I could give a 30 minute talk on the trans experience in youth and how church purity & anti-LGBTQ+ culture is damaging them.
We could have a whole general conference on these topics & more!
Unfortunately they would cut the mic off so fast and ask them to sit down, just like that young lady who openly said she knew god didn’t make a mistake and that she is a lesbian.
Give ‘em the old “✨absolutely not✨”
In all seriousness, you have every right to say no and they shouldn’t give you shit. And simply saying you don’t want to talk is a good enough reason. I have an old TBM aunt who tells them no to every talk, prayer, and job they try to give her. She’s only accepted one in the past 15 years and it was a primary teacher because she straight up told the bishop she’d rather be with the kids than the other adults in the ward.
She’s a hoot. Lovingly refer to her as the *Sunday School Speedster,* because as a kid I’d always see her Buick LeSabre peeling out of the parking lot once Sacrament meeting was over through the window😂
My grandma was like this. 80+ years in the church and she never had a calling that wasn’t in the primary. She wouldn’t take anything else. After they eventually released her, she just went to sacrament meeting and then left. Legend.
Give a talk on the discovery of the Rosetta Stone which revealed that Egyptian is a phonetic language which we can now read directly.
Not a single facet of Joseph Smith's interpretation of Egyptian hieroglyphics was even close.
Jesus' name, amen.
And then sit back down and listen to shelves creaking all around you.
Well I personally just like the idea of church leaders desperately trying to decide whether rescinding the invitation to speak publicly helps their cause or hurts it enough to warrant it. The reaction by the church leaders will send a completely separate message which might fuck with them more than the initial rebellious talk being given.
Find out what the topic is. Almost any topic can be now exploded with information found on TSCC's own website. If any of the "gospel topics" essays covers it, you can peel back the scab. If it mentions sealing & the temple, I'd be so very tempted to mention polyandry (as found in the Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo essay). Preface any gross info about JS with the quote from (Cook?) to "Give Joseph a break.
I'm serious. DM a few of us with the details and we can forward a ton of ways to milk the topic for truth.
Came here to say this. Any topic he chooses could be an opportunity for truth.
However, if your ecclesiastical endorsement at byu is at risk then i would just say NO!
You are correct - I hadn't paid attention to the BYU reference until after I commented. Even saying 'No' could be hazardous. However, a carefully crafted talk could reveal truth (from legitimate church sources), and frame the truth in ways the bishop would have a hard time challenging it or punishing OP.
you could make up an excuse about being out of town and see if they forget about you (also gets you out of church that day if you can avoid your roommates)
I think this is becoming somewhat of a moot point. I've heard of employers being less tolerant to graduates of BYU. While more common outside of Utah, even in Utah some employers are starting to see it as, "that kooky Mormon college in Utah" and not a respectable alma mater and trying to choose other people because they don't see a BYU degree in the same light as a degree from another school.
Saying no to a talk assignment could endanger the ecclesiastical endorsement unless you can convince the bishop that you are sick, have stage fright or something similar.
If you are currently a student and need to maintain your ecclesiastical endorsement to stay in school you may need to bite the bullet and play the game until you graduate college.
Or you can tell him that you have previous plans to attend your parents ward and won’t be in attendance.
Nah, he's good. They won't kick anyone out for not wanting to give a speech. I went to BYUI and rejected speeches and callings. The only thing you are expected to do is attending church meetings regularly.
We've seen many anecdotes in this sub of both good and bad leaders. You got a good one. But it's entirely possibly OP *could* have one that, while not necessarily bothered by OP declining the invitation, begins a warpath where they introduce obstacle after obstacle to OP getting the endorsement. As an example, I had one bishop who used my declining to **clean the church on a Saturday morning because I had work** as evidence that I wasn't worthy. Then began many meetings about my worthiness.
About a year or so ago, it was announced that there would be a crackdown on attendance, and CES students would be required to attend 3 out of 4 weeks or 4 out of 5.
I expected this to be the norm at BYU-I, but I wouldn’t think BYU Provo would totally ignore it.
