A while ago my dance director gave me a copy of this awesome song we used to warm-up to at the beginning of class. It's "I Can Go the Distance" from Disney's Hercules, but it's spliced with comments from general authorities of the church. It's incredible the way they put it together and it lets me see a more eternal meaning for that song.
I was playing it for my roommates last night and it was cool to see their reactions and get their input. I think a lot of the appeal of the song is the words, which are great and inspirational, but I know that music can have such an effect on our emotions and so that does play into how inspiring the song is.
I think in our church we often blur the line between feeling the Spirit and feeling strong emotions. Because I'm sensitive about mixing those feelings, I think I err on the side of putting a stop to my emotions so I don't get into the habit of thinking they're the Spirit.
How do we distinguish between the Holy Ghost and our (sometimes manipulated) emotions in uplifting media? The church often puts out videos that teach doctrine and have images of super sweet or sad things because it is a way to reach people, so I can't think that it's always wrong to try and affect people that way. Where is that line?
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Wow...that's a really good question. I've also often pondered that concept, and I still do.
ReplyDeleteHere are my thoughts, which are not yet fully developed, because I'm still learning every day.
I think Emotions are good, because the Lord has endowed us with them. I think their purpose, however, is to help us open our hearts to the Spirit. They are not an end, but a means to the end: the Spirit. If emotions get to the point that they begin to cloud the spirit out from us, then we are using them for wrong reasons.
I like what Alma said to Shiblon: "bridle your passions, that ye may be filled with love." I take passions to mean all our emotions. So I guess ALma is saying to channel our emotions in a way that will allow God to endow us with love. So in my opinion, if one is watching Hercules and hears that song, and it reminds her of her duty to love and serve the Lord...then I guess it's legit. Right?
I don't know...that's all I've got.