The Importance of "Messaging"

Steve Demetras, Tom Reed, and Adelle Barrette attended a Public Affairs training meeting in Sacramento in January. Speakers there talked about a variety of things relevant to Public Affairs. One of the most interesting was "messaging." What exactly is messaging? It is saying things about our religion on terms that people (especially non-members) understand.
We need to translate "church speak." For example: instead of "saints," say "church members." Instead of "word of wisdom," say "our dietary code."
We also need to practice reflective listening, a skill that will help us with all of our efforts to communicate, including within our family. We need to show empathy, listen first, ask questions and seek to understand before seeking to be understood.
A sister in El Dorado Stake edited the material and made a PowerPoint presentation which was sent to all the stakes. Steve Demetras improved the slide layouts and added some notes. It was suggested that the High Council could speak on the subject, or it could be presented on a fifth Sunday. Contact Brother Demetras if you would like a copy of the PowerPoint. It is much more comprehensive than we can write about here.