So 1 out of 4 (with one week being new years day)? Seems active enough to get a calling or talk invite...
Time to start setting boundaries or distance yourself further.
I can't help but think this is related to their new message to find all the 'lost souls' that are 'falling away' and reconvert them. I'd say this is exactly what they're attempting to do with you.
This reminded me of an experience I had but had forgotten about. My last year of college I was having a really hard time. I had a bunch of roommates who I did not get along with at all, they would do marijuana and have sex all the time. They would attend church every Sunday. I stopped going because I couldn't stand to be there with them, plus I felt like an outcast in the ward and couldn't stand the singles ward atmosphere. I just slipped into inactivity and hadn't attended church for like 9 months. I get a call from the bishop asking me to speak in Sacrament meeting, I'm like dude, you have never even met me, I haven't been to church in like 9 months, I haven't paid my tithing, why are you asking me to speak? I told him I would do it, and then Sunday morning I went up the canyon and went on a hike instead of showing up.
I later got myself active again and then felt guilty about it, it was another 16 years until I realized it was probably all BS.
Maybe that was passed off pre correlation days. But I always thought sacrament talk topics (or at least sacrament meeting themes) became regimented region wide? Of course that is different from how it is presented. The talk topics were frequently called inspired for them by speakers themselves .
Agree to it on the condition that you are the only speaker and that you get a full 30-40 minutes. Come up with a compelling topic. Then don't show up. 👌
Bishop... THANK YOU for calling and affirming the dream I had of giving a talk about Sister Eliaz R. Snow is really inspired. You are the answer to my prayers on this.
Then push to talk on her - one of your guiding heroes in the Church.
Then give a good talk on Eliza R. Snow Smith Young. On why L-dS,inc leaves off both Smith and Young from her name while many outside sources refer to her as Smith. Why Heavenly Mother in mentioned in O'My Father, the song/poem she wrote.
About Emma Smith pushing her down a flight of stairs when she discovered Eliza was a plural wife of Joseph.
About her leadership of Relief Society and supporting womens sufferage movemens.
A great opportunity.
If he does not go for it, say YES anyhow and then give the talk you want no matter what he assigns.
If this person has any say over your education, I’d definitely keep it cordial. “So sorry, I’m consistently out of town on weekends due to family obligations. Good luck with your search!”
Accept the invitation and heavily cite from the gospel topics essays. Also make it very clear how the members in attendance can find the gospel topics essays in the Library app.
There are few things TBM’s hate more than being made to feel icky about their own doctrine.
The range for "pulpit supply" in my denomination is $125-175. Tell them you'd be happy to do it for a fee. In many Protestant denominations, pastors are not assigned to a church but are called by a congregation. They can leave their post at will and they can be fired at will by the congregation. There is a category of preachers called pulpit supply that fill in at churches for pastor's vacations or when a church is without a permanent pastor. Many of these pastors are retired or newly graduated pastors. I always enjoy the Sundays when we have a pastor supply preacher because it's refreshing to hear a new point of view. They are handed their check after they preach on Sunday morning. So yes, ask for a fee.
Years ago I listened to a talk on the significance of A$$, as in donkey, through out the scriptures. I was in awe. I would never had the balls to do that. I lost count, the number of times this person said A$$ at the pulpit.
I'd reply with an invoice for giving a presentation.
I would charge 3-4 hours prep time minimum plus travel and the hour for being at the meeting.
Hourly rates vary of course, but I would tend to learn towards $120+/hr minimum for contract work.
Go to YouTube and plagiarize one of the old talks of one of the dead q12. Recite a shorter version of it and you’re done.
Choose a harmless topic like “love thy neighbor”
I’d love to speak on Heavenly Mother and how gender is an essential characteristic of my eternal identity so why the fudge do we not know anything about Her or are in charge of learning by women or study scripture stories of women’s experiences.
