To what in the Book of Mormon can we “liken” Elder Holland’s recent remarks at BYU? Elder Holland’s talk was a gentle reminder compared to some of what Book of Mormon leaders  were required to do to get the attention of Church members in their time. See, e.g., Enos 1:23 “And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them.”

Church leaders have to do what they have to do to raise the warning voice in perilous times.