I was having one of those days. You know, the kind where the kids are running in circles around you, and the noise level is so out of control that you can’t even hear yourself shouting? Yes, it was not a good day. I was about to yell and ground and punish every little body that moved. But that is not the kind of mother I want to be. So I said a prayer. It was one of those fervent, heartfelt “Don’t let me kill these children!” kind of prayers.
Even in that land of chaos, the Lord heard me, and He gave me an idea. So I went to the piano. ‘”It’s louder than the children!” I thought. But that wasn’t what the Lord had meant. As I played one of my favorite church hymns, the noise level dropped. Little feet slowed down. And soon I heard a small voice say “Please play my favorite one Mommy.” It was working like a charm!! Soon my awful, potentially explosive, Mommy moment became a sweet and happy memory. Once the children were calm, we could decide what to do next. And I got their attention not with yelling and threats, but with the peace and beauty of a song and the Spirit of the Lord.
Remembering this experience makes me wonder how often I am missing sweet moments with my family. Music is such a gift! Lately I’ve lamented how much “screen time” goes on in our house. Everyone seems to have a phone or a tablet glued to their face. And when those aren’t on, the Xbox or the TV is. It gets difficult to get the family together for dinner, because someone is always telling me “One more minute, Mom!” It gets so draining at times.
One of my friends recently told me a story of an exasperated mom who had thrown the circuit breaker in her home, and pretended there was a blackout, just so she could have some technology-free time with her family. I laughed, but I’ve wanted to do the same thing before. As I’ve prayed about a way to peacefully gather my family, I’ve felt over and over again that the answer is to have more music in our home. I love to see my husband sit with our son on the piano bench, showing him how to play a favorite song. I love the peace that descends when the hymns are playing — whether on CD or on the piano. And I can’t deny that I feel more relaxed when there aren’t competing conversations from multiple videos being played in the same room. (It’s pretty clear I have a love-hate relationship with technology.)
In 2009 Elder Russell M. Nelson talked about the importance of music. He said:
Music has a sweet power to promote unity and love in the family. Not only is it an important component of family home evenings, but it can also exert a continuing influence for good well beyond times when children are small. For my gift to our family for Christmas 2007, I prepared a compact-disc recording of musical memories. I sat at the piano and recorded a variety of music that I had sung or played to the children through the years. They liked it. Some of the grandchildren told me that the CD was “cool.”
Music has power to provide spiritual nourishment. It has healing power. It has the power to facilitate worship, allowing us to contemplate the Atonement and the Restoration of the gospel, with its saving principles and exalting ordinances. It provides power for us to express prayerful thoughts and bear testimony of sacred truths.
Music has power to overcome language barriers. In my experience some of the most moving congregational singing has been rendered in languages that are foreign to me. Yet it spoke strongly to my soul.…
Worthy music is not only a source of power but also of protection. For many years President Boyd K. Packer, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has taught this concept. He has often quoted a statement issued by the First Presidency many years ago: “Music can be used to exalt and inspire or to carry messages of degradation and destruction. It is therefore important that as Latter-day Saints we at all times apply the principles of the gospel and seek the guidance of the Spirit in selecting the music with which we surround ourselves.”
Wherever we are we should carefully choose what we see and hear. …
Do not allow unworthy, raucous music to enter your life. It is not harmless. It can weaken your defense and allow unworthy thoughts into your mind and pave the way to unworthy acts. Please remember:
“That which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.
That which is of God is light” (D&C 50:23–24).
Fill your minds with worthy sights and sounds. Cultivate your precious gift of the Holy Ghost. Protect it as the priceless gift that it is. Carefully listen for its quiet communication. You will be spiritually stronger if you do.
You know the proverb, “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). As you control your thoughts, you control your actions. Indeed, worthy music can provide power and protection for the soul.
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Worthy music has the power to make us humble, prayerful, and grateful. Prophets through all generations have taught the importance of worthy music in our expressions of worship.
Hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.
It is important that as Latter-day Saints we seek the guidance of the Spirit in selecting the music with which we surround ourselves.
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I quoted more of his talk than I had intended, but the reality of the power of music — and the importance of choosing it wisely — struck my soul. I have felt both the benefits and the dangers of music. It is a powerful and sometimes subtle addition to my personal landscape. I mean, can you imagine a movie without music? The feelings and emotion of the moment fall flat. Pretend you’re watching a horror movie, and the hero is descending the basement stairs into the dark, without music. Almost makes it become a comedy! Music makes all the difference.
About Patty Sampson
Patty thrives on all things creative. You’ll often find her in the garden pretending she is a suburban farmer. She loves meeting new people, and is devoted to her friends and family. In her heart she is a Midwesterner even though life has moved her all over the country. She believes in “blooming where you’re planted” and has found purpose in every place she has been. She has a deep and abiding love for the Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And she loves editing LDS Blogs because it is a constant spiritual uplift. Not many people can say their job builds their witness of the Savior.
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Late last year I was called to start a ward choir, after nearly 15 years without one. I am not a choir director. In studying the Manuals and pondering them, I came to the conclusion that the primary purpose of the ward choir is not ward music, but hymns in the homes of our members. Moms or dads rehearsing at home, the rest of the family humming along silently, ponderizing together in a spontaneous, informal manner.
How could we encourage and enable that? http://www.LDS.org Interactive Music Player is a huge asset. We can send the link (e.g. https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/the-morning-breaks?lang=eng) by email. We also record our choir rehearsing an upcoming hymn, using a cell phone, and email that recording to every member of the choir to sing along with at home, in the car, while walking, during activities of daily life. No time taken from other activities – just beauty and inspiration introduced into those mundane activities.
For most of our performances over the past 5 months, 1/3 to 1/2 of the choir had attended only 1 or 2 get-together rehearsals, but the sound and dynamics were astounding. Less cost, less travel, less time to be an active member of the Church. More importantly, in my view, the hymns were being sung in more homes.
That’s awesome! I had never thought of recording rehearsals and singing along in the car. You’ve done a wonderful thing bringing the hymns into more homes. Keep up the good work! I’m also touched by the fact your choir is performing so well together with infrequent rehearsals. The Lord is blessing you. And it reminds me of a saying I heard once, that when the ward choir sings the angels sing too.