Editor's Note: The Top of the Morning staff noted a recent post at the LDS Publisher's blog where a reader asked this question about how to become part of the LDS Speakers Circuit. Author David G. Woolley offers the following commentary. And be sure to check back soon for our featured post this week: Lehi's 600 Year Prophecy.
The Divine Speaker's Circuit Inc ©., Established April 6th, 1830.
Teaching. There are so many ways. Lectures. Classes. The most difficult of all? Example. The most typical? Speaking. Education isn't only an exercise in cultural preservation or job procurement. It’s divine. The subjects covered are wide ranging. Things in heaven. Things in the earth. Things under the earth. Things that will shortly come to pass. Things which are abroad. Things at home. Wars. The perplexities of men. Of countries and of kingdoms. Theory. Principle. Doctrine. (D&C 88: 77-79).
That's why God restored the The Divine Speakers Circuit© with the largest speaker pool on earth and more weekly engagements than any other circuit. General conference. General Relief Society meeting. General Priesthood meeting. Stake Conference. Ward Conference. Testimony meeting. Sacrament meeting. Relief Society lessons. Priesthood lessons. Sunday school. Family Home Evening. Sometimes you're the listener. Other times you're the featured speaker. No matter the venue, you're always involved in one important salvational objective: diligently teaching one another.
The professional speakers circuit is an alluring endeavor. Motivational seminars. Business conferences. Power lunches. Entertaining preaching for profit. Give a speech at BYU's Education Week and you have your reward. A moment in the spotlight. A few adoring fans. An increase in book sales. The Divine Speakers Circuit© is not nearly as glamorous a business operation. No large crowds. No devoted fans. No money. God's speaking gig was never intended to be attractive. Gospel speaking engagements offer little more than peace. Bear your testimony in Relief Society and your reward is eternal. A moment of solace in a turbulent world. A thankful neighbor. An increase measure of the spirit.
There are no eager BYU Education Week conference goers attending your Sunday school lessons. There are no appreciative Time Out For Women conference-circuit junkies listening to your testimony bearing the first Sunday of the month. There aren't many reviews written of your sacrament meeting talk. No press. No media. No advertisements. It’s just you, your family, your neighbors and the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It’s a no-paying, low attendance, help-your-family, help-your-neighbor program. It’s also required for salvation (See D&C 68:25).
For no charge the Divine Speakers Circuit© offers well-pondered, spirit-guided sacrament meeting talks. Testimonies born of the spirit. Sunday school lessons grounded in the scriptures. Priesthood meetings evidencing personal experimentation with planting the seed of faith. Relief Society meetings that harvest the rewards of the atonement. And at no extra charge, you can have missionaries over for a power lunch of restoration proportions. The Divine Speaker's Circuit© is flourishing. Have you heard?
Speakers wanted.
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Join author David G. Woolley at his Promised Land Website.
8 comments:
I used to hate speaking in public. I am an extremly shy and private person. Then I was called to the Stake Young Adult presidency/committe whatever it was called, when I was in college. It was our turn to host the tri-stake fireside. All I had to do was stand up and introduce the speaker- the "he has 6 kids, 1 wife" introduction. And I was terrified. Then just before we finished singing the opening hymn, the highcouncelman leaned over to me and said, "When you introduce the speaker, first would you take 10 minutes and speak on____?" I think that was my first talk that I had to rely entirely on the Spirit.
It was another 10 years before I became somewhat comfortable at the pulpit. And good at it as well, if I might add. But it is still those heart to hear, spirit to spirit, mother to child, friend to friend that I enjoy the most.
You mentioned something that I think that we too often forget. "Sometimes we are the listener." Without someone to listen to us, to hear us, all of our speaking is in vain and just a lot of hot air. Those of us in the congregation/audience have just as much responsibility to listen and learn as does the speaker to speak and teach. Those meetings that I have gotten the most out of are not necessarily the ones with the most accomplished speaker, but those in which I as a listener was the most engaged and actively participating in by paying attention. Thank you for this reminder (especially since I did check out mentally during one of todays talks- woops)
As usual, a thought-provoking post, Brother Woolley.
Public speaking doesn't bother me at all. Public singing? Well, that bothers the audience even more than it bothers me. No, wait, that's a lie, it bothers me even more than it bothers the audience. Whatever, you get the gist.
IMHO, Dave, you are as fantastic at a pulpit as you are on the pitch. ;>
Sorry to respond to an "old" post.
On my first peruse through your blog this caught my eye. It is my turn to teach on Sunday. After prayer the assignment is clear: "Help them taste the fruit."
I know that my sisters need the spiritual strength that comes from the nutrient rich fruit of the Love of God.However, I feel so foolish standing before them and "teaching" them anything. My life looks like a picnic compared to many of theirs. My husband didn't leave me last month; my home isn't in foreclosure; I don't have cancer; my child isn't in ICU; I didn't just bury a loved one; etc., etc. How can I stand there and testify that the only way to get through hard things is to daily make your way to the tree and partake of the Love of God? Thanks for the inspiration. Perhaps if I prepare spiritually and ask the right questions, they will teach each other--and me.
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Good to know.
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