Music: Foundation of Faith (And a quick update!)

In case you didn't know i've been kind of quiet on the blogsphere because i've been going back and forth between Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. It's been an amazing couple of weeks! I've got a lot of insights to share here, and on my other blog, but i wanted to share a quick insight that hit me today amazing time, and some fun pictures from my trip.

I love jazz music

Music. Magic that has enchanted people since the beginning of time. There's something inside of us that cannot resist the pull of great music! Whether it's Jazz, or Hip-hop, or Baroque, or Classical, or maybe Country western, once you find music that you love, you can't get it out of your head!

If you've had the pleasure of seeing Pixar's new movie Inside Out, then you (hopefully) noticed the tripledent gum ad that kept popping up for the young girl. The molecules said about the memory of that jingle "this one is never gonna fade! Sometimes we throw it up there just for fun!" (Speaking of Inside Out and music, i'm currently hooked on the song Lava.)

TripleDent Gum, will make you smile!

As i pondered why some of these songs just randomly come from the depths of our memory, i had an insight, it's because we're hardwired for praise. We're hardwired to praise the Lord! (This is a subject i'll be writing about at some point, but it requires a lot more time and attention than I can put into a blog post)  The Lord designed us this way so we could learn easier through song! Basically any song  can stick in our memory like gum on the bottom of a shoe, which means we have to be just as careful what we let into our ears, as what we let our shoes fall into.*

When i was pondering this, one of the first witnesses that pointed me to this was the fact that almost all the major religions, the texts were recited to music? The Hebrews have their chants, and prayers that are in song, the Muslims have their call to prayer, and the Qur'an in song, and the Hindus have the Vedas which were originally hymns, Catholics have their repeated prayers, and songs. Even the Yogis sing their mantras to music!

The Vedas are older than Moses!

For a while i was really annoyed that Latter-day Saints don't put many of our scriptures to music. We have our hymns, yes, but i wish there was some cool song that i could use to sing 1 Nephi!  (I was actually just talking to Erwin about this today.) The jews have cool patterns! However, it seems that Latter-day Saints are peculiar enough as they are, that they avoid things that might make them seem even weirder.. i.e. chanting scriptures to music in order to learn them better.

Back to today! I was walking through Deseret Book, and after i made my purchase i saw a jewel, a nugget of gold, an oasis in the desert! (No, it was not the chocolate counter next to the cashier!) I saw Scripture Scouts on CD!

Old School Cassettes

When i saw the CDs, i remembered that in my childhood i used to listen to the cassettes as i would fall asleep. There was one particular song that i would stay up late and listen to over and over. As i would listen to it, i would feel something. I wasn't sure what it was, but i loved how it felt! I would listen to it over and over, just because i loved how it felt!

As i looked back, i realized that i was feeling the Holy Ghost testifying to me about what i was hearing. Then I realized that the foundation of loving the Lord, and loving the scriptures came to me as i listened to these songs. Songs about the rameumptom, and kids talking about Laban and the plates.

I bought the album, and immediately put it into my car CD player. As i listened to it i was shocked to hear how corny some of the songs are. But even though they're corny i can't help but love them!

Now on CD!

Moral of the story: use music as a foundation for faith. Children may wander in later years, but they will remember the music, and the feelings, and that can and will provide a path to return. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is older, he will not depart from it. President Eyring said it this way,

There are things you can do early, when those you love are young. Remember that daily family prayer, family scripture study, and sharing our testimony in sacrament meeting are easier and more effective when children are young. Young children are often more sensitive to the Spirit than we realize.

When they are older, they will remember the hymns they sang with you. Even more than recalling music, they will remember the words of scripture and testimony. The Holy Ghost can bring all things to their remembrance, but the words of scriptures and hymns will last the longest. Those memories will exert a pull that may bring them back when they wander for a time, possibly for years, from the pathway home to eternal life.

*(The fact that Satan uses that hardwiring to ensure that meaningless drivel and horrid filth play on repeat in our heads is just a further backhanded 2nd confirmation for me.)

Now time for some photos from my trip to AZ with Erwin!

Erwin and me in front of the Payson, UT temple

In front of the Grand Canyon

This is the symbol of our trip. Mediation: where heaven meets earth.

We slept under the stars

Sat Nam! We love meditating!

Beautiful

Morse Code And Meditation

Consider this picture as you read the following story.

There once was a former army morse code operator who was looking for a job. One day while looking in the paper for a job, he saw an ad "Morse Code Operator wanted, for appointment call…." He quickly picked up his phone, and called and made an appointment. He was told to come in at a relatively early hour in the morning in a few days.

The day arrived and the operator hopeful walked into the office, dressed in his best suit and tie, and walked up to the secretary. "I'm here for the interview for morse code operator!" he proudly said. The secretary looked up, smiled, and asked him to "take a seat with the others." Puzzled he turns around and sees 3 men men sitting in chairs, dressed in a suit and tie.

As he takes his seat he asks the men how long they've been sitting there. The first man has been waiting for 45 minutes and was reading the paper, the second man had been waiting for 30 minutes and was reviewing his interview notes, the third man had been waiting for 15 minutes, and was nervously sitting there. As our friend took his seat he decided to calm himself down, and clear his mind.

After a few minutes he stepped up to the secretaries desk and asked for a paper and pen. The other men glanced up, and then resumed their respective activities. A few minutes later our friend stood up and marched into the office of the interviewer. The manager stood up, and asked him what he was doing in his office. Our friend showed him his notes, and the man shook his hand and said "congratulations, you've got the job."

