here's a graph of conference references to "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" by year. I counted any reference to the entire title, or shorter versions like "Family Proclamation" of "The Proclamation on the Family." References could be in the talks themselves, or in the footnotes.

A few interesting facts:

• 2015 saw a record high high with 25 references between October and April conferences.
• Boyd K. Packer referenced the proclamation the most (12 times)
• If you read President Howard W. Hunter's talks when he was ordained President of the Church in October, 1994 (see Being a Righteous Husband and Father and Exceeding Great and Precious Promises), you will find many ideas and phrases that will later be incorporated into "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" as given by Gordon B. Hinckley in September, 1995.

Conference by the Numbers, October 2015

Here's my take on the numbers for the 185th semi-annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, October 3-4, 2015. You can also check out my post from last conference.

Top Word Counters

In my last post, I showed how word counts in General Conference changed over time. I noticed that certain terms would have a spike in certain years, often attributable to a single talk. In honor of those talks that give extensive reference to a single word and topic, I've compiled a list of "Top Word Counters." There's no particular reason for the selected topics, except that I picked them. I've arranged them from highest to lowest word count per talk. Enjoy reading some of these classic talks!

Top Word Counters

Mission(ary)--62
Milton R Hunter, April 1972
The Miracle of Missionary Work

Temple--59
Thomas S Monson, April 2011
The Holy Temple—a Beacon to the World

Light--53
Robert D Hales, April 2002
Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light

Family--50
James A. Cullimore, October 1975
Family Home Evening

Baptism/Baptize--48
James E Faust, April 2001
Born Again

Faith--47
Dallin H Oaks, April 1994
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Mercy--47
Marion D Hanks, October 1981
My Specialty Is Mercy

Priesthood--46
Robert D Hales, October 1995
Blessings of the Priesthood

Sabbath--39
James E Faust, October 1991
The Lord's Day

Repent(ance)--31
Russell M Nelson, April 2007
Repentance and Conversion

Grace--29
Gene R. Cook, April 1993
Receiving Divine Assistance through the Grace of the Lord

Family History--23
Dennis B. Neuenschwander, April 1999
Bridges and Eternal Keepsakes

Obey/Obedience--21
James E. Faust, April 1999
Obedience: The Path to Freedom

Genealogy--16
Russell M. Nelson, April 1998
A New Harvest Time