Music & the Spoken Word: To teach and let go

Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Derrick Porter each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This will be given Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026. This week is No. 5,070 of the broadcast. Please note: Reservations are needed to attend “Music & the Spoken Word” in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Find out more about how to make reservations here. “Of all existing things,” said the philosopher Epictetus, “some are in our power, and others are not in our power” (“The Enchiridion,” by Epictetus, translated by P.E. Matheson, published in 1916, sacred-texts.com). These words, shared nearly 2,000 years ago, remain relevant today. And while more lies outside our power or control than we might like, we can still teach and positively influence others. The key is how we go about it. On one end of the spectrum is control. Control often looks like telling, pointing and pushing. On the other end is teaching. Teaching usually looks like coaching, guiding and modeling.

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