After partaking of the sacrament, speakers are the heart and soul of Sunday Sacrament Meeting. They can often make or break the quality of the meeting. Most of the time, we can all see the speakers. However, much of the time we can't hear them or understand them.

Most of these problems can be fixed, easily.

You NEED to be HEARD!

Speakers speak at the podium using the microphone. Someone in the bishopric should be managing the podium and adjusting the microphone volume. Sadly, not every bishopric takes these responsibilities seriously.

Here are the official guidelines:


STEP 1: ADJUSTING THE PULPIT MICROPHONE SETTINGS TO BEST SUIT THE SPEAKER

    1. Turn on the sound system by pressing the on/off button on the control panel.
    2. Adjust pulpit height according to the height of the speaker.
      • The microphone should be positioned just below the speaker’s chin and within four to six inches of his or her mouth.
      • No objects that could jam the lifting mechanism should be placed under the moving portion of the pulpit.
      • The edge of the pulpit should be set at elbow height of the speaker.
    3. Adjust volume as necessary.

Note: Children should be taught to not blow into the microphone or otherwise abuse it. To discourage theft and abuse, microphones should be removed from the pulpit and secured in the library after each use.


The podium should be elbow-height of the speaker. That suggests it needs to be adjusted every time someone is at the podium. We are all different heights after all. Sometimes this is done for adults and youth but I've noticed that sometimes it isn't adjusted for the kids.

Microphone placement is a bit more tricky. The instructions say that it should be placed just under the chin and within 4-6 inches of the speaker's mouth. However, it doesn't say WHO should put it there.

I've gone the rounds with bishoprics over this.

I grew up seeing a member of the bishopric jump up and adjust the microphone if the speaker didn't do it themselves.

I've now been told recently by bishoprics that it is rude to adjust the speaker's microphone because it would disrupt the speaker.

I can sympathize with this somewhat. It was a bit startling to some of these speakers of my early experience to have the microphone adjusted for them. However, they quickly regained their composure AND the rest of us could finally hear them. What's more, they tended to remember to adjust it themselves in the future.

Isn't it rude to NOT do something that would allow the audience to hear the speaker? Isn't it rude to the audience?

In one of my wards, the microphone was often pointed straight at the ceiling. Where did they think the audio was coming from? I'm still wondering.

Speakers have an additional responsibility to be heard. They need to speak loud enough. The following guidance has disappeared from the Church's website but it includes an instructive component that I think is still relevant:

“The person should speak clearly and loudly enough so that those on the third row could hear if there were no sound system. The listeners will hear the persons voice no better than the microphone receives it. In other words, the sound system does not make the voice louder, it only makes it go farther.”

It is possible that this may not apply to new sound systems. However, it may still be good advice. Microphones cannot compensate for light, mousy speakers. You need to SPEAK UP.

You NEED to be UNDERSTOOD

Besides being heard, we need to understand you. Common habits that don't present a big problem in everyday life are a problem when speaking from the podium.

The problem is "diction":

1a: vocal expression : enunciation
b: pronunciation and enunciation of words in singing

2 : choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness

Bad verbal habits can substantially interfere with people being able to understand speakers. Unfortunately, proper diction seems to be out of fashion at the moment. Hopefully, it will come back into fashion soon. The situation is dire.

If anyone has ever told you, or asked you, to enunciate you probably have a problem. If you end your prayers with, "Nameo'SChrist" you undoubtedly slur your words and need to correct your diction.

Often, if speakers speak up, their diction improves. It is very difficult to slur words if you are speaking more loudly. The volume can naturally cure some of your diction problems.

Slurring comes from speaking fast and light, almost ensuring that no one in the chapel can hear or understand you.

The best advice I've seen for enunciating is that you need to pronounce the last letter of every word you use. Work on it!

We want to hear and understand you. All you have to do is speak up and speak clearly.

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