I just got invited by a member of the bishopric to give a talk in a few weeks. I'll probably give the talk, but I really don't want to.

Background: 10 month path/journey through"Rough Stone Rolling", "Mormon Enigma", "In Sacred Lonliness", F.A.I.R. rebuttals, Mormon Expression Podcast, and Mormon Stories Podcast.

Anyone ever feel unmotivated to give a sacrament talk? How did you deal with it? Fake it? Say No? Give an awesome "non standard" talk? Open to all ideas.

I was asked to give a talk about 4 months ago just before I decided not to go to church. It was my birthday that day so I said no I did not want to give a talk on my birthday. I told my father later that day that I wasn't going to give a talk on my birthday and he was shocked that I said no.

How come you just can't say no? Do you still believe in mormonism? Would the counselor be shocked at your unbelief? Does your spouse know of your unbelief? I am just trying to understand why you just can't tell him that its not a good time in your life right now.

you have the right to refuse anything the church asks you to do. although it seems that you would feel guilty for refusing to speak in church, which wouldn't surprise me because thats what the church does: they make you feel guilty for something you don't want to do or feel comfortable doing.

So I barely touched on my assigned theme and quickly moved the subject to Knowing the Savior. I don't even remember my assigned subject. LOL. But whatever it was, I wasn't going to talk about something I didn't believe in so I made it about something I did. People loved hearing about Jesus in church for a change.

When it's Your turn standup, and start signing like you were deaf. They are so stupid, they will think there is something wrong with them.

I used to give a "nonstandard" talk. Throw in some real history and some truth that will shock a few. Then back off and talk about something you can feel good about.

It is okay to spoon-feed them a little true church history to get them to think. Just don't dwell on it too long. It is good for 'em.

Looking back I'd love to give a talk from the LDS pulpit about the real Jesus. I always tell my LDS friends I'll come speak at their church anytime (for some reason I've never been invited).

Tell them whatever you want. You aren't under their authority. If you are lucky they will kick you out.

You could read Romans 3:9-31?

you say, "Sorry, I'm going to have to decline. Just won't be able to do it. But thanks for asking."

Nothing wrong with saying no.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2010 05:56PM by Cheryl.

If i were you I would just read straight out of the bible. Try Job.. and um the whole book.

I would use only the Bible for scripture sources if the talk was on Christ, or baptism etc.

Then again, if you don't want to do it, then don't. And you do not have to give any excuses as to your refusal either.

Just say "no thanks, but thank you for asking"

or

give a non-standard talk. I went with the non-standard talk and it was a HUGE hit. But at the time I lived in a more liberal ward.

If you say, "It is a bad time for me right now," they will want to know WHY it is bad.

If you say, "I HAVE TO decline," they will want to know WHAT is forcing you to decline.

If you say, "I won't be able to do it," they will wonder what else in conflicting with your schedule, in which everything else in your life should be scheduled around the Mormon church, which comes first.

If you politely say, "no," the you're not opening it up for debate. Change the subject, or just leave after you say "no." You might have to repeat this several times, until they get the idea you mean "no." For example:

--No.
--I will not give a talk.
--I won't be doing that.
--No. Thanks, anyway.

We would never be so rude to back the Mormons in a corner. We could ask them:

--"Why are you choosing me to give this talk?"
--"Why on this particular subject? Are church members having difficulty with this?
--"Why are you pressuring me, when I already told you 'no'?"
--"Are you afraid you won't be able to find a speaker?"
--"It will be good for YOU to give this talk, yourself.

Why can't people answer on the Mormons' own terms, such as,
--"I'm prompted by the spirit to say no.
--"I don't feel right about it."
--"I just had a personal revelation/an impression to not make a commitment."

I wish we had the guts to pin them down, the way they try to pin us down!

It seems that whenever we reflect back the Mormons' own dialog, their own judgments, their own logic, they get mad.

My last talk assignment was "humility".

I ended up speaking about trusting God and seeing things as they really are and being humble/flexible enough to allow change in our lives.
I got comments from people afterward saying it was exactly what they needed to hear, so I guess it wasn't too far out in left field.

At that time, no one had a clue that I was on my way out---
of course, neither did I.

See, for a few years previous to that I had been on a serious search for truth which was weird to me since was I supposed to already HAVE the truth.
I just knew that I was searching for something because something didn't feel right and lds stuff didn't make sense anymore.

Here's the happy ending:
Since I was humble enough to allow change in my life after I found the truth, I resigned.
And since then, I haven't had the urge to search for anything, and I truly feel like I can see things as they really are.
Funny how well that worked out. :)

I should think that pretty much everyone here would be beyond the talk-giving stage and into full-up apostasy. Why you still giving talks?

But I know your pain. Way back in the '90s I ceased quoting the BoM in my talks or in my lessons. I always tried to keep it Christian-based, not that I believe any more in that, either. You could do the same, or even better, give them an unwelcome lesson in church history, or read hair brained quotes from the Journal of Discourses by Brigham Young and John Taylor. That'll l'arn 'em. You'll be home free and will never have to give another talk.

Here is how to go out with a bang:

Read to them 1 Cor 15:1-4 (the Gospel)
Then read to them Gal 1:8

I hadn't been asked for years, because I sometimes say what I am thinking, and I sometimes give off the wall comments in EQ and SS, so it makes the leadership nervous.

Then I start going to the gym, and the Stake President is also a member, so we start chatting in general, not about church...

then I get a call to speak in Stake Conference. I was out of town that weekend and had other plans, but I suppose if I wasn't on the SP compass, he wouldn't have even thought of me.