How to Prepare a Great Sacrament Talk

How to Prepare a Great Sacrament Talk
By Erin Jones

I’m one of those weird people who actually likes to give talks, but
I realize not everyone is as strange as I am. Not many churches
besides ours let lay members talk in front of the congregation, and
the prospect can be nerve racking, intimidating, and downright
scary. It gets even worse if you are unprepared. Yes, the Spirit can
inspire you, but not if you haven’t spent time and energy preparing.
And remember, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (Doctrine and
Covenants 38:30).

Here are some of the things I’ve learned throughout the years that
have helped me prepare better sacrament talks.

1. Give Yourself Time: Use your scripture study during the days or
weeks leading up to your talk to study about the topic. References
such as the Bible Dictionary or Topical Guide can be great helps, as
are talks from general authorities on the subject.

2. Decide on the Main Idea of Your Talk: Narrow in on the main idea
or point you want to come across. It might even help to brainstorm
a title for your talk. For example, general authorities’ talks usually
aren’t titled just “Revelation” or “Conversion,” but rather “How
to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life” or
“Conversion to His Gospel through His Church.”

3. Think About Your Audience: Ponder and pray about the people
you will be speaking to and think about their needs and how you can
address them. Seek inspiration through study and prayer as to what
this specific group of people needs to hear.

4. Create an Outline: Just like writing an essay, it’s important to
determine the main points you want to hit in your talk. The points
should all tie in to the main topic, and ideally should all build upon
each other. Think about what questions your audience could have
and how you can address them as you outline your points.

5. Weave in Scriptures, Quotes, and Examples: Look at your master
list and decide where to plug in different scriptures, quotes, and
examples. Make sure that you have a good balance of all three to
add variety to your talk.

6. Use Humor: Using humor is okay, as long as it doesn’t distract
from the doctrine. Notice how Elder Holland included humor in his
talk from October 2012 General Conference when he said, “What
a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice
every time anyone around you has a happy moment!” He let the
congregation have a quick breather, but he immediately moved on
to the doctrine.

7. Testify: Testimony meeting shouldn’t be the only meeting where
we hear testimony. Throughout your talk, testify of the principles
you are teaching. The conclusion of your talk is a good place to
testify of what you talked about and share how you have changed as
a result of studying and living this topic.

8. Pray: Don’t forget to pray throughout the whole process. Pray
for the people you will be speaking to and that you will be inspired
to say what they need to hear. Pray that the Spirit will guide you to
what you need to say and help you say it in an effective manner.
Pray that you will be confident and peaceful as you give your talk.

Remember that the Spirit is the teacher, not you. Have confidence
in Christ, not in yourself, and He will help you do what may seem
impossible at first. So next time you are assigned to give a talk, think

of it as a blessing and an opportunity to learn and grow, because
that’s just what it is!