When the hiring manager stepped outside his office to announce that the other perspective employees could go home, they were upset and asked why they weren't hired! They had never gotten their interview!

Calmly the hiring manager said, "The entire time you've been sitting out here a message has been broadcast via morse-code: 'If you can hear this, come into my office, you've got the job.' All of you had equal opportunities to translate, all of you had the training, and the skills, but not one of you took the time to be still and listen. Therefore, none of you got the job. You're all dismissed."

This story illustrates a very powerful truth: if we don't listen for the still small voice, we won't hear it. When Christ comes we'll be among those who "never knew [him]." The injunction to "Be still and know that I am God" is a commandment. (And it's not just in the Old Testament! It's a commandment in the Doctrine and Covenants as well.)

I'm sure there are numerous reasons why this is, first off, the world is going to get CRAZY, and if we don't anchor ourselves into him, then we'll won't survive the storm. The second is more subtle i think, by becoming still, we allow ourselves to really surrender everything to the Savior, and let him make changes in us for our benefit.

John 10:27 says "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (NIV) Matthew 7:22-23 says something quite chilling. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in they name done many wonderful works? And I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Did you notice how often they said that they did a wonderful work "in thy name"? What is the only church that has Jesus Christ's name on it? I've seen plenty of Baptists, and Methodists, and sects of Christianity, but I'm only aware of one church that bears the name of Jesus Christ: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Many of members of the LDS Church believe that because they're called, (or got the job interview appointment, and were well qualified, as was the case in the story above), that they'll be chosen. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that! "...Many are called, but few are chosen." as the scriptures declare. The problem? "Their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world…." The solution? Spend time in stillness, and give your heart a chance to let go of the things of this world.

What will happen if you do? The scriptures will open up to you in a way that they've never done before. The words of the prophets will make more sense, and you'll feel an increase of peace in times of difficulty. Your ability to regulate your emotions will be enhanced, and you'll be more calm in times of relative chaos. Also, one of my favorite blessings, all things will begin to be revealed to you. 2 Nephi 27: 11 says of the last days, "And all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the ends of the earth." Some people think this will happen in General Conference, but it won't. General Conference has to be the standard to the world, the ensign, the constant unchanging message and invitation to all the peoples of the world. No, this says it will be revealed to the "children of men" not just the prophets or apostles, or yogis, or sages, or mystics.  It will be direct, straight to us, from God to man.

The twelve steps teach it, Oprah suggests it, the prophets have commanded it, and the warnings for not doing it are unmistakably clear! Meditate. Take time each day to be still: still your body, mind, spirit and emotions. (Don't still your heart-beat otherwise you'll die, and I don't want that on my head.) And if you don't know how to do this, ask God to teach you! (That's how i had to learn) If you do this with the pray of knowing God, i promise that you'll get that! I have come to know and love God better through my daily time in stillness. I've become a better disciple of Christ. Love reigns in my home, and in my heart, and when i step out of bounds, i recognize it, and quickly hop back on the path of love, and devotion. It might not make you perfect overnight, but it will certainly transform and change you life!  As always, i love comments, so feel free to share your thoughts! 

It is my hope to meet you as we travel the road of happy destiny (hopefully you'll be meditating),

until then, happy meditating, and have a wonderful life!

Free To Choose

During my mission i was really puzzled by the commandment to "humble yourself…." I was familiar with the process of being humbled by the Lord through his glory, or through affliction, or threats of afflictions. But the idea of choosing to be humble confused me. I didn't know how to choose that!

In the midst of my emotional turmoil the spirit took me to Alma 42:30. It's a gem of a scripture, and reading Alma 39-42 in order to get the full context of Corianton's spiritual state. It also happens to be the formula for humbling ourselves before God.

It reads, "O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in humility."

Did you catch that? The justice of God + the mercy of God exercising their full range in the human heart will = humbling her/him to the dust. The scripture points to one other thing, and i'll get there in a moment. When i was on my mission, i only saw justice and mercy, because that's what i needed at the time.

I used to think of this as a pendulum! (again, we're ignoring that third part for a just moment)

It's perfect! If i bank too much on the mercy's of God, i will be denying Justice, and excuse myself in my sins. If i lean too much on God's justice, i'll never be able to accept the Atonement as ransom for my sins. Humility is in-between justice and mercy. Okay, here's the third part, (10 points if you can guess it) love. That is, the Love of God.

Eliza R. Snow penned it beautifully in her hymn How Great The Wisdom And The Love, "How great, how glorious, how complete redemptions grand design, where Justice, Love, and Mercy meet in harmony divine!" (Hymns, 195)

I like to think that these three have to come together, because in love we find a love for God, and for ourselves and our fellow men and women. But this change must come about because of a love for God, which only comes as a result of feeling God's love! (1 John 4:19)

This all sparked through my mind tonight because i was contemplating affirmations. I decided that I was going to wake-up early, pray, and then spend 10 minutes in total silence, letting go of everything, then spend 10 minutes putting in healthy food for my brain via affirmations. (This is actually part of a bigger plan, but that's a post for another day!)

I was looking at a blog post the other day from one of the blogs i follow and Kylie, the blogger, put up a bunch of affirmations (that i'm assuming came from a really awesome scripture study) that started with "I am free to choose…" and it'd list two things she can choose, where she can really only choose one of the two i.e. "I am free to choose liberty and eternal life, or captivity and death."

So, i guess i liked them because they reminded me that I am free to choose humility, or self justification, or self deprecation. And that's a really great feeling.