Random Exhibits of How The Church of Latter-day Blah Ruins Everything

Today’s Edition: Rock ‘n’ Roll

It would seem that, if anything, the god of sex and drums and rock’n’roll would be immune from the Mormon God’s power to turn everything to celestial blah.

Nope.

Technically, I guess I shouldn’t have been listening to, well, most anything, according to a fireside once given to warn the youth of the evils of rock. This particular fireside seemed motivated by the bishop’s discovery of a cassette of Nirvana’s “In Utero,” on church property one morning. He informed the youth that after reading a few of the lyrics printed inside, he smashed the tape with his heel on the sidewalk. I guess this incident alone qualifies as a literal case study in how the church destroys rock’n’roll. But I digress.

I figured I was so superspecialrighteous that a little R.E.M. here and a little Doors there wouldn’t bring me down too much. Of course, I suffered the internal battle of telling myself, “It makes me happy. But, wickedness never was happiness. And rock doesn’t bring me closer to Christ. It must be wicked. The happiness I think it brings me is a fleeting pleasure. I will regret it later. The time spent with my headphones on is time I am not spending thinking spiritual thoughts. I will have to overcome this one day.” Queue the guilt.

Until I was ready to repent, however, I would try to keep my rocking ways as closely in line with church “standards” as I could muster. My sister still recalls how I edited out cuss words on mix tapes I made for her. Another technique of keeping rock sacred was by running the songs through my mental filter’o’righteousness. With some imagination, everything could testify of Christ!

A fun example of how I mingled the rock lyrics of man with scripture came during my missionary farewell talk. Inside Pearl Jam’s Vitology album is this short poem of sorts :

"I waited all day. you waited all day.. but you left before sunset...and I just wanted to tell you the moment was beautiful. Just wanted to dance to bad music...drive bad cars...watch bad TV...should have stayed for the sunset... if not for me."

I somehow worked this into the talk, encouraging people to stay with the gospel. If not for my testimony, then stay for “the Son.”

It’s funny to think how once upon a time, I was afraid that my musical tastes would eventually corrupt me. In fact, the church did the corrupting of enjoying things for what they were.

Another fun example comes from my mental processing of Led Zeppelin’s “That’s the Way.”
______________

That's The Way - Led Zeppelin
From Led Zeppelin III (1970)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDmEargkqLo
______________

I’m ashamed to say there once was a time that, as I listened to this song, I thought of friends that had drifted to the “darker side of town,” according to my Mormon standards. I even conjured up the possibility that, since we all had within us the light of Christ, perhaps even Robert Plant was expressing in his own way that he recognized when a person was removed from God and the Spirit. Imagine that. Robert effin’ Plant has the light of Christ. Okay, okay. I can cut myself a break. Who didn’t feel the spirit the first 17 times they listened to Stairway? What’s that? You didn’t? You probably weren’t listening to it with a sincere heart. Keep trying. Read the lyrics and pay attention to your feelings.

Anyway, back to “That’s the Way.” I am sad to think that others now view me the same way, as someone hypnotized by “dirty” things, as someone to avoid, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.

I am encouraged to think that those friend who “drifted away” long ago might have found their way just fine, and their tears I perceived weren’t tears of sorrow after all.

At least, now I know that’s not the way it has to be.

Decades ago The Rolling Stones came out with their big his SATISFACTION. Our Stake Prez at the time came out in talks about how evil it was and how sexual it was.

What he did not know was it was written as a protest against materialism the Stones saw in a tour of America - all the toys and junk bought that failed to satisfy the buyers.

Add in the burning of Beatles records after the statement 'they were more popular than Jesus Christ' - and later all us kids had to re-buy Beatles records to replace those we/our parents/church leaders had taken and destroyed.

What a waste. Especially from a church that plays and sings music from "known homosexuals".

Double and triple standards? Certainly. After all, Brigham Young - the inspired one - talked about the evils of pants with buttons or zippers in the front rather than at the side!