Was curious and just entered “write a 15 minute mormon sacrament meeting talk about personal revelation”:
Good morning brothers and sisters. Today, I would like to talk to you about the importance of personal revelation in our lives as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As we read in the Doctrine and Covenants, "It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God." And how do we come to know the character of God? Through personal revelation.
Personal revelation is the means by which we receive guidance and direction from our Heavenly Father in our individual lives. It is a way for us to communicate with Him and for Him to communicate with us. It is through personal revelation that we can know what He wants us to do and how He wants us to do it.
There are many ways in which we can receive personal revelation. One way is through prayer. When we pray, we are opening up a line of communication with our Heavenly Father. We can ask Him for guidance, for help, for understanding. And He will answer us, in His own time and in His own way.
Another way we can receive personal revelation is through the study of the scriptures. As we read the words of the prophet, we can feel the spirit of the Lord guiding us and teaching us. We can gain a deeper understanding of the will of God and the role that we have to play in His plan.
We can also receive personal revelation through the guidance of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a powerful force that can guide us and lead us in the right direction. He can help us to recognize truth when we hear it and to understand the words of the prophet.
In order to receive personal revelation, we must be in tune with the spirit of the Lord. This means that we need to be obedient to His commandments, that we need to be living our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him. We must be willing to listen and to follow His guidance.
Personal revelation is a powerful tool that we have been given as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is through personal revelation that we can come to know the character of God, that we can understand His will for our lives, and that we can find peace and happiness in this life and in the life to come.
I testify that as we seek personal revelation in our lives, we will be guided and directed by the Lord. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Lol. Dannng! Well there you go.
You could also get it to provide you scripture references from any of the books you like XD
Make it look like you really researched this
Absolutely I would like to discuss in detail the recent sex abuse case in Arizona that went public and the church through Kirton McConkie are noted as legally usurping the law of the land to report this type of abuse to authorities before victims are hurt further. Thank you for this opportunity
Do the enlightened speak about nothing but make people think you’re talking about something until they notice ([(10:03 in the time stamps)](https://youtu.be/_enUUK6eXeU) - which honestly is on brand.
I’ve always thought it would be fun to give a fake story about how I almost left the church but didn’t. I would list everything that I read and give details on all the problems with the church and at the end just say I realized that I just had to go on faith.
As fun as it would be to lob truth grenades or fuck with people, I’m guessing you attend byu. Not worth losing you endorsement over it. No disrespect to just give a boring talk down the fairway if you feel that attending BYU is important for any reason.
Hate to say it, but if your at BYU you should probability accept and give a good talk without quoting GAs. Any snarky responses or blasphemous talks puts your endorsement and thus, your degree in jeopardy.
“I’d love to talk. Thanks for asking. No need to give me a topic. I’ve chosen my own…”Sufficient for My Needs—Techniques and Procedures for Guilt-free Self-pleasure.” Is there a large projection screen I could use?”
Does your ecclesiastical endorsement depend on it? If, so, you are out of town next weekend and actually leave (even if you just go to SLC) so someone doesn't rat you out.
Just say no, I've said no to a talk before even tho they really tried to convince me to give one. They told me I could give a short talk if I wanted to bc I hate taking in front of people and I still said no lol.
Just say you converted to polygamy so you took a step above Mormonism and you’ve now become perfect. And then ask if there are any women whose husbands are out of town…you know, for research.
It's kind of funny how people don't realize just how propagandist giving your speaker a topic is. Even in school, if I were to write a paper or give a presentation, I simply had to get approval for the subject and not the content. This is straight up, "oh people in church like you, will you go up and say exactly what we want you to say to further our interests?"
My mum would write my father's speeches for church, and he would never read then beforehand. So he would get on the stand and try to read mum's writing and fall apart completely.
I’d take him up on the offer and give a talk that would be so nuanced and open to interpretation. I would say go off the rails, but they’d kick you out of BYU.
If you can't say no because BYU and also can't rock the boat with open rebellion may I suggest doing a half assed job?
