I’ve been waiting to write this for a while now, but I laughed out loud when reading a comment on this post , so I thought it was time to share my thoughts on the issue with music in the Mormon church.
When discussing the issue of Mormon church meetings lasting so long, one of the comments was:
…my friend has a full-fledged band in her Methodist church. Where the (heck)’s (he used a different expression) our band! I wanna band!
After reading this, my thoughts went back to when I was 21 years old and just home from my LDS mission to Germany. I had been asked to sing in church so I sang my own arrangement of the hymn “Beautiful Savior” on the acoustic guitar (playing guitar isn’t normally done in LDS churches, so I thought it would be a good thing to add variety to the worship).
I felt very moved when preparing for the song and also singing the song. When playing the song, I didn’t go crazy on a blues scale or put a pop flare into it. I simply did a simple picking and strumming pattern and played it softly and worshipful. I truly felt the Holy Spirit when singing and playing the song during church. After the meeting many people came up and mentioned how it had moved them too. However, when the bishop approached me, he had other things to say. He whipped out the bishop’s handbook (this is a handbook issued by the LDS church President that has guidelines and policies about how to conduct meetings in church and other issues leaders need to deal with) and was polite about telling me that I sounded good, but that sacrament meeting wasn’t a place for guitars (even though the book doesn’t explicitly state that).
I disagreed with him and I still do.
I have family members who attend various other Christian denominations including: Anglican, Foursquare, Presbyterian, and non-denominational. I have been to their services when their band is playing songs and the congregation joins in. The argument I have always heard against a full band in church from Mormon leadership is that guitars and drums drive away the Spirit. However, when I have attended their church I have felt the Spirit during songs with a full band just as much as I have with the traditional organ-accompanied hymnals we hear in Mormon or traditional Christian churches. Plus our kids pay more attention and enjoy it more as well!
The official policy from the latest Mormon Church Handbook states the following about music selection for sacrament:
Organs and pianos, or their electronic equivalents, are the standard instruments used in Church meetings. If other instruments are used, their use should be in keeping with the spirit of the meeting. Instruments with a prominent or less worshipful sound, such as most brass and percussion, are not appropriate for sacrament meeting.
I can understand not wanting percussion, although do not completely agree with them that drums are less worshipful. I’ve been to meetings where drums are played and there is definitely a more worshipful experience with the drummer and congregation compared with what you usually see in Mormon meetings where people are half asleep as they play a slow hymn and fight kids during the song.
Where I do agree with the Mormon leaders’ philosophy on music in church is that before the Sacrament (Communion) it is appropriate to play reflective music. This should be a very reflective time. However, once the Sacrament has been conducted the other songs that are sung during the meeting can be upbeat with various instruments, I think.
Finally, I am a member of a band in our local Stake. We play songs that relate to pioneers, Jesus, scriptures, missionaries, and the gospel in general. The songs we play the range from very slow to very upbeat. I feel a closeness to God as I express my praise through music and many other people have expressed how close they feel to God when listening to us as well. We use a full band and I think there wouldn’t be a problem playing our stuff in sacrament meeting with most of the songs we perform. Although they are more upbeat than hymns, they are worshipful.
I do not believe that God only listens to organ music. Heaven wouldn’t be Heaven if that’s all we heard up there!
So in conclusion, I share the same sentiment to a certain extent with the comment on the other blog:
Where the Heck is our band? I want a band in church!!!
Grace for Grace 
10 comments
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January 5, 2013 at 9:04 pm
JR
I have visited other churches with friends, and there were bands. The LDS church does not need bands. I agree there could be more variety in musical numbers and allow more instruments to be used in musical numbers. An orchestra would be nice. The bands I heard in other churches were more like rock bands and did not contribute to a spirit being present – just the opposite. What next? Allowing everyone to shout out during a sermon, clap with the music, all pray out loud at the same time, roll on the floor, etc ? Does not invite the Spirit. It is sad that the only way people will come to church if there is a band to make it fun. Having a lay ministry at the local level makes for the services to be less than enthusiastic because not everyone has the personality to deal with large groups of people.
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January 5, 2013 at 10:23 pm
graceforgrace
JR,
Of course there needs to be reverence in the meeting. Also, getting to the point of having a full-fledged band is a long shot for the Mormon meetings.
However, don’t you think a little more variety would be nice? Even if it is up tempo, you can feel the spirit.
Also, I disagree with you that the only reason people come to church is to be entertained by the band. From my experience as both a musician and listener, I feel the Spirit playing up beat, fast tempo songs and I also feel the Spirit doing slow ones.