Imagine the cover for Sticky Fingers had BY had his way!

Didn't Joseph Smith say he was more popular or had done more than Jesus Christ for the human race?

And yet now, in their typical hypocritical fashion, they own The Arrow 103.5...SLC's most popular classic rock station.

All the lyrics they used to rage against, they now profit from.

I listened to Imagine by John Lennon and I stopped believing in church and religion in general.

I see nothing wrong with rock music.

Once upon a time, the YM and YW had to submit lyrics to a committee for review before a song could be played at a stake dance.

My dad, although he loves the song and its sentiment, nixed Imagine. After all, how could we have a stake dance, if there were no religion, too?

Yup at a gold and green ball they had to just not sing the words to that one and only play it when we had a live band.

...he sang "Imagine," but changed the line "no religion, too" to "no oppression, too."

I was a little disappointed when I saw Paul in concert a coupla years ago. He sang "Junior's Farm," but left out the line "At the houses of Parliament, everybody's talkin' 'bout the President"..... Too political, ya know.

Yeah, but truthfully, the church ruins everything, not just rock and roll. Good TV shows, great movies, other kinds of music,...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2014 10:54AM by cludgie.

I was told that BTO offered to perform for free at a provincial youth conference in Lethbridge one time years ago (when Randy was still TBM)and the SP nixed it. Said he didn't want non mo kids crashing the show....but he was an old fucker who hated R & R...JMHO.

Ron Burr

Don't let them ruin it for you. Rock and Roll will never die.

Exactly! Lenny Kravitz didn't get the memo!

My parents had too many other fires to put out so they let me rock.

God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you

Put it in the soul of everyone

Kiss (stolen from Argent)

I just listened to whatever I wanted. And I loved videos and MTV as well. Although, I was offended by skanky videos, but for personal reasons, not religious ones.

I tried to stay away from all the music, games, TV shows, movies, books, and everything else that Mormons claimed were "Satanic" or whatever, but there was no end to it. I used to laugh when Hinckley described Mormons as being an optimistic people. That wasn't my experience at all. The negativity and cynicism was relentless and you could never seem to avoid it.

mormons ruin rock and roll

exhibit A: brandon flowers

At one point, Brandon was a smoking Jackmo, seemingly on the verge of being an Exmo. His Celebrity TBM status still boggles my mind. And yes, it has ruined him.

In my lifetime, the world has faced huge change and challenges. In every case, from music to birth control, to politics, their reaction was easily predictable.

They always choose to reject change until they figure out how to profit from it. They always follow, and never lead.

Revelation is dead.

Was anyone "lucky" enough to have attended one of the Lex de Azevedo (of Saturday's Warrior fame), Rock'n'Roll is of the Devil youth firesides?

One of the biggest buzz kills in the history of the church. Randy Bachman was there and gave the closing prayer.

I'm wondering if this is the fireside we were treated to. After a few opening remarks, the fireside was simply a taped talk disparaging basically all music ever.

Along with the usual offenders, I was a little surprised to hear one act in particular called out: Simon and Garfunkel.

First, some background.

Simon and Garfunkel is probably my first love. When I was about twelve, my grand-mom took us to a music shop and let us pick any cassette we wanted. My parents listened to a decent range of rock, some classical, and some folk. I wasn't really familiar with any given artist. I happened upon a S&G greatest hits, recognized more than one song title, and put it in the basket. I did love that tape.

Sometime later, a girl at school borrowed the tape, as she was infatuated with Scarborough Fair. Some of the cool crowd found out, and gave me some grief about liking S&G. I wanted to say, "Hey, I listen to Hendrix. I listened to the Beatles before any of you. I've got a Weezer album. I'm cool. Really!" But it was too late. Simon and Garfunkel are not cool, because they are not hard, they are not rebellious, they are not evil.

Back to the fireside. . . Yes, they are evil. In "The Boxer" the narrator seeks some comfort from the whores on Seventh Avenue. And Cecilia, you know, kind of got around. So there I was, having been made fun of for listening to some softies, but even THAT was unacceptable.

