![]() ![]() One reason why religious people in the world are opposed to music and theaters is because of the corruption that is mixed up with them. Our object is to get and cleave to everything that is good, and to reject everything that is bad. It may be said of that, as one of the Apostles has said in relation to something else-"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of those things which are prepared for those who love and fear God." We have no idea of the excellency, beauty, harmony and symphony of the music in the heavens. We have no idea of the excellence of the music we shall have in heaven. There is nothing more pleasing and delightful than it is to go into the woods or among the bushes early in the morning and listen to the warbling and rich melody of the birds, and it is strictly in accordance with the sympathies of our nature. Why music prevails in the heavens, and among the birds! God has filled them with it. Yes, we should enjoy life in any way we can. But some folks think that we should not dance. I do not think so, I think it is a splendid thing to dance by. Why, there are some people who think that the fiddle, for instance, is an instrument of the devil and it is quite wrong to use it. ![]() While everything else enjoyed life, why should not we? But we want to do it correctly and not pervert any of these principles that God has planted in the human family. I should not think there was anything great or good associated with that, while everything around, the trees, birds, flowers and green fields, were so pleasing, the insects and bees buzzing and fluttering, the lambs frolicking and playing. I would not want to spend my life in a nunnery, if I were a woman, or in a monastery if I were a man and I would not think it very exalting to be a hermit, and to live by myself in a poor miserable way. I do not believe in a religion that makes people gloomy, melancholy, miserable and ascetic. God designs that we should enjoy ourselves. But the greater portion of the sectarian world consider it sacrilege to give way to any such pleasure as even to listen to sweet music, much more to dance to its delightful strains. Who gave the lower animals a love for those sweet sounds, which with magic power fill the air with harmony, and cheer and comfort the hearts of men and so wonderfully affect the brute creation? It was the Lord, our heavenly Father, who gave the capacity to enjoy these sounds, and which we ought to do in His name, and to His glory. As one of the modern writers has said, "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast." It has been proved that sweet music will actually tame the most malicious and venomous beasts, even when they have been stirred up to violent wrath, and make them docile and harmless as lambs. I did not put it there it was some other being. In the first place, some wise being organized my system, and gave me my capacity, put into my heart and brain something that delights, charms, and fills me with rapture at the sound of sweet music. This over-righteous notion is imbibed by the generality of professors of religion, but it is because they themselves have made it a sin. The whole world could not hire a good, honest, sound Presbyterian, of the old fashion and cut, to look into a room where a company of young men and women were dancing, lest they should sin against the Holy Ghost. In many places their folly and superstition are so great that they would consider they had committed the sin of blasphemy if they happened to hear a violin. You are well aware that the wickedness of the world, or the apostacy of the Church, in the world. He shook hands with and blessed each one of them in the name of the Lord, and said that he thought at first that a cohort of angels had come to visit him, it was such heavenly music to him. They also visited my brother Hyrum, who was awakened from his sleep. All of my family and boarders arose to hear the serenade, and I felt to thank my Heavenly Father for their visit, and blessed them in the name of the Lord. accompanied by three of her sons, with their wives, and her two daughters, with their husbands, and several of her neighbors, singing, "Mortals, awake! with angels join," &c., which caused a thrill of pleasure to run through my soul. Monday, 25.-This morning, about one o'clock, I was aroused by an English sister.
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