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January 6, 2013 at 6:38 am
John
As with the wear your pants to church day, I feel like this is another aspect of the culture surrounding the church that should change. I love the hymns, I love their messages, and I also love the spirit they bring. However, sometimes it would be nice to not feel like I’m at a funeral service each week (again, not taking away from the message or spirit of the hymns).
I share a similar experience in having felt the spirit when there was a song with a guitar in it, or being played by a band. Sometimes I feel like the culture of the church and the letter of the law trumps the spirit of the law.
I’m pretty sure that Christ was moved by the spirit when he cleansed the temple. I highly doubt he looked in the handbook of instructions and read in section 6.4.2 (yes I’ve sat through many ward councils where we read and quoted sections) that if the temple was in need of cleansing that one could fashion a whip, turn over tables and yell at people to stop this type of desecration. I guess what I’m trying to say is sometimes the culture of the church and our sometimes pharasaic zeal towards following the rules, hinders the doctrine and the feeling of the spirit.
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January 7, 2013 at 11:11 am
graceforgrace
Amen, John!
I agree with you. Hymns are great! I’m just asking for variety and open-mindedness…
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January 9, 2013 at 6:52 pm
LBK
At the funeral of a friend of ours, A group of five bagpipers played. That knocked the dust off the chandeliers. If you knew the woman, that was one of the ways that expressed her “sou.” and was totally appropriate.
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January 25, 2013 at 12:34 pm
graceforgrace
LBK,
Bagpipers eh? Now that’s one I hadn’t considered. What songs did they play?
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January 24, 2013 at 10:56 am
Doug Dwyer
I really enjoy hearing LDS people explore this issue. Those of us outside of your church have still not resolved this issue-some churches have had “worship wars” between traditionalist and those wanting contemporary sounding music. For me-as long as the music communicates the message of the Gospel I love it. I can “feel the Spirit” with John Newton and Charles Wesley as well as Chris Tomlin. Just like their are some clunker hymns there is a lot of bad modern music and bad theology. What is funny is that in the Evangelical church a new generation whose parents dragged them to contemporary church services are “rebelling” against their parents and returning to more traditionalist modes of music and worship! Go figure! I will also tell you that non-Mormons are drawn to programs like Music and the Spoken Word as that is the only time they hear an organ and hymns as their own churches have jettisoned that type of music. I have more to say about this but I’ve said enough!
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January 25, 2013 at 12:39 pm
graceforgrace
Hi Doug,
I appreciate your perspective here since you are a pastor from a different denomination.
I can see what you mean with the other churches and it appears to me from the outside looking in that music plays a huge role in where people choose to attend. You said that you had more to say…please share because I think a lot of us aren’t familiar with other Christian denomination’s ways regarding music.
I was being a bit over the top when I wrote this saying I wanted a full band at church. I was mainly trying to make a point. I feel that variety would be a great thing. Sometimes have traditional hymns, sometimes have guitar or…bagpipes (as was mentioned). Whatever, as long as it is in the spirit of respect and worship (that’s a whole other conversation because respect to some people means not playing guitars, drums, brass, etc.)
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January 25, 2013 at 1:21 pm
Doug
Hey Aaron,
I understand what you are saying and I can well imagine the tension people can have regarding what is seen as “appropriate.” I am on the same page as you-variety is the spice of life. The Contemporary churches can be as rigid and unfriendly towards traditional music as it is the other way around. However there is a trend towards combining the two-taking some classic hymns and updating them. “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing’ and “For a Thousand Tongues” have updated versions that are very popular-perhaps you are aware of them. I really like this trend!
My bone of contention is that the form/style of music is too elevated among Evangelicals-choosing a church based on its choice of music is just crazy (should I say ungodly?) My church has two totally different worship services-one contemporary with a praise band (The Standing Stones) and a traditional service with pipe organ, hymns and choir-and we really do not mix the two together very often. Many of the people who attend these services believe that their service is the better and more spirit filled then the other. Crazy!
I believe Heaven is going to have the most awesome music with an incredible variety because in the end all that matters is that our Savior is exalted. Unless the LDS people are really more open minded then we are-what you will find is that contemporary and traditional (sometimes called blended) worship is not very successful. Wards may need to offer different worships services in accordance to different tastes in worship style and what I know of your leadership I have a hard time imagining that happening anytime soon.
Thanks for letting me in on this conversation!. .
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January 26, 2013 at 4:26 pm
graceforgrace
Hi Doug,
I can see what you are saying about needing to have 2 separate worship styles. I highly doubt the LDS church would change it to a more contemporary style and I have a feeling that I’m in the minority of wanting change enough to bring into fruition. Most people are fine with the way things are, I think…either that or they just don’t voice it.
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