PREPARING & DELIVERING INSPIRING TALKS “And now, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other…” (D&C 43:8) “There are more men (and women) who talked themselves upward than with all the scientists, writers, saints, and doers combined. Talkers have always ruled. They will continue to rule. The smart thing is to join them.” [Bruce Barton 1886-1967] Most, if not all, of our General Authorities have one thing in common – they are persuasive, inspiring, and captivating speakers. ORGANIZING YOUR TALK “If I am speaking for an hour, I am ready now. But if I am speaking for ten minutes, I will need at least a month to prepare.” The lesser the time available to you the more thorough preparation is required. In the church, most talks should only last no more than ten minutes. Therefore, the necessity to prepare for church talks is more crucial than most have thought. We need to increase the quality of talks in the church. They ought to be instructive and edifying. I am sharing with you some of the tools and techniques of effective talks so that your next speaking opportunity is memorable for you and your audience. I have included many examples. The preparation to speak actually happens long before the opportunity to speak presents itself. This preparation includes regularly reading the scriptures, memorizing quotations, reading church magazines and learning from our church leaders. Everything you experience, hear, and learn in all sorts of situations and experiences are all future materials to an inspiring talk. Be alert for lessons you can learn from everywhere and from everybody. You never know when you will be able to use it in a church talk. What is your subject? Choose a subject you are familiar and preferably one where you have some experience already. Professional speakers only speak about their expertise. So speak about topics you already have some sort of expertise. If you have been on a mission, it is much easier to talk about missionary work. Not only that, you will be able to share some of your personal experiences to expound your message. Sometimes a topic is assigned to you to speak about. If it is not familiar to you, feel free to suggest a subject you are more comfortable with. Who is your audience? We speak to three kinds of audiences in the church – children, youth, and adults. When speaking to children you speak in simple words, reinforced by pictures, packed with action, and your message short. If you can inject lots of humor, speak on contemporary topics, and use their language, you can be a sure hit among the youth. Adults prefer to be involved and want to enjoy listening to a speaker. If you have a mixed audience then you can combine one or two elements of what works for each audience.
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