Preparing a sacrament meeting talk can be nerve-racking, so here are a few cardinal rules you should follow to help you give the best talk possible.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have no professionally paid clergy to give weekly sermons. As such, members of local congregations are asked to speak.
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Here are 10 suggestions to keep in mind when preparing and delivering a sacrament meeting talk from personal experience. Ideally, these suggestions will help increase the quality of our talks and add to the spirituality of the Sabbath day meeting. There are five don’ts and five dos.
1. Don’t give excuses.
There’s no need to start out apologizing or saying, “I’m not prepared,” or “I don’t like to speak in public,” or “I didn’t start writing my talk until late last night.” The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30.) Even so, butterflies are normal. Public speaking isn’t easy, but it’s better not to give excuses.
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