1. The Sin of Unpreparedness.  Many speakers seriously underestimate the time required to prepare a spiritual and thoughtful sacrament talk.  Basic preparation includes sufficient time for prayer, scripture study, and careful drafting.  Given the opportunity to address a large audience, the speaker has a special responsibility to prepare himself responsibly and thoroughly.  Such preparation time will vary, of course, based upon the experience of the speaker.  Waiting until the last minute, however, almost always guarantees substandard presentations.

As a newly married couple, my wife and I spoke on reverence in our ward in Houston Texas.  Several weeks later I was horrified to read a review of my talk by a journalist in a popular local magazine who had attended the meeting.  Although I was not mentioned expressly by name, the talk that the author referred to as “pedestrian” was clearly mine.  After thinking about my preparation, I realized that it had been inadequate and substandard.  In contrast, President Monson in his conference address “Duty Calls” provides an extraordinarily glimpse as to how truly great church talks are prepared (Thomas S. Monson, “Duty Calls,” Ensign, Nov. 2001, 49).

2.   The Sin of Time Encroachment.  As a law professor, I quickly learned that students stop listening once class time is technically over.  At the appointed ending time, students put down their pens and their eyes glaze over.  Even if I were giving the answer to a future exam, the students will not pay attention if class time is over.  Often they can even become somewhat hostile at being held over, almost as if their civil rights are being violated.

Next time a speaker exceeds the appointed ending time in sacrament meeting, observe your fellow listeners.  Scriptures will be being put away, eyes will be watching the clocks, and families will be cleaning up Cheerios.  No matter how important a speaker believes his or her message to be, continuing to talk is like whistling in the wind. 

3. The Sin of Out-and-Out Time Theft.  A principal reason why speakers often commit the sin of time encroachment is because the preceding speaker committed a brazen theft of time.  Speakers appear to exceed their allotted time for a variety of reasons.  Poor preparation is often a culprit.  A lack of respect for priesthood direction and inspiration can be another.  Regardless, such practices hurt the quality and spirit of sacrament meeting. 

J. Golden Kimball had the following reaction to B.H. Roberts taking more than his fair share of time in a meeting:

Once at a meeting [B.H. Roberts] spoke nearly an hour and left his colleague, J. Golden Kimball, only five minutes.  J. Golden arose and said in his high falsetto: “BH Roberts is the senior president of the Seventy and has taken all the time.  Someday he will be dead and I will be president.  Then I will take all the time.”  He then sat down (Truman Madsen, Defender of the Faith: The B.H. Roberts Story, page 350).

Bishoprics typically provide speakers with guidelines as to how much time they are to take.  This time allocation is based on the bishopric’s determination of the importance of the topic and the time required for other speakers.  Taking more time than suggested upsets that balance.  Remaining speakers are short-changed.  They are left with the decision to either cut material or exceed the meeting time.

Speakers often exceed their time limit because of poor preparation.  A dry run at home easily helps a speaker determine how long his or her talk would take.  Failing to practice places the speaker in danger of speaking too long, especially if the speaker does not do much public speaking.  A carefully rehearsed and prepared talk will not only ensure that this second sin is not violated, but will also result in a more spiritual and powerful message to the congregation.   

4.  The Sin of Repeating Urban Legends.  To add impact to their talks, speakers often draw upon what are frequently referred to as “urban legends.”  Urban legends are stories that have been told and retold as true, but often can’t be confirmed or authenticated.    Afraid of using their own experiences and events, speakers often repeat these to illustrate a particular point or principle.

One of the most popular Mormon urban legends (and one that I admit still touches me) involves a sibling willing to donate blood to another, even though the child believes that it will trigger his own death.  There are several practical problems with using such stories. 

First, it is unclear whether many of these stories even occurred.  If they did actually occur, it is unclear if the facts are correct.  Elder Bruce R. McConkie, one of the Church’s most prominent orators, warned that many such stories often get better with age.  From Father To Son: Joseph F. McConkie on Gospel Teaching, interview with Devan Jensen http://www.meridianmagazine.com/articles/050503father.html.

Second, I believe that the spirit of the Holy Ghost cannot testify to the heart of a listener if the story related is not true, regardless of the principle or the speaker’s sincerity.

Third, reliance on such stories robs the audience of stories from the speaker’s own life.  In contrast to these urban myths, I have been touched and inspired as individuals have recounted their own struggles, spiritual experiences and events that have incurred in their own life.   Such personal accounts provide an immediacy and impact that repeating the urban legends from the lives of other cannot provide.

5.  The Sin of Drawing Upon Inappropriate Material.    Members often want to share insights that they have gained from popular culture and attempt to relate them to gospel principles.  Regardless of a speaker’s sincerity, equating the “Force” from Star Wars with the influence of the Holy Ghost is probably not appropriate.   For whatever reason, Star Wars, Star Trek and James Bond seem to resonate with many speakers, prompting them to share insights they have learned from these shows in sacrament meeting.  Such use of popular cultural icons, however, typically will only detract from the spirit of the meeting.

6.  The Sin of Giving “Too Much Information.”   Closely related to the use of inappropriate material are situations in which the speaker provides, as expressed in the vernacular, “too much information.”  Material should be tailored and presented appropriately for the audience and the situation.  Typically stories or facts intended to shock or amaze the audience are not appropriate unless they have been edited carefully.  For example, a young father once heroically tried to recount his wife’s labor in the hospital in his sacrament talk.  I had a hard time explaining to my four-year-old why the speaker was talking about a “bucket of blood.”  I didn’t even realize that she was listening so intently as she sat coloring.

7.   The Sin of Casting Blame on Others for Your Speaking Assignment.  Speakers cannot seem to resist the urge to blame or chastise the bishopric member that asked them to speak.  Typically the speaker will highlight that they were asked to speak with only a few days notice.  Although such chastisement may be deserved, the pulpit is not the appropriate moment.    

Upon being asked to speak at the last minute, it is unclear why speakers are so intent on publicly embarrassing their leaders.  The intent is clearly not malicious, but instead seems to be aimed at providing an excuse against “inadequate preparation” should the talk not go well.  Because they were asked to speak so late, the argument would be that they didn’t have adequate time to prepare, which is why their talk may not be as good as should have been. 

Providing such an excuse harms the credibility of the speaker.  Some speakers may take you at your word that because you had inadequate time to prepare, your talk will be inadequate.  Although the talk may actually be terrific, the speaker may have already lost some of his or her audience.

Members are blessed with multiple opportunities in their lifetime to speak in Sacrament meeting to hundreds of people.  With such opportunity, however, comes a sacred responsibility to prepare spiritual, thoughtful and appropriate messages.   By keeping these seven commandments in mind, a speaker can help ensure that he delivers just such a message.