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The Voice in Speech and Song
Speaking from the throat, letting the words come out from the
upper extremity of the vocal organs, all the time fretting and irritating
them, is not the best way to preserve health or to increase the efficiency
of those organs. You should take a full inspiration and let the action
come from the abdominal muscles. Let the lungs be only the channel,
but do not depend upon them to do the work. If you let your words
come from deep down, exercising the abdominal muscles, you can
speak to thousands with just as much ease as you can speak to ten.
Some of our preachers are killing themselves by long, tedious
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praying and loud speaking, when a lower tone would make a better im-
pression and save their own strength. Now, while you go on regardless
of the laws of life and health, and follow the impulse of the moment,
do not charge it upon God if you break down.—
Testimonies for the
Church 2:615, 616
.
Prayers That All Can Hear—To those who are planning to enter
God’s work as ministers, I would say: Strive with determination to
be perfect in speech. Ask God to help you to accomplish this great
object. When in the congregation you offer prayer, remember that
you are addressing God, and that He desires you to speak so that all
who are present can hear and can blend their supplications with yours.
A prayer uttered so hurriedly that the words are jumbled together is
no honor to God and does the hearers no good. Let ministers and all
who offer public prayer learn to pray in such a way that God will be
glorified and the hearers will be blessed. Let them speak slowly and
distinctly and in tones loud enough to be heard by all so that the people
may unite in saying, Amen.—
Testimonies for the Church 6:383
.
Loud Talking a Danger to Health—[
An impromptu dialogue
during Ellen White’s talk to the General Conference Committee at
Lake Goguac in Michigan. July 14, 1890.
] Elder Farnsworth: “Don’t
you think, Sister White, a great many of our ministers have received
great injury from their manner of speaking?”
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Ellen White: “Oh, yes, indeed; I have seen it over and over. My
husband got in the way of sometimes raising his voice very loud, and
it seemed as though he could not get out of that way. And there is a
brother in Texas, Brother A, that is dying just as sure as if he put a
knife to his throat. Now since I have come here I have thought of that
and I must write to him.”
Elder Kilgore: “He has been told about that.”