To All of My LDS Friends
(I am not saying you are guilty of this)
(As usual, if you post any off-color comments, or comments laden with swear words, they will be deleted. Thank you for reading.)
The scene is an all-too familiar one. You're in an LDS meetinghouse on a Sunday morning (or maybe afternoon if you're one of the lucky ones that has church at 2pm) and someone has just gotten up to give a talk. They often have some form of notes, typically some typed out pages or a magazine or note cards, and the person is often nervous. Then comes the 5 minute diatribe.
"Hello I am so and so..." it often begins, accompanied at times by a fairly long-winded explanation of who that person is, and why they are in the ward. Whether or not it's a long introduction we usually get something that sounds like the following:
"The bishop called (however long ago) and told me to give this talk. This is the topic I've been assigned_____. I really don't want to give a talk. I only prepared for 5 minutes (depending on whether or not they're speaking first) so I hope the person after me prepared more (or if they're speaking second) I was really hoping that (person before me) would have spoken longer so I wouldn't have to speak. Even though I've known for ________ long I procrastinated until last night so I'm hoping that the spirit will be with me and you'll get what you're supposed to out of my talk..."
5 minutes have passed, the silly joke about being scared has been given and everyone has laughed. The next step is often the person reading someone else's (a general authorities for instance) talk rather than their own-or perhaps a conglomerate of talks.
Rarely do they look up from their notes, and the only time anything from the heart is spoken it's at the very end of the talk in the "I'd like to bear my testimony" section. Often when a talk is read verbatim or is a conglomeration of other people's words the excuse is "so and so says it better than I ever could, so I'm going to read their words."
Another often given talk is the life journey talk. The speaker goes on and on about stories from their life that don't seem to have any centralized theme, except in their mind. They're disjointed, disorganized, and unprepared, and the result is a train wreck.
Now, I am not saying that every talk is this way, I'm expressing my frustration that more and more talks are becoming this way. Now before you tell me that you haven't heard talks like this, or that your ward is an exception let me say that in the past eight years I have lived in three different states, and attended some twenty different wards or more, and this pattern of preparation (or lack thereof) and talk delivery is becoming more and more prevalent in the church. So much so in fact that it is becoming the norm in many of our classroom settings such as sunday school or priesthood lessons. The "I forgot I was supposed to give a lesson today so I didn't really prepare and I'll really need the class to carry the lesson-lesson." The reason I'm writing this note is because, brother's and sisters:
We Can Do Better
One of our claims to fame as members of the LDS Church is that we are a lay ministry. We do not have a paid minister. We do not have the same individual or group of individuals telling us every week what we should think, how we should worship, what we should believe. Every week we have an opportunity to attend a ward where we are taught by someone who is just like you and me, a regular person with a regular job. They have been called by one having authority to prepare, and share the message that they have been inspired to give. More and more often lately, we are passing the buck. We are making excuses as to why this sacred opportunity is a chore, rather than a blessing beyond imagination.How can we have forgotten that this, the ability to give a talk in church, is a sacred privilege that is largely unheard of in the rest of the religious world? The same person that prepares as described earlier, that bemoans giving a talk, would likely despise having the same pastor every week. My suggestions are these;
Realize first of all, the sacred opportunity that you have to give a talk
If you have been asked to give a talk, it is not because the Bishop thinks that you need to work on that area, it's because the Bishop feels that it's something that everyone needs. You have been called and chosen to bring the spirit into the lives of those that you are speaking to. This is a sacred charge, and the words that you say may have eternal impact on those that you are speaking to. Treat your preparation and your delivery as such.
If Ye Have Not The Spirit Ye Shall Not Teach
We all know the principles of receiving the Spirit, they haven't changed in hundreds of years. Keep the commandments, internalize them, and all of the primary answers that I'm not going to include here. But if you want to have the Spirit while teaching, preparation is key. It is absolutely essential. Before going out to teach, the Savior of the world spent time in fasting and prayer. You must get the Spirit in order to teach, and you must take your preparation seriously, in order to get the Spirit.
Be Grateful that you have been asked to give a talk
You are one of a relatively small number of people on the face of the earth that has been given this amazing opportunity. Rather than despising the bishop for having called you to talk, you should be rejoicing at the opportunity. Is it uncomfortable? Of course it is! There are a relatively small percentage of people on this earth that are naturally great at public speaking, and feel super comfortable up in front of a crowd. But that is not reason to not rejoice at the opportunity, and be grateful.
Realize how ridiculous the alternative isFor instance, when was the last time you heard this in General Conference:
"The Prophet called me up about six months ago and told me to give a talk. I really didn't want to talk in General Conference and I really wish that Elder Holland had taken up more time so I didn't have to speak as long as I do. I guess I'll go ahead and talk. So I wasn't assigned a topic so I prayed about it and I guess this is what Heavenly Father wants me to say. I completely forgot I was supposed to give the talk until last night, so I didn't really prepare, and I really hope the spirit will teach you what you need to know about this."Ridiculous. No way should this ever happen, and it shouldn't happen in our ward or stake meetings.
Realize that you don't have to be an amazing public speaker
This is not a call to be an amazing public speaker. It is a call to be you, just a less whiny you. A grateful you. A you that understands and appreciates just how amazing an opportunity it is to stand and give a talk on a certain principle of the Gospel. If you don't have a testimony about the principle you've been called to speak on get one. If you're nervous about giving a talk, take comfort, you're not the first. If you downright don't want to give a talk, don't tell everyone. We don't need to know.
I realize that I'm probably going to offend some people with this post. There will be some people out there that will say "I don't know what you're talking about." There will be other' that want to bash me and tell me all the reasons why I'm wrong. That's ok. I've got pretty thick skin, and I can take it. Someone else might say "this seems like small beans compared to other things he could be talking about." But it isn't. One of the most essential aspects of our worship is our attendance at sacrament meeting. We go every week, and we go to be fed and nourished by the good word of God. If you go that way every week, and you want church to be a spiritual experience, then when you are called to give a talk that should be your entire goal, to give everyone else that same opportunity.
I will say that it's not my goal to offend anyone. I am not finger pointing, or laying blame. I am not calling anyone out in particular. I love my Church, and I want to be a force for good within it. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is God's word. It's time for us to step up and take our responsibilities seriously, especially as it pertains to speaking at Church. I know that this is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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