While many people fear public speaking, there is one huge advantage over a more interactive teaching approach: the public speaker controls every word. A person giving a talk or a speech never has to worry about someone raising their hand in the congregation and interjecting unpredictable content.
In Mormon worship services, the first hour is devoted to the observance of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and to the presentation of public speakers on various religious subjects. The subsequent hours feature a more interactive style of instruction where teachers present material, and frequently invite class members to answer questions or offer comments and insight to complement the main subjects. While this method can provide value to what might otherwise be a monotonous lecture, there is a risk in audience participation.
There are various offenses that occur when class members contribute:
1. The stupid question - There are some who believe there is no such thing as a stupid question. They are wrong. The off topic question may only be a distraction, but it can be much worse. An instructor teaching about faith is not likely to be able to assist a class member decipher the mysteries of facsimile number 2.
2. Deep doctrine diving - Maybe Adam and Eve had belly buttons. Maybe women will have hairy legs in heaven. Maybe the class member that brings up subjects like these should have kept their mouth shut.
3. Redundant, repetitious statements that have already been said - Faith is important, but everyone understood that the first time it was mentioned. It is OK to say 'never mind' if you had your hand raised and someone else gave your answer.
4. The Filibuster - It is not always easy to be concise, but the class member that takes ten minutes to get to a point can probably shorten their comment. There may be on the rare occasion a person that is able to present a complicated and well-thought out point that takes some time to explain properly... but when class members are actively comparing their Angry Birds scores on their phones, take a hint and wrap it up.
5. What the? I Don't Even - Albuquerque; snorkel; lasers; tofu; steam rollers; concrete; purple; Sherlock Holmes. See? I can do it too!
As bad as all of these things are, perhaps the most annoying crime against humanity that occurs in the classroom is:
6. The personal experience - Perhaps somewhere in the personal experience, there may be a nugget of worth. Finding it can be similar to finding the good chunk of meat in a slab that is crawling with maggots. They are always filled with completely unnecessary details. Here is an example of a hypothetical personal experience that represents the typical (perhaps slightly exaggerated) recitation with commentary in parenthesis:
So I actually have an experience with sharing the gospel. (Please be short, please be short)
There's this guy I met who is actually from Minnesota... (Hold the phone!!! Minnesota!?! I'm sure that is pertinent to sharing the gospel.)
...and he came here to go to school... (Perhaps you could also tell us about his application process. What were his SAT scores? How does the cost of tuition and living compare to those found in Minnesota?)
...and he's actually going to the University of Utah... (Yes, but where does he park his car? I'm not sure I have enough details here.)
He's majoring in liberal arts... (Because major affects his eligibility for salvation apparently...)
...and he's really athletic, you know kind of a jock type? Ha ha ha ha! (I'm sorry, was that supposed to be funny?)
So I started talking to him about two weeks ago. Well actually it was more like two and a half weeks. Well, two weeks and three days... (I'm not sure I can appreciate this personal experience unless you tell me what time it was.)
Yeah, we work at the same place doing sales. So he's really outgoing like me! (Is he really outgoing? We don't really know unless you give us his the results of his personality test, his horoscope, and the last three messages he had in his fortune cookies...)
So anyways, he saw me being all righteous, you know... not drinking Dr. Pepper... and he was like, "I want to be like you man, you're always so happy!" (Yeah... who wouldn't want to be like you?)
So I didn't really think about it for a while, but a few days later I was eating lunch and I ran into him. I was like "Hey what's up?" Then we started talking about the weather and his school... (I wonder if there's something more enlightening on Facebook. Good thing I have a smart phone!)
And we were talking about how hard it is to go to school and work, and I told him about one way I deal with stress... you know... drinking Coke and listening to Godsmack or actually hip hop, which is my favorite... (That is a great tweet! I'm glad I follow Adam Baldwin on Twitter...)
But the other thing I do to deal with stress is to read the Ensign magazine... because the prophets give me comfort and peace. I don't mean they make me fall asleep though... Ha ha ha ha ha!! (Unlike your personal experience... I really wish I had a pillow...)
And anyway, it was a good talk, and I felt like I was being a good example to him, and I followed the promptings I received. (Please be wrapping up, please be wrapping up)
So I haven't talked to him since, so I don't know what he thought about it. So anyway, I'm still trying to do missionary work by my example... (So the story has almost no point? Well at least he's done now...)
And so that's an important lesson I learned. I learned that even in Utah County there are still people that need to learn about the Savior. I learned that we can be examples everywhere we go. I learned that... (Are you seriously still going on!?!?! Unbelievable!!!)
...you've got to have that faith and that example. You've got to have that spirit of missionary work. You can't be afraid to open your mouth... (I really wish you would shut your mouth.)
You can make a difference, because you never know when you'll meet someone from Minnesota who needs to hear the gospel. (As opposed to people from other states who I guess are OK?)
So anyway, I'll keep working with him, and who knows? Ha ha ha ha! (.............)
All hyperboles aside, it may actually be possible to share a personal experience in a manner that is concise, appropriate, and positive. This takes a degree of skill that few have achieved. For the vast majority of class members, the following tips can help prevent you from ruining a lesson:
1. Be concise - Unless you have an accent or otherwise entertaining voice, most people probably do not want to hear the sound of you talking.
2. Stay on topic - Details that you think are important such as schools, occupations, hobbies, carpet colors... they aren't actually important. Reinforcing universal general principals closely associated with the lesson topic should be the goal of all participants.
3. Think before you speak - In class, look to your left and right. Realize that there are people there. Would they be enlightened, uplifted, or edified by what you're thinking of saying? Does your comment or question provoke thought, provide clarity, or enhance context? Consider keeping your hand down and your mouth shut if in doubt. (Proverbs 17:28)