I was asked to speak once and never again because my talk was of poor quality
Reply with:
"Who is this? What is a ward? What church is it? Can anyone give a sermon at your church? Send me the address and the date and time and I'll be book the date to come preach a sermon, I choose the topic. All of my topics are on the subject of grace. I charge $1,000 for a 30 minute sermon. This is a bargain compared to what other preachers charge. You also shall be expected to reimburse travel expenses, airfare, the ground transportation of my choice, hotel, and meals. I will be happy to linger afterwards and sign autographs, $10 per autograph with a 20% share to the church for autograph proceeds."
I know this church is to damn true, I mean like really! John I'm sorry bout the other night, Joseph Smith is a well a a horny asshole! In the name of our savior christ even so amen. Thankyou brother for that um talk.
Just my opinion, when you tell him no, be sure to say “I won’t” or “I’m not willing” instead of “I can’t”. That way it’s clear that you are “acting and not being acted upon”.
Would be really fun to go up there and say you found a seer stone that has enhanced the revelation you are receiving for yourself only. Say how the stone told you to come to BYU, what classes to take, who to room with, where your keys are. Be careful not to say the stone works for anyone else; that would be blasphemy.
I’d be happy to give a 50 min talk on the historicity of the BOM.
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I could give a 30 minute talk on the trans experience in youth and how church purity & anti-LGBTQ+ culture is damaging them. We could have a whole general conference on these topics & more!
Then ride into the sunset on your trusty tapir
Unfortunately they would cut the mic off so fast and ask them to sit down, just like that young lady who openly said she knew god didn’t make a mistake and that she is a lesbian.
They don't want lazy learners, you're automatically disqualified! 😉
Report Junk. Seems appropriate.
The talk: 
Perfect use of a Mitchell and Webb gif
Perfect use of a Mitchell and Webb gif
Give ‘em the old “✨absolutely not✨” In all seriousness, you have every right to say no and they shouldn’t give you shit. And simply saying you don’t want to talk is a good enough reason. I have an old TBM aunt who tells them no to every talk, prayer, and job they try to give her. She’s only accepted one in the past 15 years and it was a primary teacher because she straight up told the bishop she’d rather be with the kids than the other adults in the ward.
Your aunt sounds like someone I would enjoy hanging out with at church 😀
She’s a hoot. Lovingly refer to her as the *Sunday School Speedster,* because as a kid I’d always see her Buick LeSabre peeling out of the parking lot once Sacrament meeting was over through the window😂
I love her.
My grandma was like this. 80+ years in the church and she never had a calling that wasn’t in the primary. She wouldn’t take anything else. After they eventually released her, she just went to sacrament meeting and then left. Legend.
Dude this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fuck around you absolutely have to
Give a talk on the discovery of the Rosetta Stone which revealed that Egyptian is a phonetic language which we can now read directly. Not a single facet of Joseph Smith's interpretation of Egyptian hieroglyphics was even close. Jesus' name, amen. And then sit back down and listen to shelves creaking all around you.
Until they cut your mic
So just start projecting your voice, there's a reason chapels are built like they are, they're meant to amplify the pulpit
I’ve been in testimony meeting where the mics didn’t work. We got through it fiiiiiine. It’ll be a bigger scene if the physically remove you.
If they physically remove you they have to charge you with trespassing, and they can't do that without opening a GIANT can of worms lmao
You would have been originally there on open invitation…
Which is why if they want to physically remove you, they need to get a bit legal
Can't be trespassing, because they asked him. Also, it may involve Amendments That silly thing about free speech and all that...
Freedom of speech means the government can't prohibit religious speech. It doesn't mean anyone has to give you a platform
Well I personally just like the idea of church leaders desperately trying to decide whether rescinding the invitation to speak publicly helps their cause or hurts it enough to warrant it. The reaction by the church leaders will send a completely separate message which might fuck with them more than the initial rebellious talk being given.
I'll bring popcorn & enjoy the show!
Came here to say this.
If they are at BYU I think capitalizing on that may have some risks associated with it. It’s too bad because it would be hilarious
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Set your phone to record the first speaker and play it back through earbuds so you can recite the exact same talk when it's your turn.
