A funeral talk
Before you start
This page is a template, not a talk. It's here to get your brain going. It's totally normal to feel nervous.
The best advice I can give you is to be you. What could you bring into this talk that's yours? Your view, your happiness, the joy the gospel has brought into your life. Pray about that. Think about it for a day.
The Gospel Library app has a ton of good material, so use it. Plenty of AI tools will happily write this talk for you too. Use them to brainstorm if it helps... but don't let them write it. You write the talk.
A prompt for ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or whatever you use
I'm giving a 10-minute talk on the plan of salvation in church. Don't write the talk for me. Ask me five questions, one at a time, to help me find a story from my own life that fits. Then suggest a simple outline built from my answers, with blanks where my own words go.
Who is it for
How long
A 10-minute talk on the plan of salvation
About 1,300 words when you read it aloud. Built from conference talks mainly about the plan of salvation.
Stories you could open with
Scriptures talks are built on
Moses 1:39 the main scripture in 17 talks
John 11:25-26 the main scripture in 9 talks
Doctrine and Covenants 122:7 the main scripture in 8 talks
Alma 42:8 the main scripture in 8 talks
Teach from prophets, apostles, and leaders
Gerrit W. Gong, 2026
Abide in Christ and make sure no one walks their road alone
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2026
Walk toward Christ's light despite questions and become a witness that He lives.
Something that happened to you goes here, about 2 minutes.
Your testimony. What you know about the plan of salvation, in your own words.
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Your talk
Your talk so far
A 10-minute talk on the plan of salvation Rasband's grandson Paxton, born with a chromosomal deletion, lives three years and brings his family joy. (Ronald A. Rasband, 2026) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04/45rasband?lang=eng Moses 1:39 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/1?lang=eng&id=p39#p39 Abide in Christ and make sure no one walks their road alone (Gerrit W. Gong, ’Tis Eastertide: No One Walks Alone, 2026) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04/58gong?lang=eng Something that happened to you goes here, about 2 minutes. ______________________ Your testimony. What you know about the plan of salvation, in your own words. ______________________
Want cue cards? Our free cue card maker turns your talk into cards you can read at arm’s length.
Make cue cards from this talkTalks to read first
Dallin H. Oaks, 2026
The Resurrection changes how we live; followers of Christ love adversaries and make peace.
Ronald A. Rasband, 2026
Rasband testifies on Easter of the resurrected Christ and of his grandson Paxton's promised resurrection.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2026
Uchtdorf invites all to encounter the empty tomb as Mary did and become witnesses of the risen Christ.
Dallin H. Oaks, 2025
Oaks lists the helps God gives His children to choose right and return to Him.
Brook P. Hales, 2024
Hales testifies that God's plan is designed for us to succeed, and that trials, through Christ, refine us.
Questions people ask
- How long should a funeral talk be?
- Ask the family. Many are five to ten minutes, and the family usually has a plan for the whole service.
- What should a funeral talk be about?
- The person, first. A story only you can tell, then the hope of the plan of salvation. Families remember the stories.
- What if I can’t get through it without crying?
- That’s okay. Print it or put it on cue cards, so you can find your place again after you stop.
- Is this an official Church site?
- No. It’s a family project. Every story and talk links to the real one on churchofjesuschrist.org, so read it there before you use it.