I was visiting a ward in another town during Fast and Testimony meeting, and a 30-something woman read her “exit letter” from the pulpit and walked out. That was probably something that should have been read, and not done extemporaneously. However, it’s probably best not done at all. I think reading exit letters in F&T meeting is gauche.

My quip-mate in HPG is in the hospital, so I have no one right now with whom I can heckle. That means I am the only heckler in class, so I hope he gets back to church soon.

Actually, Sacrament meetings might be improved if we had hecklers.

Shortly after we moved into our current ward, I was called as the Gospel Doctrine teacher (yea!). At that point (fall of 2005), we were still finishing up the D&C. In one of the first classes after I was called, I made reference to my long-standing interest in LDS scripture, doctrine and history, as well as my sizable collection of books on LDS and other religious topics — at which point a voice piped up from the back of the class room saying, “Oh, yeah, just brag about it, why don’t you?” I immediately cracked up and then got on with the lesson.

The sister who made the comment, Nanette Snoy, came up afterwards to apologize; she explained that she’s just prone to making sarcastic quips out loud and realized after the fact that I had no idea who she was or how she meant it. I told her it was one of the best comments I had ever heard in one of my classes and that she had likely endeared herself forever to me, which she has.

Speaking of Nanette — a year or so ago, I was conducting music in Sacrament meeting (substituting for the regular conductor, who was out of town). I was looking around at various people while leading the hymn. I happened to look right at Nanette — at which point she made a face at me. I almost lost it right there and had to look away while I struggled to keep from laughing out loud. I’m sure there were a number of people in the congregation who wondered just what was wrong with me. ..bruce..

“Speech Specialists: The stake presidency or an assigned high councilor may call a stake speech specialist. The bishopric may call a ward speech specialist.

“Speech Specialists serve under the direction of the cultural arts director [this person serves under the stake/ward activities committee chair]. They plan and direct stake or ward speech and communication activities, such as speech festivals. They help people prepare talks and newsletters as requested. They also attend stake or ward activities committee meetings.”

I ordered a “Communications Manual” a few years ago (along with the “Dance Manual” and the “Theatre Manual”). I am now the ward activities committee chair, and I was going to try and dig up the communications manual because we are having a ward poetry recital in a few months, and I wanted to see if there were any good ideas in there that would apply to the recital.

That’s heckling!