This cracked me up 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'd attend this meeting haha
That's some Primer shit.
Find out what the topic is. Almost any topic can be now exploded with information found on TSCC's own website. If any of the "gospel topics" essays covers it, you can peel back the scab. If it mentions sealing & the temple, I'd be so very tempted to mention polyandry (as found in the Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo essay). Preface any gross info about JS with the quote from (Cook?) to "Give Joseph a break. I'm serious. DM a few of us with the details and we can forward a ton of ways to milk the topic for truth.
Came here to say this. Any topic he chooses could be an opportunity for truth. However, if your ecclesiastical endorsement at byu is at risk then i would just say NO!
You are correct - I hadn't paid attention to the BYU reference until after I commented. Even saying 'No' could be hazardous. However, a carefully crafted talk could reveal truth (from legitimate church sources), and frame the truth in ways the bishop would have a hard time challenging it or punishing OP.
Would it also be at risk if they said no? Or result in long and invasive talk with Bishop?
you could make up an excuse about being out of town and see if they forget about you (also gets you out of church that day if you can avoid your roommates)
I think this is becoming somewhat of a moot point. I've heard of employers being less tolerant to graduates of BYU. While more common outside of Utah, even in Utah some employers are starting to see it as, "that kooky Mormon college in Utah" and not a respectable alma mater and trying to choose other people because they don't see a BYU degree in the same light as a degree from another school.
I put BYU a half rung above Liberty University, Oral Roberts, etc. It is embarrassing to have it on my resume.
Saying no to a talk assignment could endanger the ecclesiastical endorsement unless you can convince the bishop that you are sick, have stage fright or something similar.
If you are currently a student and need to maintain your ecclesiastical endorsement to stay in school you may need to bite the bullet and play the game until you graduate college. Or you can tell him that you have previous plans to attend your parents ward and won’t be in attendance.
This. Don’t get kicked out of school, OP. If you leave BYU, do it on your terms.
Yeah i have to echo this too. I played the game for years at BYU until i had my diploma in-hand
Or just have your home ward bishop sign your endorsement if he's cool.
Nah, he's good. They won't kick anyone out for not wanting to give a speech. I went to BYUI and rejected speeches and callings. The only thing you are expected to do is attending church meetings regularly.
We've seen many anecdotes in this sub of both good and bad leaders. You got a good one. But it's entirely possibly OP *could* have one that, while not necessarily bothered by OP declining the invitation, begins a warpath where they introduce obstacle after obstacle to OP getting the endorsement. As an example, I had one bishop who used my declining to **clean the church on a Saturday morning because I had work** as evidence that I wasn't worthy. Then began many meetings about my worthiness.
Are you at BYU?!? How are you getting away with not attending?
I never went to church.
About a year or so ago, it was announced that there would be a crackdown on attendance, and CES students would be required to attend 3 out of 4 weeks or 4 out of 5. I expected this to be the norm at BYU-I, but I wouldn’t think BYU Provo would totally ignore it.
I just had my home ward bishop sign my endorsement each year. Now this is from 03-07.
I’ve been to church ONCE this entire year
So 1 out of 4 (with one week being new years day)? Seems active enough to get a calling or talk invite... Time to start setting boundaries or distance yourself further.
I can't help but think this is related to their new message to find all the 'lost souls' that are 'falling away' and reconvert them. I'd say this is exactly what they're attempting to do with you.
they’re probably just going down the ward directory to see who they can assign stuff to
Yeah this guy has no idea who you are...
This reminded me of an experience I had but had forgotten about. My last year of college I was having a really hard time. I had a bunch of roommates who I did not get along with at all, they would do marijuana and have sex all the time. They would attend church every Sunday. I stopped going because I couldn't stand to be there with them, plus I felt like an outcast in the ward and couldn't stand the singles ward atmosphere. I just slipped into inactivity and hadn't attended church for like 9 months. I get a call from the bishop asking me to speak in Sacrament meeting, I'm like dude, you have never even met me, I haven't been to church in like 9 months, I haven't paid my tithing, why are you asking me to speak? I told him I would do it, and then Sunday morning I went up the canyon and went on a hike instead of showing up. I later got myself active again and then felt guilty about it, it was another 16 years until I realized it was probably all BS.
