Setting the Mood for Your Talk
A common approach to LDS talks seems to be to introduce yourself, tell a random joke, and then start the talk. The trouble with the standard approach is that this can make it difficult for listeners to feel the spirit right from the start.
Before deciding your style for the talk, think about the topic. Is it a very serious one, or a lighter topic? A lighter topic can handle a more entertaining start, but a very serious topic cannot. If you get your audience laughing, it will be difficult to transition into a talk on the atonement.
Let's look at one of the more powerful talks given in General Conference:
Jeffrey R. Holland, “None Were with Him,” Ensign, May 2009, 86–88
Notice Elder Holland does not use a joke. He is about to give a serious, powerful talk, and he doesn't want to have to take them from laughter to spirituality in a few moments. Even an expert, which he is, would find that difficult. Instead, he issues a low-key thank you and then explains who the talk is for. Then he moves directly into his topic. He didn't want his audience in a light-hearted mood for this talk because he had only a few minutes to share with them a serious, moving topic. There was no time to waste in transition.
While searching the Ensign edition from a recent General Conference, I found no talks starting with
jokes. Although there sometimes are talks that begin with humor, I was unable to find one in several searches. Generally we can presume humor will be used in lighter talks, such as when President Hinckley spoke on a series of brief topics. Normally, you want to begin as you want them to end. If you want them to feel spiritual at the end of the talk, start out spiritually. If you want them fired up, start out fired up. The one time I began with humor during a church talk was when I was asked to speak on Primary. My goal was to make a Primary calling sound appealing to people who might think they'd hate to get one. For this talk, humor mingled with some spiritual stories worked well. They learned Primary is indeed a good place to learn the gospel, but also a fun place to hang out. This was not a deep talk, so humor was appropriate.
Words have power. The specific words you choose will set the tone for the entire talk. Choose your words carefully, so that you use the best word for the mood. Slang brings about a casual mood. More formal language suggests a more serious talk. Speak in a serious tone on serious subjects, smile when you want people to feel joyful and encouraged. Catch the eyes of those who are being a distraction to win them back.
Speak softly on ocassion to make people listen more carefully to a somber topic. Speak a little more loudly when you want to bring about an emotional reaction--but don't yell or pound the pulpit. Listen to the broadcast of the talk referenced above to note how Elder Holland uses volume, word choice, and emotion to make his listeners feel what he wants them to feel.
Remember you only have ten to fifteen minutes to reach your audience. Don't waste any time on meaningless jokes that then force you to struggle to alter the mood of the listeners. The most important moment in setting the mood is when you deliver your first sentence. Make it count.
The best way to learn to give powerful talks is to listen to great speakers and study their techniques. Here's a talk to start with:
What do you want to do next?
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Terrie Lynn Bittner - All Rights Reserved