Public speaking is a common fear. But, when you're a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it comes with the territory. Regardless of your previous experience or comfort level, chances are that at some point you will be asked to teach a class (be it group of hyperactive children, know-it-all teenagers, or drowsy adults) and/or speak in Sacrament Meeting (in front of all three groups mentioned above). These assignments certainly provide opportunities for learning and growth (see D &C 88:122), but they can also make for some rather awkward moments.
We've all been in a church meeting where the pulpit has been high-jacked by somebody who probably had a point in the beginning but has long since forgotten it or is simply unable to verbally find their way back to it (perhaps you were the one at the pulpit?). Lately, when I find myself among a bewildered congregation, I have tried to exercise a greater degree of charity for the speaker. After all, "Charity sufferth long and is kind...thinketh no evil...rejoiceth in truth...endureth all things" (Moroni 7:45). This afternoon, I was praying extra hard for a soon-to-be missionary delivering his "farewell" talk. Oh. Boy.
I predicted that we'd all be in for a meandering tour of his thought processes when I recognized him as the guy who had taken 25 minutes in a testimony meeting to relate a story about strangers assisting him with car trouble. I guessed right. Poor fellow. He was sweating and kept telling everybody about it. When exhalling forcefully into the microphone failed to aleviate his anxiety, he began to giggle uncontrollably. I pictured him on a doorstep in this condition and hoped that he was going to a foreign country where perhaps his awkwardness would be attributed to his Americaness and a limited vocabulary would necesitate brevity in his comments. By the time he finished, the choir number that was meant to be the rest hymn had become the closing hymn. The song we sang was incredibly fitting. The lyrics below were written by Elder Neal A. Maxwell (one of the most articulate men I've ever heard).
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I cannot speak the smallest part
Of what I deeply feel.
Though toungue may fail,
My eager heart, God's Spirit will reveal.
His light illuminates the weak,
When the Holy Spirit speaks.
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When I feel more than I can tell
Or mere words can convey,
The Spirit can express it well,
If done in God's own way.
The simplest words become replete,
When the Holy Spirit speaks.
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One truth is sure and compensates
For things not understood.
God strengthens those who consecrate
Their weakness for His good.
His love will magnify the meek,
When the Holy Spirit speaks.
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I recall frequently thinking, as a missionary, "Oh wow. The gospel MUST be true or else why would the Lord trust a bunch of goofy people to declare it to the world? If this were a fraud, we would have messed it up by now." But that's the beauty of it. He uses small and simple means to bring about great things.
Wow, that must have been really awkward! Poor guy. We had one young man giving his farewell talk who started out fine, but halfway through his talk he started acting really funny and slurring his words and not making any sense. Then he sort of mumbled, I'm not feeling well.... and fainted! He literally collapsed in slow motion, it was very strange and funny, and scary, all at the same time. Someone on the stand was able to catch him before he hit the floor though, thank goodness! I think we all decided that he must have locked his knees while speaking and that cut off the oxygen or something. Poor kid, I bet he was REALLy glad to be leaving for 2 years after that embaressing incident! Just goes to show, you have to stay awake in sacrament meeting, because you never know what will happen next! :)
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