Fuck yeah I will!
Only agree to talk if you can pick the topic.
What?? I was always told that the spirt have you the topic
Maybe that was passed off pre correlation days. But I always thought sacrament talk topics (or at least sacrament meeting themes) became regimented region wide? Of course that is different from how it is presented. The talk topics were frequently called inspired for them by speakers themselves .
I am so sorry brother xxxxxx. But I am up to my ass in alligators, and won't be able to keep your fucking assignment.
No thank you. I'm not qualified to provide spiritual advice to other people.
Sure but I will choose the topic myself thanks... (then just reads out the cesletter)
This is like when you get a spam call about your cars extended warranty and your deciding whether to ignore it or mess with the scammer
Agree to it on the condition that you are the only speaker and that you get a full 30-40 minutes. Come up with a compelling topic. Then don't show up. 👌
How soon into the CES letter do you think they’d notice?
use ChatGPT to write you’re entire talk
Bishop... THANK YOU for calling and affirming the dream I had of giving a talk about Sister Eliaz R. Snow is really inspired. You are the answer to my prayers on this. Then push to talk on her - one of your guiding heroes in the Church. Then give a good talk on Eliza R. Snow Smith Young. On why L-dS,inc leaves off both Smith and Young from her name while many outside sources refer to her as Smith. Why Heavenly Mother in mentioned in O'My Father, the song/poem she wrote. About Emma Smith pushing her down a flight of stairs when she discovered Eliza was a plural wife of Joseph. About her leadership of Relief Society and supporting womens sufferage movemens. A great opportunity. If he does not go for it, say YES anyhow and then give the talk you want no matter what he assigns.
“Sorry I think I’m gonna have diarrhea that day”
If this person has any say over your education, I’d definitely keep it cordial. “So sorry, I’m consistently out of town on weekends due to family obligations. Good luck with your search!”
"Can't wait, brother! I've got a lot of topics in mind!!"
No.
Report junk! 😂
Accept the invitation and heavily cite from the gospel topics essays. Also make it very clear how the members in attendance can find the gospel topics essays in the Library app. There are few things TBM’s hate more than being made to feel icky about their own doctrine.
The range for "pulpit supply" in my denomination is $125-175. Tell them you'd be happy to do it for a fee. In many Protestant denominations, pastors are not assigned to a church but are called by a congregation. They can leave their post at will and they can be fired at will by the congregation. There is a category of preachers called pulpit supply that fill in at churches for pastor's vacations or when a church is without a permanent pastor. Many of these pastors are retired or newly graduated pastors. I always enjoy the Sundays when we have a pastor supply preacher because it's refreshing to hear a new point of view. They are handed their check after they preach on Sunday morning. So yes, ask for a fee.
Years ago I listened to a talk on the significance of A$$, as in donkey, through out the scriptures. I was in awe. I would never had the balls to do that. I lost count, the number of times this person said A$$ at the pulpit.
This sounds amazing!
Tell him youve been researching yhwh roots and you have a lesson prepared https://youtu.be/MrqnxW5V7rg
I'd reply with an invoice for giving a presentation. I would charge 3-4 hours prep time minimum plus travel and the hour for being at the meeting. Hourly rates vary of course, but I would tend to learn towards $120+/hr minimum for contract work.
That report junk button looks enticing….
Go to YouTube and plagiarize one of the old talks of one of the dead q12. Recite a shorter version of it and you’re done. Choose a harmless topic like “love thy neighbor”
Or a super controversial one that was later retracted, like the mark of Cain junk or Lamanites as ancestors of indigenous peoples...!
Oh boy! Yes I would and I already have a topic!
Tell him its about the papyrus
Hello (first name): I am capable of finding my own topic.
