The Talk and the Speech

This week I have to give a talk in church and deliver a speech for my communications class. The speech for my class is basically my final. It has to be about 7 minutes long, in front of a live audience of at least one person, and be persuasive. The topic I chose was "Do Not Drive Tired." I use the story of losing my mom and brother as the basis for the speech which not only helps my credibility, it also helps evoke emotion. My talk for church is about our divine nature as children of God. It is supposed to be 7 to 10 minutes and based on Elder Renlund's talk from the women's session of the last conference. 

As a Young Women's leader, I was excited to see that the talk I was given as a reference was based on the Young Women theme. I started writing it about a week a go, and it really came together Saturday. I feel like it will be a decent talk as long as I practice it throughout the week rather than awkwardly reading it at the pulpit like I normally do. 

I have been told that the speech for the class is good and evokes emotion. I have two more official practices before I perform it in front of a “live audience" (most likely my husband and children). My hope is that I will be able to perform the speech with more eye contact that the last one (I really need to work on this). 

Honestly, I am nervous to perform both the talk and the speech. I just need to have the faith that the delivery will reflect the work I have put into them.