Mather, Anthony = Mormon

Funny, that; I make a positive video and nobody replies to it - unlike my last one which could be seen an controversial (it certainly spurred a conversation (and several "ure horribel!" comments))

Follow The Profit

Since Hinckley's death, I've heard the song "Follow the Prophet" a few times. I was reminded of Primary, where (like currently) I felt strange while listening to (and then, singing) to it. The tune sounds somewhat sad, with an equally ominous tone to the lyrics.

Drakkar has a song by the same title that is, at least in my Outer Darkness opinion, better:
"Here I'm alone
Look through the window
Snow's falling down
Winter has come
Think to the times
When we were happy
Changes I want
Freedom again

Many years ago the Major said: "Since today you gotta call me king"
Our liberty he took away, with the promise of a golden dream
Soon the dream became a nightmare
Soon the rebels they began to die
No one seemed to have the power to
Get rid of the Major of the Lies

There's a story about a man who lives
In the forest of the ancient rites
I am going now to search for him, if he does exist I want his guide
Then I find him and he says to me:
"I've been waiting for a pure so long
I am giving you the magic ring that will bring you to another world

Follow the prophet to Never, Neverland
Where all the free men together they will stand
A dream of liberty and peace for everyone
Under the light of the sun

I am coming back now, to the real world
To the land of freedom, I will bring you all
It is time for you now, all you slaves and poor
Break the chains that would never let you fly away
If you got the courage, and your heart is pure
All the pain and the sorrow you can behind"

I couldn't find a video for that song (which to me is tongue-in-cheek) but did find an acoustic cover of Kingdom of Madness they did:

Christ's Hard Wood...en Cross

Seabound have a track called Exorcise, which has a sample saying "Jesus Christ died with a hard-on" I couldn't find any info on where the sample came from, but a search of the lyrics brought up interesting results.

The band says that "The question... about the meaning of this song and whether it has any religious undertones... has been raised due to the... sample... There is a subtle message involved that in a way altruism often serves very selfish purposes, and that much behavior in line with religious beliefs and charity is also in line with hedonism."

Reminds me of Good Deeds done by Mormons, such as trips to the farm to pick fruit. I've done such deeds, but at that point I wanted to distance myself from the church (as much as possible for a minor) and didn't consider myself religious in the least, so for me it was not a way to win brownie points for The Lord © or to get my Young Women's award, but I'd bet - not only because it's against church rules, but because I do truly, really believe - it was a way for some attendees to get that much closer to the highest level of heaven.

Seabound never meant for religion to be the focal point of the track - though with a sample like that it's hard not to pay attention to it - but instead intended to use it as a metaphore "to reflect very intense and upsetting thoughts and actions" Whether this means the negative emotions attached to religion itself, or hearing something which many would be shocked at, is unansered.

"The song is about a relationship that is on the brink of falling apart. As in most of these cases, one suffers more than the other, because usually one is more dependent on the other than vice versa" I never took this song seriously until I read this, but it shows how religion is alot like an abusive relationship. Members make themselves reliant on popes and prophets, and this is magnified when the relations are between males and females, or queer males who are sometimes seen as effiminate.

There is a phrase which is stated throughout the song, only second to the sample, which lays doubt. The last words uttered are "Without choice but to believe". Mormons would say that one does have a choice, but like just about everything else about their church, that is hard to believe. The lyricist is correct in saying that "it takes radical steps to let go, maybe radically re-interpreting things in order to retain... self-respect, and find a way to carry on with... life without too much suffering."

Titleless Thoughts

This Mormon Curtian article questions whether certian people would be better off without Mormonism.

I'm better without it, without a doubt, but for those who have their entire identity entwined with The Church it may be different. I feel this way in regards to most of my relatives, especially as I've gotten older.

When I was a young child my inner voice said "this is bogus" whenever they'd pray, or tell me stories of how some great thing had happened in response to their prayers. When I was a bit older I'd question them, asking "Are you sure it was because of the prayer? Maybe it was just a coincidence?" they'd deny it (since god is everywhere, or something like that) Even the out-there stories about the garments. They weren't urban myths or something with another explination, such as the fire not having enough time to burn through their clothing; No, they were True and Real Facts.

Snopes only gave one hit about LDS legends. They don't say either way, alluding to people's personal truths.

Despite what I'd label as a false consciousness, my relatives (at least some of them) are (sometimes) happy. It may be my responsibility to tell them, both Mormon and Catholic, what I see as the truth (as much as something subjective like my version of reality can be) but it is also their right to live their life as they see fit. Since I'd want them to 'let it live' towards me, I should do the same.


As I was typing this, I was listening to Combichrist's "Enjoy The Abuse", Apoptygma Berzerk's "You Keep Me From Breaking Apart" and Assemblage 23's "Sorry". Pretty fitting for this entry (The first two remind me of some of my relatives relationships with others and their religion, and the last describes mine)

Religious Refrain

Back when I went to church I generally listened to rock and classical (weird mix, I know) so the music played there bored me not only due to it's religious aspect but the monotonous harmonies.

Despite how many other bloggers describe remembering the church songs many years later, I had enough trouble recalling the words when I was sitting on the hard plastic Primary chair. Perhaps this was because I was daydreaming and counting down the hours and mintues to when church would end. Perhaps it was also that since third grade I only attended twice monthly, when visiting my Mormon parent.

In the Catholic chapel all of the songs had religious connotations, but I remember really liking a song that went like, "though the mountains may fall and the hills turn to dust, the love of the lord will stand, as a shelter to all who will call on his name, sing the praise and the glory of god" Even though at that point I was agnostic, leaning on the atheist side, I still looked forward to when this song was on the playlist.

I didn't like any songs sung in Sacrement, especially when I started attending the Catholic church, which while bland was energetic compared to the Mormon sermon. The Primary song that I enjoyed was "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree", firstly because it was silly but secondly since it had nothing to do with religion, which the Mormon church showed me more then anything that it was something to be shunned.

This is the same hymn book used when I went to church. According to Deseret Books, it's been in circulation since the 80s

My Calling

I was listening to this song by Richter, who has many religiously themed tracks, which reminded me of Mormonism.

"I want much more than what you offer - you just slag me
I want to know the unknown answers - you drag me down
oh, high time you get behind me
oh, get gone - don't you vilify me

all these years I've worked so hard to free myself from bondage
all the simple things I took for granted lie beside the road I've travelled
worn and weary - ordinary
and given to moods of spite and jealousy
tired of cruelty - bored with envy
and driven by thoughts of joy past memory
this time it's gonna be better than all that time we spent together

...oh, get gone - you terrorize me

all these years I've struggled with this all-consuming anger
all the greatest pains that go unspoken
bind us to the paths we've chosen
cold and empty - bruised and angry
and used by a lie that defines your morality
send your money - pawn the jewellery
we're sowing the seeds of hate and misery

and all the times you will not kiss me 'till I guarantee my love
by god I think you sure would miss me if I took away your drug"