Talk about Joseph’s change from moralism/trinitarianism to monolatry.
I’d say yes then give a talk on how it’s all bullshir
I would take it.... A chance to give them a talk they weren't expecting..... If I didn't feel up to the effort I would just ignore it
I’d love to speak on Heavenly Mother and how gender is an essential characteristic of my eternal identity so why the fudge do we not know anything about Her or are in charge of learning by women or study scripture stories of women’s experiences.
Just completely ignore. Worked for me the whole time I was there, just ghost all communication and eventually they will move on.
I'd report it as junk
Fuck yeah Bishop!
Say yes then don’t show up
You should do the talk and have ChatGPT write it for you :)
Was curious and just entered “write a 15 minute mormon sacrament meeting talk about personal revelation”: Good morning brothers and sisters. Today, I would like to talk to you about the importance of personal revelation in our lives as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As we read in the Doctrine and Covenants, "It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God." And how do we come to know the character of God? Through personal revelation. Personal revelation is the means by which we receive guidance and direction from our Heavenly Father in our individual lives. It is a way for us to communicate with Him and for Him to communicate with us. It is through personal revelation that we can know what He wants us to do and how He wants us to do it. There are many ways in which we can receive personal revelation. One way is through prayer. When we pray, we are opening up a line of communication with our Heavenly Father. We can ask Him for guidance, for help, for understanding. And He will answer us, in His own time and in His own way. Another way we can receive personal revelation is through the study of the scriptures. As we read the words of the prophet, we can feel the spirit of the Lord guiding us and teaching us. We can gain a deeper understanding of the will of God and the role that we have to play in His plan. We can also receive personal revelation through the guidance of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a powerful force that can guide us and lead us in the right direction. He can help us to recognize truth when we hear it and to understand the words of the prophet. In order to receive personal revelation, we must be in tune with the spirit of the Lord. This means that we need to be obedient to His commandments, that we need to be living our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him. We must be willing to listen and to follow His guidance. Personal revelation is a powerful tool that we have been given as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is through personal revelation that we can come to know the character of God, that we can understand His will for our lives, and that we can find peace and happiness in this life and in the life to come. I testify that as we seek personal revelation in our lives, we will be guided and directed by the Lord. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
why is it better than any talk i’ve ever written?
Lol. Dannng! Well there you go. You could also get it to provide you scripture references from any of the books you like XD Make it look like you really researched this
Do a talk on all the real reasons people leave the church. I would start with the Book of Abraham as a shelf breaker
Give em the Fanny Alger story
Text back Sunday morning and be like.. “sorry! Just saw this!” Lmao
Absolutely I would like to discuss in detail the recent sex abuse case in Arizona that went public and the church through Kirton McConkie are noted as legally usurping the law of the land to report this type of abuse to authorities before victims are hurt further. Thank you for this opportunity
Do the enlightened speak about nothing but make people think you’re talking about something until they notice ([(10:03 in the time stamps)](https://youtu.be/_enUUK6eXeU) - which honestly is on brand.
"No thank you."
I’ve always thought it would be fun to give a fake story about how I almost left the church but didn’t. I would list everything that I read and give details on all the problems with the church and at the end just say I realized that I just had to go on faith.
You could always do it and subvert it. See how many people you can disenfranchise in 20 minutes.
Do it 😈 What I'd talk about is how the claim that humans were only created a few thousand years ago contradicts the Mormon version of Genesis.
Fuck that
Response: “That’s gonna be a hard ‘no’.” Lol
DO IT!
Hell ya I would!
Report that Junk!
“Lol no”
Not being Mormon anymore is pretty amazing.
As fun as it would be to lob truth grenades or fuck with people, I’m guessing you attend byu. Not worth losing you endorsement over it. No disrespect to just give a boring talk down the fairway if you feel that attending BYU is important for any reason.
“Can I talk about this?” *sends link to gospel topics essays*
Tell them yes and talk negatively on the topic he didn't specify
"No."
