Makings of a High Councilman.

Everyone makes jokes about High Councilman's talks in church. Typically they are snoozers, rather slow, boring, and definitely long. (Some of course, do not fit this profile.) Now, if it is a High Councilman speaking, I can understand that he may feel the need to take a lot of the time. I would think that he has the position and right to do so. However, when there is someone of higher authority, I would make the talk as short as possible to allow plenty of time for the higher official to give all the information he intended.

On Easter Sunday, there were two talks assigned. Actually, I shouldn't say assigned, so I'll say planned. It was the Bishop and this somewhat-self-righteous punk 25 year old kid whom I had misfortune of going out with. I'll call him Kevin (following the code previously established). To begin with, this guy went to the bishop and ASKED to give a talk. First of all, who does that? And secondly, who does he think he is to think that he was so qualified to give a talk? My personal idea is that a bishopric member should assign talks based on the Spirit, and of course on availability and frequency. Now this guy is a good guy; I don't doubt his worthiness at all. But I thought it was quite presumptuous of him to ask.

With that as a base, add to it that with the 50 minutes of total talking time, he took up over 40 of them! The Bishop had only like 8 or so minutes to give his remarks. Fortunately during that time, I felt inspired and learned some good things, but I also wanted to know what else he wanted to say. I think there was a lot more that I could have gained from him. On the opposite side, this kid was terribly boring, went around in circles without a definite point, talked himself up, and didn't really talk a whole lot about anything to do with an appropriate Easter topic. I was disappointed to say the least. He has mastered and gone beyond, in a negative way, the stereotypical High Councilman's talk. All I can say is that when there is someone with more authority than you, give him the majority of the time. It's the humble thing to do.