“For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads” (D&C 25:12).
Music has always been one of my greatest passions. Whether it was playing in the school Orchestra or singing in school and church choirs, I have always tried to keep music a significant part of my life. This is true of so many teens.
Sadly, dancing was never my forte, though it never stopped me from trying my best. If I wasn’t the best dancer ever seen on the face of this earth it didn’t matter to me. I just enjoyed trying.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church, put out a booklet called For the Strength of Youth. One of the topics discussed in this booklet are the standards we need to set for ourselves when it comes to music and dancing. It may sound strange, setting standards for the type of music we listen to or the moves we make while dancing, but you never know what tiny thing might influence us to make one wrong choice.
“Music is an important and powerful part of life. It can be an influence for good…. Choose carefully the music you listen to. Pay attention to how you feel when you are listening. Don’t listen to music that drives away the Spirit, encourages immorality, glorifies violence, uses foul or offensive language, or promotes Satanism or other evil practices” (For the Strength of Youth, p.20).
Have you ever really thought about just how much the music you listen to truly influences you? Leaders of the young women (girls 12-17) in our stake (group of several congregations) decided to try listening to nothing but good, uplifting music for one whole week. One particular woman came back and told us she was amazed at the difference that one change made in her attitude about everything in her life. She found herself happier, more confident, and able to deal with the stresses of life far easier than she had before. It was remarkable.
I’d challenge you to give it a try for yourself. See what happens when you turn off what is considered the most popular music of today and listen to more sacred, more uplifting music. Test the theory and see if it doesn’t truly bless your lives for the better.
The next thing we are cautioned against is our actions while dancing. Dancing is fun. It’s a great way to express ourselves, get a bit of exercise, and meet with friends. Like most everything that can be used as a blessing in our lives, it can also be misused.
“When dancing, avoid full body contact with your partner. Do not use positions or moves that are suggestive of sexual behavior. Plan and attend dances where dress, grooming, lighting, lyrics, and music contribute to a wholesome atmosphere where the Spirit of the Lord may be present” (For the Strength of Youth, p.21).
Have you ever thought about the Spirit of God being with you even when dancing? If dances are put together with the right atmosphere, music, and dress standard the entire experience can be fun without needing to drive away the Holy Spirit.
Once every few months the Latter-day Saint Church puts together a multi-stake dance. That means several congregations, even up to 20 or 30, are brought together for a dance. Good music is selected, a standard of dress and grooming is encouraged, and the dance is held within a church-owned building. Various youth leaders are encouraged to attend in an extra effort to make sure no one crosses a line that might hurt someone else. It might to many of you like it should be pretty lame. I can tell you from experience, both as a former teen and as a leader, that these dances always leave those who attend with the best of feelings.
“Praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing” (D&C 136:28).
Singing, music, dancing. All these things can be misused if we allow it. We must daily make a conscious choice to keep the Spirit of the Lord with us through good music and, when the opportunity comes, dancing.
