After reading a chapter 26 from Ezra Taft Benson's God, Family, Country, and listening to THIS talk, my husband and I decided, since we have a houseful of music-loving teenagers, we would do the "music" test we had done to us when we were in Seminary. Here's what we did:
1. We took excerpts from our lesson FROM HERE. We emphasized the power of music (for good and for bad) as we shared stories from Heber J. Grant and personal experiences when music affected the way we felt or thought. We discussed why it is important to listen to music that not only uplifts but supports the doctrine of the family.
2. Each person had a piece of paper and a pencil. My husband chose nine pieces of music to which we would listen for a minute or so. We were instructed to write down our impressions of the music on our paper. The closing of eyes was HIGHLY encouraged.
3. For those who need a little help with a diverse playlist, here are the artists/songs we used and the order in which they were played:
Drake - Jumpman
Jim Brickman - Battle Hymn of the Republic
Keith Urban - Raise 'Em Up
Black Sabbath - Ironman
Beyonce - Drunk in Love
Lionel Richie - Endless Love
Rush - Spirit of Radio
Meagan Trainor - All About that Bass
Paul Cardall - Nearer My God To Thee
4. Following our listening and writing assignment, we openly discussed what we thought and how we felt. It was eye opening to each of us what music does to our minds and our hearts and how it affects the spirit of our home.
We ended with this thought: "The more [enticing] the music by which false doctrine is sung, the more dangerous it becomes." -Heber J. Grant
*Not to deter from your personal or collective experience, I will write about the things I learned on a different post.