Sunday Picture Music

Years ago when our children were young and living at home with us we would have special music videos reserved for Sunday, something to remind them that the Sabbath was a day to rest and appreciate the quiet moments. We have an exceptional library of videos that bring out such an appreciation.

With the purchase of our new computer, one that has all kinds of entertainment abilities, I’ve decided to transfer my Laser Disk videos to the hard disk to protect them from eventual deterioration and loss of quality.

I began by recording Earth Scapes and Earth Dance, two of my favorites. The photography is enough to take your breath away as the Earth in all her splendor is revealed; panoramic views of majestic mountain ranges, migrating birds, close up shots of intricate flowers and such; all with hypnotizing rhythms to match the mood presented. In contrast to the everyday offerings on the television these gentle reflections are necessary reminders of the important natural blessings given to us all.

I took a break from recording and writing as Bricks Corbin, my Home Teacher, arrived to check on the well being of my family. Bricks had a copy of a talk given back in May of 2004 by Elder Dallin H. Oaks Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, entitled, “Preparation for the Second Coming”. One of the quotes that Bricks had highlighted with his marker happened to fit with my observation that it was wise to avoid watching television’s perverted view of what’s permissible or even lauded as enviable in today’s world most of the time, much less on Sunday.

“Evil that used to be localized and covered like a boil is now legalized and paraded like a banner. The most fundamental roots and bulwarks of civilization are questioned or attacked. Nations disavow their religious heritage. Marriage and family responsibilities are discarded as impediments to personal indulgence. The movies and magazines and television that shape our attitudes are filled with stories or images that portray the children of God as predatory beasts or, at best, as trivial creations pursuing little more than personal pleasure. And too many of us accept this as entertainment.”

I once had to defend my actions as a police officer to my immediate supervisors and up the chain of command, all the way up to the Assistant Chiefs as they attempted to impress me with “gray areas”, that I might turn a blind eye to keep from rocking the boat. My unwillingness to overlook minor violations, especially those involving “sacred cows” of the community, those with considerable influence at city hall had put them in a position of having to void out tickets that I continued to issue. Possibly the best compliment I’ve ever received came in the form of an accusation, that I saw everything in “black or white”. It made me bristle, that those in a position of leadership would lower the standards of an entire community in order to avoid drawing a line in the sand, by not enforcing laws that were on the books evenly and without consideration as to who it was that was complaining due to political influence or financial ability. Well, shame on them for buckling under pressure.

Quoting from Dallin Oaks again, “An increasing number of opinion leaders and followers deny the existence of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and revere only the gods of secularism. Many in positions of power and influence deny the right and wrong defined by divine decree. Even among those who profess to believe in right and wrong, there are “them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isa. 5:20; 2 Ne. 15:20). Many also deny individual responsibility and practice dependence on others, seeking, like the foolish virgins, to live on borrowed substance and borrowed light.” (emphasis added)

The day is winding down and I will return to recoding my Sunday Picture Music, this next one is Windham Hill’s Autumn Portrait, an appropriate way to start the change of seasons. May the sacred nature of the Sabbath become a part of our lives as we seek to find balance among the ever increasing outside influences that the world provides is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.