I used to really like Petra. They were one of the most popular Christian rock bands for many years. They finally closed up shop.
I love Michael W. Smith’s version of the old Simon & Garfunkel hit “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” I’m convinced it was intended in the Halls of Heaven to be a Christian song to begin with!

I used to listen to American Top 40, too—with Kasey Kasom! I’d write down the songs as he went. How excited I was when I heard John Lennon’s new hit song “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” for the first time, learning that it had shot up to #3 or whatever number it was.

I read an article once that claimed that John Lennon became a Christian before he was shot. As I recall, John kept saying, “Praise the Lord,” which irritated Yoko Ono!

That’s very interesting that you were an announcer. I’ll bet that was fun! I do know that song. My first radio I got was when I was 8 and I’d listen to the American top 40 each Sunday.

I listen to a lot of talk radio nowadays so I’m not real up to speed on the top 40 and what I hear of it turns me off now anyways. All about sex and things inappropriate.

I do listen to a little christian rock. Jeremy Camp is one of my favorites. Who do you like?

Now, sometimes I listen to Christian rock, but as you can tell, I’ve left the Top 40 scene. I prefer praise music that gets me into the presence of God. It’s far superior!

Are LDS elders ever assigned missions in dangerous Islamic nations where the Bible is outlawed and where it’s illegal to convert from Islam to Christianity?

The Killers are a very popular top 40 band. Their biggest album was “Hot Fuss” that came out nearly a decade ago. You probably know some of their songs:

“Mr Brightside”
“Somebody Told Me”
“All These Things that I’ve Done”
“Smile Like you Mean it”

There are a lot of hits they have…check them out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killers

I don’t know any Mormons persecuted by Muslims…but I know Mormons who have been persecuted by Christians.

What you describe in loving one’s enemy is something that I am most impressed with about the Mormons as a whole. They have been persecuted over the years verbally and physically and it hasn’t been until the last decade that people have began to try and see them for who they really are.

I’ve seen people judge me for being Mormon and assume that I believe things that I don’t just from something they may have read somewhere in some pamphlet that a Christian gave them that was anti-Mormon. Perhaps that’s why I’m not quick to judge the Muslim faith.

However, that being said I’ll be honest and say I really don’t know much about the faith. Maybe they are way off base and all wacko. I’d have to do research and probably read the Quroan in more detail.

GraceforGrace, your take was interesting. As you indicated, you would apparently attempt to team up with Muslims on a deeper level than I would.

I’ve never read the Koran. I wonder what kind of spirit is on it.

I had an encounter with Islam back around 1999 after I wrote a letter to the Islamic Headquarters of North America in Washington, D.C. As I recall, I asked them a couple quick questions: “Do you believe Jesus died on a cross for sin?,” and “Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?”

I knew Islam wasn’t Christian, but I was shocked by how aggressively anti-Christian the booklet they sent me is. Not only does it deny Jesus is the Son of God that died for our sin, but it actually uses the Bible to “support” its assertion that Jesus never claimed to be divine. For example, it quotes John 14:28, where Jesus said, “I do nothing of myself,” and Matthew 24:46 where Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” as “evidence” that Jesus was not divine!

I don’t doubt their sincerity, but as you can see, their thinking is not only perversely and sadly deficient, but they go to a root of Christianity, the Bible itself, to try to destroy the foundation of our faith. When I first received the Islamic booklet, I read it for 45 minutes. The spirit that came over me was the exact opposite of the spirit that comes into my heart when I read the Book of Mormon. Instead of the peace of God—which Satan is incapable of handing out—a nervousness came over me.

As I’m sure you know, there are Christians in Islamic countries, especially Christians who have converted from Islam, who are tortured and killed by Muslims. (Do you know of any Mormons who have that way?) But when a Christian converts to Islam, we continue to love them. Jesus said, “Love your enemies.”