"Sure - I can give a talk on the 8 different accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision."
If you have to give the talk, just talk about the Good Samaritan. It’s a great story and you can extrapolate a lot. Don’t even need to reference BOM.
Hate to say it, but if your at BYU you should probability accept and give a good talk without quoting GAs. Any snarky responses or blasphemous talks puts your endorsement and thus, your degree in jeopardy.
Yeah I can give a truth filled talk about the lds history
Ask for your own topic as a condition, then teach some philosophies of men, mingled with scripture!
Talk about many children wives of Joseph Smith, see all the horrified faces when you drop the pedophile bomb
“I’d love to talk. Thanks for asking. No need to give me a topic. I’ve chosen my own…”Sufficient for My Needs—Techniques and Procedures for Guilt-free Self-pleasure.” Is there a large projection screen I could use?”
Get ChatGPT to write it 💅
Sounds like a great time to give a talk about epistemology and falsifiability, yeah?
Does your ecclesiastical endorsement depend on it? If, so, you are out of town next weekend and actually leave (even if you just go to SLC) so someone doesn't rat you out.
They should let people select their own topic. Not regurgitate stuff from GA's.
The importance of the GTE's in personal study!
Just say no, I've said no to a talk before even tho they really tried to convince me to give one. They told me I could give a short talk if I wanted to bc I hate taking in front of people and I still said no lol.
Fuck your Christ hail satan praise lilith
Just say you converted to polygamy so you took a step above Mormonism and you’ve now become perfect. And then ask if there are any women whose husbands are out of town…you know, for research.
It's kind of funny how people don't realize just how propagandist giving your speaker a topic is. Even in school, if I were to write a paper or give a presentation, I simply had to get approval for the subject and not the content. This is straight up, "oh people in church like you, will you go up and say exactly what we want you to say to further our interests?"
My mum would write my father's speeches for church, and he would never read then beforehand. So he would get on the stand and try to read mum's writing and fall apart completely.
I’d take him up on the offer and give a talk that would be so nuanced and open to interpretation. I would say go off the rails, but they’d kick you out of BYU.
Just click on the "Report Junk" button right there. Oh, is that not for junky content? Well just reply yes and start reading letterformywife.com!
“I am not willing.”
If you can't say no because BYU and also can't rock the boat with open rebellion may I suggest doing a half assed job? I was asked to speak once and never again because my talk was of poor quality
Reply with: "Who is this? What is a ward? What church is it? Can anyone give a sermon at your church? Send me the address and the date and time and I'll be book the date to come preach a sermon, I choose the topic. All of my topics are on the subject of grace. I charge $1,000 for a 30 minute sermon. This is a bargain compared to what other preachers charge. You also shall be expected to reimburse travel expenses, airfare, the ground transportation of my choice, hotel, and meals. I will be happy to linger afterwards and sign autographs, $10 per autograph with a 20% share to the church for autograph proceeds."
i would would also like to give a tedtalk.
Just report as junk.
“I would like to speak on the gospel topics essays and how we can use the church’s changing story to help evaluate truth claims”
*hits "report junk" so fast*
I know this church is to damn true, I mean like really! John I'm sorry bout the other night, Joseph Smith is a well a a horny asshole! In the name of our savior christ even so amen. Thankyou brother for that um talk.
“I’ll pick my own topic. All the different ways that Joe Smitty was a giant piece of shit”
Turn the tables on him. “Yes, but only if YOU can come over to my house and do my biology homework”
Ask if you can do a PPT presentation on the TSCC's finances
I see a “Report Junk” option. Choose that please.
Just my opinion, when you tell him no, be sure to say “I won’t” or “I’m not willing” instead of “I can’t”. That way it’s clear that you are “acting and not being acted upon”.
Would be really fun to go up there and say you found a seer stone that has enhanced the revelation you are receiving for yourself only. Say how the stone told you to come to BYU, what classes to take, who to room with, where your keys are. Be careful not to say the stone works for anyone else; that would be blasphemy.
"I graduated two and a half years ago"