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Posted by: Elnephi ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 10:29AM

I just got word that an official letter from sent from SLC stating that the LDS church services will now allow "CONSERVATIVE" guitar and drum music in sacrament services. The instructions say quote "these instruments should be used only for opening and closing hymns, but not for the sacrament hymn". Could this be true my source says it is but ???? I need double everything today before I believe anything

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Posted by: Elnephi ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 10:36AM

Answered my own question. Not true

www.patheos.com

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Posted by: breedumyung ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 10:47AM

I played my guitar at my TBM mom's funeral, but only after The Lard okayed it.

As a rock guitarist, I promised to play 'reverently'...

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Posted by: sparty ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 11:55AM

I was actually trying to organize a brass ensemble at Christmas-time and Easter one year to help add a little pageantry to the hymns - we were actually rebuked by the SP for even thinking that it would be ok. I think that he was actually more pissed off that I was proposing a bit of J.S. Bach for the postlude music, but he kept insisting that "the hymns of Zion are to be sung reverently and humbly!"

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Posted by: notnewatthisanymore ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 12:22PM

Hearing "the hymns of Zion..." phrase makes me want to be violent...

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Posted by: sparty ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 12:40PM

You and me both. Thumbing through the hymn book makes me want to throw up - most of their hymns are either really lame or a bastardized version of a real church's hymns. To listen to them talk, all of the hymns and tunes in the book have been "restored" - I actually had to fight the urge to be violant when some immature RS dope suggested that Scotland must be an LDS nation...her reason? They used the tune of "Praise to the Man" for "Scotland the Brave". When someone tried to correct her, she accused them of "disrespecting Brother Joseph". Even listening to them talk about music pisses me off...

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Posted by: imaworkinonit ( )
Date: July 04, 2013 11:50AM


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Posted by: davidlkent ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 12:42PM

"I do not know that we teach any music in the Morg."

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Posted by: mrtranquility ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 01:01PM

At least that was my experience.

Arbitrary rules have to do with obedience which has to do with control which has to do with reminding everyone who is the boss which is the Mo leadership.

"The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised" which is exactly why the resurrection will not be happening during SM. Too bad since SM is where so many dead can be found (death by boredom).

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Posted by: ragingphoenix ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 01:53PM

When one of my friends was baptized, we got fussed at for having my (ex)wife play the piano intro from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins.

I found a link to someone playing the song...it's beautiful.

http://youtu.be/1vRE1kOgWY0

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Posted by: en passant ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 02:58PM

Only in the Morg's version of Bizarro World do you find that guitars and drums are not allowed, but "Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel" and "I Stand All Amazed" are considered art.

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Posted by: lydia ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 05:50PM

Son was asked to play sax once for a fireside, but it had to be played before the opening prayer!!

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Posted by: fiona64 ( )
Date: April 02, 2013 07:10PM

When my grandmother (never-mo) passed away and my parents had her funeral in the church *despite her express wishes to the contrary,* special dispensation had to be granted so that "The Old Rugged Cross" (my grandmother's favorite hymn) could be sung in the hallowed halls. It only happened because, quite frankly, I threw a fit and wanted to make sure that at least *one* of Grandma's final wishes was respected.

And there is actually a hymn to the tune of "Scotland the Brave"? Wow. My husband is a Scot; that's a battle tune. I find that one heckuva lot more disturbing than singing "The Old Rugged Cross." Yikes.

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Posted by: flerpyforever ( )
Date: July 02, 2013 05:07PM

I wonder what my ward would do if I brought out my secret stash of Chelsea Grin and Suicide Silence :)

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Posted by: spintobear ( )
Date: July 02, 2013 06:56PM

I filled in as organist one time for a friend of mine and played a Bach piece during sacrament meeting. I forget what it was. Anyway the bishop asked me about the music after church. I told him it was a composition of a great church musician, named John Brooks. He swallowed it and acted as though he knew who John Brooks was.
For those without German language skills, Johann=John, Bach =Brook

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Posted by: thedesertrat1 ( )
Date: July 02, 2013 07:14PM

After many years of singing in SM I quit when a beautiful song,"There will be peace in the valley" was deemed inappropriate by the new ward music chairwoman who was totaly impressed with her new position!
Their loss not mine.

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Posted by: catnip ( )
Date: July 04, 2013 04:59AM

I remember once, during my beginning-to-feel-rebellious period, some lamebrain stake guy had firmly declared that ONLY LDS hymns were to be played at the beginning and end of any and all meetings.

A week or two later, as I walked into RS meeting, the pianist was playing Enya's "Watermark," which is one of my favorite songs. I looked at the sheet music, to confirm what I was hearing. The pianist looked at me, waiting for a reaction. I grinned and said, "I LOVE that song." She grinned back. When I look back on this, I remember feeling like I had done something illegal and had gotten away with it. It was almost like a drug high.

Not long after that, I found RfM and knew that there were others like me. Rebels who dared to like forbidden music. Wow.

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Posted by: imaworkinonit ( )
Date: July 04, 2013 12:01PM

It pisses me off how they get musicians to work for free, and then tie them hand and foot on the choice of music. Their rules outlaw centuries of wonderful and church-appropriate music that FAR surpasses what's in the hymnal. EVERYBODY could use a change from the same old stuff.

I think it's symptomatic of the way the church operates: they can't acknowledge that anything spiritual didn't originate in the Mormon church, and they aren't willing to be part of the larger spiritual tradition.

Oh yeah, and they let the personal tastes and opinions of leaders determine the rules for the whole church, instead of respecting the members to make their own choices and make changes according to their needs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2013 12:03PM by imaworkinonit.

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Posted by: jiminycricket ( )
Date: July 04, 2013 01:53PM

Where do I start on this topic?

