Chase and I in front of the Salt Lake City Temple right after conference!
I had the opportunity to go to General Conference this past weekend and it was AMAZING!! Chase ended up getting tickets from his cousin, Tanner. We were able to sit pretty close and we went to the Sunday afternoon session. Anyways, this post was not supposed to be an opportunity for me to brag about an awesome weekend (and it was). The purpose of this post is to discuss some things I learned during Conference. President Monson seemed to focus on the ever increasing gap that exists between the followers of Christ and those individuals of the world. I was a little hesitant about writing this blog because things that I feel passionate about are hard for me to talk about. I fear being rejected because of my views, especially when it is something I truly believe in. I was pinning (on pinterest...very addicting!) and I found a pin that connected me to another blog, The Redheaded Hostess. I was reading her blog and she featured Alex Boye (he sings in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and was in a boy band in Europe before he joined the church) in one of her entries. I am going to quote him because I feel like he gets the point across much better then I ever could.
Good Music in the Home and The Proclamation in our Hearts
By Alex BoyeSo I tried this experiment recently and it freaked me out a little, ok alot. I want you to try it and see if you get the same results.
I listened to top 40 mainstream radio for 1 hour, switching stations every 2-3 minutes. I had a notebook with me and wrote down a list of all the subjects I picked up on. Are you ready for this?
COUNTERFEIT LOVE, FLIRTY GIRLS, ANGRY BOYS, DRUGS, SEX WITH NO CONSEQUENCES, BINGE DRINKING, SLEEPING WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS, SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE, ROCKS, DIAMONDS, BACKBITING, ICE, BLING-BLING, IMMODEST CLOTHING, WAR, HATE, 30 INCH RIMS, ASSULT, RAPE, DEATH, VANITY, PRIDE, JEALOUSY, ENVY, CRYSTAL, CHAMPAGNE, PLATINUM RINGS, LYRICAL PORNOGRAPHY, MARIJUANA, ADULTERY, SMOKING TO LOOK COOL, DISRESPECTING WOMEN AND GIRLS, USE OF GUNS AND GANGS, PROSTITUTION, LUST, MURDER, MASTURBATION, SUICIDE, HATERS OF PEOPLE WHO DO GOOD, LOVERS OF PLEASURES, PRIDE, BLASPHEMY
(Phew, I said all that without breathing!)
Remember, this is just mainstream radio which targets children as young as 14 and that goes out to the whole world!
A popular music producer who has been saying for years that children are at risk from pop music was quoted as saying, "Welcome to the world you helped to create. You wanted a secular society without the Lord and His word. Now you've got it."
Innocent hearts are being damaged and the world is suffering as a result of all the subjects I mentioned above.
There is a scripture in Proverbs 23:7 that says "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." To me, that means we pretty much become what we think about most of the time.
A friend recently made a comment that has stuck with me. He said "In my opinion, families will never be together forever if we try to think the way that the world thinks, and try to live the way the world lives." To me, that sums up what the family proclamation represents. It is a call to the world to stand up and be counted, and for us to live closer to the laws of God than we ever have before, which will ultimately result in incredibly fulfilled lives and unparalleled joy, purpose and meaning.
N. Eldon Tanner was once quoted as saying, "We cannot serve God and mammon (The world). We will grow to love one and hate the other. Whose side are we on?"
I think more and more people in the world are coming to the realization that the world is falling, fast! I also believe that more and more people in the world are seeing the great blessings in their lives that derive from keeping Gods laws. They are going back to they're roots, back to the God who created them. I love it! It's true!
We do have a long way to go to influence the people who are responsible for shaping this world and how it is today for good. I am certainly no expert, but even I know how this can be done thanks to Gods unfailing principles of success found in scriptures and modern day prophets. One thing I do know is that adherence to the family proclamation is needed now more than ever. The last part of the proclamation says "We warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets." Well, it's happening. The world may continue to mock everything that is good, wholesome and true, but as for me and my house, we will follow the Lord.
Like my music page on Facebook http://listn.to/alexboye
"As we draw nearer to the lord, we will have "the courage to stand strong and firm in righteousness, to 'stand...in holy places, and be not moved" President Thomas S. Monson
Standing strong is going to be a challenge for me, but I am going to at least try. I know I can, I just need to do it!
PS go listen/read conference if you haven't! It was amazing! I really liked Uchtdorf's talk during the Relief Society Session!!
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