So, continuing Cludgie's list, yes everything is ruined. Even folksy sissy-pants Simon and Garfunkel.

Elder Strangelove Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------


>
>In "The Boxer" the narrator seeks some comfort from
> the whores on Seventh Avenue.

But then, in "The Boxer": the part about "seeking out the poorer quarters where the ragged people go"- that is a direct quotation from a very old Christmas carol, from (I believe) around the 1600's. In that song, that is what the innkeeper in Bethlehem says to Mary and Joseph. I repeat- a direct quote.


I stumbled across this factoid many years ago while thumbing through book with old carols. What I do not know about is how S&G came to include it in their song. Does anybody know the story behind that?

Once when I was in a military ward, our bishop gave a whole fireside on this, and played selections of some very popular music, and then some tunes from Janice Kapp Perry bullshit. Naturally, his thing was to always have Janice Kapp Perry in the background and never allow popular music. Do you know any really weird, crazy Mormons who have a difficult time functioning in real life? These are the ones who only listen to Janice Kapp Perry music.

My BYU roommate used to call her "Janice Crap Perry"

And she wasn't all that wild or liberal a roomie!

"I have squandered my resistance
For a pocket full of mumbles such are promises
All lies and jests
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest."

I think that could describe growing up mormon.

And then of course, "Lie lie lies. Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie, lie lie lies."

I bet the boxer lurks here on rfm.

...still plays this? :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrwpdW1T-ac

Ha ha, good one. Yes indeed it was him.

I can't really imagine he was in agreement with what was said in the meeting. He was introduced just before the closing prayer as being in town, San Diego. (probably on a concert tour with BTO). He gave the benediction.

Wish I could remember what he said. He was wearing a shirt that looked like a kimono. lol It was the 70's!

I have to share this story. When I was in my 20's, my girlfriends (both TBMs) decided that I was slipping away from the church and needed saving (I was living with a guy--gasp!). So, they convinced me to go to Tuesday devotional at the church next to the Institute. Every Tuesday, mormons would dress up like they were going to church for an hour and get together to act like they were better than everyone else around them. So, in order to appease them I went (but I didn't dress up because I wasn't going to conform).

Since I didn't dress up (I went in shorts), I was supposed to sit in the very back with the other heathens, but my friends couldn't get themselves to do that so instead we all sat in the front row. A boy that I had had a huge crush on in high school (but who I no longer had one on ever since he came home from his mission--he later became a Seminary teacher) was the speaker. He was giving a talk on the types of music that we should all be avoiding and was using a tape player with samples of everything from Madonna's "Like a Prayer" to Nirvano's "In Utero". As he was playing the songs, I completely forgot where I was and why I was there. So, when Aerosmith's "Dude, Looks Like A Lady" was played, I couldn't help myself. I stood up and belted out the lyrics. Duuude looks like a laaady!!!

My ex-crush and every member of the congregation looked at me (remember I'm wearing shorts and am in the front row of the church) like what I did was the most offensive thing they had ever seen/heard. I said, "Ooops. My bad," and sat down, to the shame and embarassment of my girlfriends. Needless to say, they never asked me back.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2014 08:47PM by nomorefencesitting.

Yep. Going to a Pearl Jam concert as an older teenager with my bro and sister made me feel so rebellious. Haha! How could the holy ghost stick around? I was surrounded by people breaking the WOW, dressing immodestly, & wearing multiple piercings and tattoos!

The sad thing is that I probably didn't even enjoy myself as much as I should have because I was noticing all the "bad choices" of the people around me.

My dad has always been a grammar Nazi. He spent more time correcting my words than listening to the content of what I would say. As a result, I have the habit of silently correcting other people's grammar in my head. (On the plus side, I work hard to be a listener!)

The programming from TSCC had a similar effect of silently measuring up people's appearance and mannerisms for appropriateness. It's something I'm learning to let go of.