The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year: Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy ScriptureRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year: Outline History of the Seventy and A Survey of the Books of Holy Scripture
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
1. _Extempore Speech:_ We are again arrived at our exercise which
requires extemporaneous speaking--the method enjoined upon us by the
word of the Lord. For he says "neither take ye thought before hand what
ye shall say"--he adds in the very same paragraph, however--"treasure
up in your mind continually the words of life, and it shall be given
you in the very hour that portion which shall be meted to every
man." (Doc. & Cov. Sec. lxxxiv: 85). If this counsel is followed the
teaching ministry of the church (as it does) will employ the method
of extempore speech. But that method does not mean that materials
shall not be gathered from the fields of knowledge, and hived with
the studious years, to be used "in the very hour" that one has need
to use it. Extempore speech does not mean speech without thought,
without knowledge, of the matter to be presented. It may even be said
that it requires more thorough knowledge of a subject than the written
method or the memorized method of speech. Extemporaneous speech to be
successful must be speech from a fullness of knowledge of the subject.
And as connected with the teaching of the Gospel must be speech arising
out of having "treasured up continually the words of life." The true
extemporaneous method of speech is not the lazy man's method, on
the contrary it requires that those who follow it, shall have their
knowledge of things most carefully digested, and their intellectual
powers most carefully trained.
2. _St. Augustine's Advice to the Preacher:_ Comparing the advantages
of extempore speech with other forms, Mr. Pittenger, in his work
already quoted several times, relates the following of the great
Christian teacher of the sixth century:
"Augustine, the great Christian writer and preacher, has not left
us in ignorance as to which mode of address he preferred. He
enjoins the "Christian teacher" to make his hearers comprehend what
he says--"to read in the eyes and countenances of his auditors
whether they understand him or not, and to repeat the same thing,
by giving it different terms, until he perceives it is understood,
an advantage those cannot have who, by a servile dependence upon
their memories, learn their sermons by heart and repeat them as
so many lessons. Let not the preacher," he continues, "become the
servant of words; rather let words be servants to the preacher."
(Extempore Speech, p. 34-5.)
3. _W. E. Gladstone on Methods of Preparation:_ Mr. Pittenger,
our author above quoted, asked the late Mr. W. E. Gladstone for a
statement of his method of preparation for public speaking, and in a
very courteous letter that gentleman replied, from which I quote the
following, which is all he says on the subject of preparation:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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