The great musicians of sacred music emanated from the Baroque music period. Who were its supreme musicians? J.S. Bach (1685-1750), whose lyrics were German, and G.F. Handel (1685-1759), whose greatest masterpiece was in English. Both men were ultra-spiritual and created music to “the glory of God.”

Handel’s most celebrated work is his oratorio, the “Messiah“ – the masterpiece that if performed completely will total at least 2 ½ hours. The text is straight from the Bible. Stylistically it has an overture, solos for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, duets between soloists, recitatives, and masterful choruses. The English text tells a dramatic sacred story. The music is unbelievably perfect and after centuries is still revered for its spiritual and musical genius.

Sure the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings the chorus numbers. Why? They want the world to “like Mormons”. But do we sing this sacred music in our holy Sacrament meetings to the glory of God? HECK NO, NO, NO.

I grew up BIC. The first time I heard any piece from the “Messiah” was at a stake sponsored production just before I entered university. I have never heard any of its magnificent movements sung in a Mormon Sacrament Meeting. In my opinion, that’s pure evil. This is the Mormon Boyd KKK anti-Christian-God-we’re-a-peculiar-people mentality. Sickening. Pathetic. Horrible.

And you wonder why Mormon’s are not looked upon as Christians?

Every other protestant or Christian faith I can think of celebrates the sacred music of Bach or Handel – the best that has ever been composed by the finest musical geniuses this planet has or well ever have. But in the Mormon cult controlled meetings it’s not ‘appropriate.’

The Mormon model is horrid. If you don’t sing the great works of Handel or play the inspiring organ literature of J.S. Bach in a Mormon chapel, then WHEN dear GOD WHEN will any of the chosen elect hear it and come to appreciate it? Most Morgbots stay to their ‘brand’ of music and never appreciate the master’s century old inspiring compositions. Usually church is the ONLY time that they will ever hear inspiring sacred music of any sort.

So for our big bully KKK, the Mormon cult indoctrination is ever more successful if we never sing or play the great glorious musical renditions to the GLORY OF GOD.

Puke!

*****

On a previous KKK post, RFM poster Inspired Stupidity stated: “Packer is a pitiful little man who has done more harm to the church than any single heretic and perhaps more than all ex-Mormons combined.” http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,852070

On that note, I agree. Our decrepit grizzly KKK once berated an organist who was playing J.S. Bach:
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2001/07/the-power-of-hymns?lang=eng

From this July 2001 Ensign article:

“Many years ago, while living in the East, I attended a stake conference that left an indelible impression with regard to the sacred role played by music in a Church setting. Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the visiting authority. Fifteen minutes before the general session began, Elder Packer took his place on the stand along with the stake presidency. Many in the congregation had traveled 75 to 100 miles to attend and were engaged in conversation with friends from other wards and branches. Some were seated, while others were visiting with friends as they entered the chapel. The organist had chosen various Bach selections for the prelude and was absorbed in presenting a Bach concert. As the music crescendoed it forced the members visiting with each other to raise their voices. The louder the din, the more determined the organist, and the volume of voices and music rose higher and higher.

“Five minutes before the session was to begin, Elder Packer suddenly stood up and approached the podium. He asked the organist to stop. He asked the congregation to cease speaking and find their seats. He spoke clearly and firmly to the congregation, reminding them of their need to be reverent and prepare for the general session. He then turned toward the organ and told the organist that he had a special responsibility to bring the Spirit into the building and prepare the members for the meeting. Elder Packer continued, “This can be accomplished best by playing hymns.” He then suggested that hymns be a central part of the prelude for subsequent conferences in that stake.”

I just wish I had been that organist for this stake conference. I’d have gone to the podium and told the codger to sit down, “Take your antics back to your private secluded SLC estate and let the rest of the world experience God through great music.”
If KKK had tried to rebut me, I would have welcomed the exchange and could have put him in his place in a 30 second rebuttal.

“Dear Elder Packer:

John Taylor, President and Prophet of the Church declared, “If there is anything great, noble, dignified, exalted, anything pure, or holy, or virtuous, or lovely, anything calculated to EXALT or ENNOBLE the human mind to dignify and elevate the people, it will be found among the people of the saints of the most high God.”

If you believe God gave us talents to serve one another and to glorify Him, to elevate our spirits to the highest and loftiest degree possible, then the greatest composer of sacred organ music, J.S. Bach, was given his talent by God for nothing.”



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2013 03:00PM by jiminycricket.

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Posted by: imaworkinonit ( )
Date: July 04, 2013 09:24PM

The religious world had been turned upside down when you can play "Follow the Prophet" in church (because it was written by a Mormon), but Bach is considered unacceptable.

I wonder if OTHER churches have world-wide rules about music that isn't allowed in their services. Yes, I know they have their standard liturgy, but I think even the Catholics have musical autonomy within their congregations.

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Posted by: jazzskeeter ( )
Date: July 05, 2013 02:48AM

My bishops were always happy to have me play guitar in sacrament, although I was always careful to follow the rules, so as not to lose my guitar privileges. You know... Hymns and such...and I guarantee you these presentations were some of the musical highlights of the year for the congregation.

I've played secular songs (as requested by the families) at Mormon funerals held in the chapel.

I guess I've had pretty reasonable bishops.

But, The church REALLy needs to loosen up. There is so much uplifting music in the world! My new church has a bell orchestra, and occasionally we have bluegrass and jazz Sundays, where we twist the hymns into something fun.

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Posted by: Callie ( )
Date: July 05, 2013 05:53AM

A TBM girl I knew in college used to swear that the protestants stole "our" hymns and used them in their services. All the great hymns were Mormon hymns...even the ones written by well-known Christians. Um, what?

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