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How many times have we inadvertently offended a person or group of persons because we simply aren\u2019t thinking about how the things we say might strike them? Because we are in a hurry? Because we are writing or speaking while our emotions are high? Because we signal that we care less about them than we do about our being \u201cright\u201d? Conversation is hard work, especially the kind in which we truly connect with other persons. It can be scary to make ourselves vulnerable to the influence of others, to risk possibly having to change our perspectives\u2014and maybe even admit that we are wrong or owe a big apology. Add in that the extra stress that arises when\xa0we\xa0tale\xa0about religious things for which the stakes feel so high and which has been presented to\xa0us\xa0as \u201cthe\u201d truth of the matter.

In some ways upsetting, mischaracterizing, or not imagining in advance one\u2019s entire potential audience is inescapable. But there are definitely practices and reminders that can help keep our conversations from going sideways as often and with fewer deep and often quite damaging effects to our public and personal relationships.\xa0Lindsay Hansen Park,\xa0Russell Osmond, and\xa0Jacob Hess\xa0are three great practitioners and thinkers about effective group and interpersonal conversation and relationships, and today they join Mormon Matters host\xa0Dan Wotherspoon\xa0for this two-part episode in which they share stories of conversations gone well and poorly, as well as talk about best practices (and things to avoid!) for effective\xa0communication on both large and small scales.