"The phone's for you, it's the Bishop..." Part II

"The phone's for you, it's the Bishop..."
 

Ok, quick, you hear those words, how many excuses can you come up with in 10 seconds?? "Gee Bishop, My family is going to be in town this week, and Brooklynn's coming down with a cough and there's a huge solar storm that's suppose to hit the earth late Saturday night or early Sunday morn..."

So what does that call usually lead to?

Last week we talked about 8 Tips to Preparing a Conference-Caliber Talk. This week, let's go over 7 Ways to keep Grandpa awake and Jr. Quiet.

Ok, that's a tall order, but these tips will make the presentation of your talk 77.36% better, or your money back!*

Visualize the entire congregation in their bunny slippers
ok, that probably do very little, but feel free to try it out! Ok, take two...ACTION!!

Pray
Before going up to speak, pray to have the Spirit with you...then LISTEN to it when you speak.

Don't tell about what you thought when the Bishop called you
We all know the feeling, it's not necessary to explain how much you didn't want to talk.

If you tell a joke, make sure it's pertinent to your topic
Natural humor is funny, canned jokes get old fast!

Remember you have a unique perspective
At this moment, you are the conduit for the Father to teach His children, take comfort in that and seek to say what He would have you say.

15 minutes means 15 minutes
My Mission President taught me this one. The bishopric plans out the meetings, that's why they give us a time frame. If they say 15 minutes, don't speak for 16, and don't speak for 13. This keeps the meeting on track.

Smile
Take joy in the Gospel. Let the Prophet Joseph's view in D&C 128:22-23 permeate through your talk.

Testify
Bear testimony frequently THROUGHOUT your talk, not just at the end. It invites the Spirit to confirm your words to those who hear it.


By employing 7, or at least some of these suggestions, you will have a better chance of keeping Grandpa awake and Jr. quiet, not a 100% chance, but better.  And the great part is, that those listening should learn something, and you will invite the Spirit, and we all know that the Spirit is the most important part of any talk! 

Question: What suggestions do you have for giving a great Sacrament Meeting talk?





*Offer not valid in Alaska, Hawaii, the continental United States, or any of the 7 major continents. Most restrictions apply! :)



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