“Delivering an Effective Talk,” Liahona, Aug. 2010, 10–11

Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints means more than sitting in church, listening to others speak. The Savior has organized His Church to give all of us opportunities to grow spiritually. One of those opportunities is speaking in church, which can be an exhilarating and spiritually satisfying experience.

To make the most of their talks, effective speakers show enthusiasm, share stories and personal experiences, use quotes and scriptures, and speak through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Show Enthusiasm The more enthusiastic we are about the gospel, the more others will see our fire and have a desire to experience the same feelings. On the other hand, if our talks﻿—especially at the outset﻿—are filled with apologies or negative statements, we may discredit ourselves, lessen our message, and offend the Spirit. By being excited and eager to share their message﻿—the Lord’s message﻿—confident speakers bless others.

Share Stories and Personal Experiences When we share a powerful story or personal experience, our message can have a lasting impact on our listeners. People love to hear stories. That’s why heads pop up and attention increases when we share them. All of us have experienced memorable events. It just takes creativity and energy to make the telling of a story interesting. If we can’t think of an appropriate personal story, we can always share a story from the Church magazines. When sharing personal experiences, effective speakers: Practice telling their stories beforehand so they don’t have to read them and can maintain eye contact with the congregation.

Keep their stories short and interesting.

Fluctuate their tone of voice and convey feeling.

Relate descriptive details when appropriate.

Occasionally show a sense of humor but understand that not all talks require a joke.

Make their point at the end of each story.

Use Quotes and Scriptures The words of the Lord and His servants teach, inspire, guide, and motivate. If we can bring their words to life in our talks, we can affect others in a positive and profound way. When citing scriptures and quotes, good speakers: Share the background and history of scriptures and quotes to help listeners understand their significance.

Focus on only a few scriptures and quotes.

Emphasize important parts.