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wadegeorge
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Hey Everyone!

Me and a few LDS friends are currently building a website for members to post church talks they've given! We know that-- more and more often-- members are typing up their talks anyway. We feel that inspiration hits EVERY member from time to time, and it would be a shame to let that inspiration fade away or be limited to only those within earshot.

We're thinking this might be a really good way to help converts find examples of what member-talks look like (thus taking the edge off of their first time!). In general, though, we think it would be a fun site for anyone interested in logging on and reading up, or those just looking for inspiration. Eventually, we plan on building a program into the site that will help search by age, topic, and verse.

And hey, we all put a lot of work into talks-- it would be nice to see them made immortal through online publishing! We'll enable (and STRICTLY monitor) commenting, so you can invite family and friends to read your talk; a feature which will be especially nice for those with large extended families that can't make it to the same ward. Imagine being able to use your Aunt or Uncle's sacrament meeting talks as a basis for FHE!

Right now we're just accumulating church talks-- we're not going to launch until the site has enough content to be worth their time. If you have something you'd like to share, PLEASE send it to us in an email: we're found at [email protected]

Also, it would REALLY help our cause if you could find out Facebook page( just search Mormon Talks) and "like" it (don't forget to invite friends!). We'll provide updates and our launchdate for the website, which will be sometime in the next few months!

Thanks a lot everyone! There's no community quite like an LDS one.

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How exactly are you going to review these talks for quality? Or are you? Will you have a qualified team to peer review the talks to ensure they do not veer away from doctrine and principle? Or that they are merely teach (as Elder Holland warned about) spiritual Twinkies with no redeeming spiritual nourishment?

I fear that talks from regular members placed on the Internet would suddenly replace the talks given at General Conference. I would hope the members would study the teachings of the apostles and prophets, not of some unknown member in some unknown ward or branch.

It is one thing for me to have a blog, where I can share my personal thoughts on the gospel. It is another to set up a site where talks from a variety of people are placed up in a pseudo-official manner that could convince non-LDS and LDS alike that our doctrines are X, rather than Y.

I hope you think this through before you are inundated with thousands of well-intentioned speeches that may or may not be of real value to the Church.

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Hey Rameumptom,

Thanks for a well considered response. I think the value provided by this site would mirror the value of any church talk; surely you don't skip sacrament meeting because the speakers aren't ordained general authorities? We'll be screening for vulgarity and obvious deviations from church teachings, but there will be no guise as to what these talks are-- the thoughts and inspiration of members. I wouldn't worry about the "pseudo-official" in a site that will glorify its roots in nothing more than simple members' speeches.

I'm not sure how these would "replace" any general authority talks... are you worried that Little-Suzie-from-Vermont's speech will suddenly be quoted more often than those of Lorenzo Snow? I suppose we'll take it as a compliment that you feel the project might take off with that degree of success.

Always happy to keep your ideas in mind, though! Thanks again!

-Wade

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Hey Rameumptom,

Thanks for a well considered response. I think the value provided by this site would mirror the value of any church talk; surely you don't skip sacrament meeting because the speakers aren't ordained general authorities? We'll be screening for vulgarity and obvious deviations from church teachings, but there will be no guise as to what these talks are-- the thoughts and inspiration of members. I wouldn't worry about the "pseudo-official" in a site that will glorify its roots in nothing more than simple members' speeches.

-Wade

The difference is, in Sacrament meeting, the bishop and his counselors are present to ensure that doctrine is taught, and to correct any incorrect teachings.

If you do not provide some form of editing on your list, you leave people to presume that all put in place is official. Regardless of whether you make some claim that these are just from members, the issues will spring up.

Recently a friend noted that a speaker in their Sacrament meeting stated that tithing was only on the net income. Well, the person was wrong. It is on the "increase", which has not been determined by the Prophet to be net or gross income. Each person must prayerfully decide it for him/herself. But to have such a statement on your site could easily convince people that net income is what is meant by the word "increase."

Without an editor (bishop in the case of Sacrament) to ensure doctrines are taught properly, etc., you will end up with a hodgepodge of garbage with pearls strewn in the midst of it. It won't be worth dumpster diving in hopes of finding the really good stuff.

Even if the talks are doctrinally correct, does not mean they are inspired or inspiring. So again, we have the problem of wasting time digging through garbage to find the talks that edify us and change us for the better. I think a study of D&C 50 would be useful to you in this regard.

The MoreGoodFoundation spends lots of effort on this forum, chat rooms, websites, etc to ensure the validity and correctness of the info found. I have no doubt they would manage such an issue well. Since I don't know you or your friends, don't know how well any of you know the gospel, don't know how well you will review talks, etc., I can't say whether it will be a quality site or not.

Edited by rameumptom
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Hey Rameumptom,

Thanks again for raising your concerns about the quality of our site. I'll try to address your points as I see them.

"If you do not provide some form of editing on your list, you leave people to presume that all put in place is official."

Yes, as I said earlier, there will be a screening process. Also, each talk will be open for commenting underneath, so zealous posters like yourself have the ability to respond to talks with any concerns you feel are worth mentioning.

"Regardless of whether you make some claim that these are just from members, the issues will spring up."

I suppose we'll just have to disagree here: there aren't really any premises for me to respond to, just claims.

"Without an editor (bishop in the case of Sacrament) to ensure doctrines are taught properly, etc., you will end up with a hodgepodge of garbage with pearls strewn in the midst of it. It won't be worth dumpster diving in hopes of finding the really good stuff."

At this point, I feel it only fair to defend that mass of members you've just insulted. I suppose, in the end, I regard the work of bulk of LDS as more than "a hodgepodge of garbage." Again, we'll just have to disagree here.

"Even if the talks are doctrinally correct, does not mean they are inspired or inspiring."

I think many would simply contend that-- as the doctrine is inspired/inspiring-- recreations that adhere to its premises (or are, as you say "doctrinally correct") will likewise be able to do little or no harm. Likewise, I'm sure you wouldn't pretend to be of the opinion that all talks inspire with similar results for a diverse crowd of people. I imagine that you've been inspired by work that has done little for others, and vice-versa.

"I think a study of D&C 50 would be useful to you in this regard."

A great verse, and a great place to direct future patrons of our site! Thanks!

"The MoreGoodFoundation spends lots of effort on this forum, chat rooms, websites, etc to ensure the validity and correctness of the info found. I have no doubt they would manage such an issue well."

Well, surely none of us can argue this point! However, I would direct you to the duration of time the MoreGoodFoundation has taken thus far in creating their version of our site: From the posts I've seen, it looks as though the issue has lain dormant for the last 8 months. If nothing else, perhaps our site will "inspire" them to continue with such an important endeavor!

"Since I don't know you or your friends, don't know how well any of you know the gospel, don't know how well you will review talks, etc., I can't say whether it will be a quality site or not."

From your responses so far, I think you already HAVE said what you think the site will be (or, in the very least, certainly insinuated as much). Regardless, we'll certainly be looking to win you over with quality content in the next few months.

Thanks again, Rameumptom! Please feel free to get back to us with more brainstorming! It's posts like this that help us build a better, more accurate user experience!

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I'm going to close this thread. People have been invited to participate if they feel the urge. I hope the OP has great success with the website. It's a worthy endeavor. I can also understand Ram's concerns as well.

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