“Music has the power to provide spiritual nourishment. It has a healing power. It has the power to facilitate worship; it allows us to contemplate the Atonement and the Restoration of the gospel with its saving principles and exalting ordinances. Music provides power for us to express prayerful thoughts and bear testimony of sacred truths.”
The only thing we will take with us into the next life are the knowledge and skills that we learned here on Earth. I want to invest my time a little bit better by focusing on and strengthening new talents.
One of the talents that I have improved over the years is guitar. Below are a some of my favorite recordings of me playing guitar. You will also find links to my favorite radio stations and Spotify playlists.
Music is one of the greatest tools and resources that I know that invite and strengthen the Spirit in our home.
Because I love music so much and use it often, there is almost always some sort of background music playing in our home. Additionally, I use music for focusing at work, creating a fun and enjoyable environment for dinner, strengthening the Spirit in our home, and enjoying the Sabbath every Sunday morning at 9:30am MST by watching The Music and The Spoken Word broadcast (below are some of my favorite Spotify playlists). I also have been loving the music in the Calm app for transitioning into our night routines.
Music In The Temple
When I went through the temple for the first time to receive my own endowment and make sacred covenants with God, one of my favorite memories and experiences happened before our session even started.
I remember walking into the chapel of the temple with my parents and was immediately greeted by all of my family and friends. What surprised me and caught my attention wasn’t just the special Spirit I felt of being in the House of the Lord… it was that everything felt so familiar, like I had been there before. That’s when I noticed the sound of the organ playing Hymns.
As we sat together all dressed in white, reflecting on our loving Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, the Spirit that filled that chapel as I sat and listened to Hymns was incredible.
To this day, one of my favorite parts of the temple is enjoying the music that is played in the chapel. These are some of my favorite arrangements of Hymns played on the organ that remind me of the special Spirit that I felt in the House of the Lord that day:
I feel we don’t fully comprehend the power and influence music has on us and the connection it creates between us and the Spirit. It is so powerful. I believe it is so important to be cautious with what we feed our minds and spirits. Similarly, I believe we also become like the influences we feed our mind and spirit. So be careful with what you consume in every aspect of your life.
Making good choices improves your ability to feel the Spirit. There are many good and wholesome things in this world. Just as your body is affected by what you eat and drink, your mind and spirit are profoundly affected by what you read, watch, and listen to.
For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices, Walk in God’s light
I feel that this quote by Jim Rohn also applies to the media we consume:
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
Jim Rohn
Bishop Gérald Caussé shared an experience with us in a meeting about President Russell M. Nelson. When he was in a meeting with the prophet, he was asked about his busy schedule. Because he has very little “free time”, he plans and spends his time very intentionally. In other words, he doesn’t have time to waste. I was blown away with how busy and active he is! I learned that he chooses to wake up extra early to make sure he has time to practice the piano. He was asked why and responded:
There may not be heart surgeons in heaven… but there will be music there.
Radio
These are two of my favorite stations to tune into when we are in the car. They have introduced me to some amazing Christian music that has helped me feel the Spirit and strengthened my relationship with Jesus Christ.
Spotify Playlists
My Favorites
- Beegie Adair
- Peaceful Meditation
- Soothing Classical Music
- Beats to Think To
- Calm Instrumental Music
- This Is The Christ
- Upbeat Background Instrumentals
- Deep Sleep
Worship
- Sunday
- Organ Hymns
- This Is The Christ
- Worship 2022
- Linger Longer (I used this for a social gathering after church)
- Ben Howington
- His guitars tabs are also awesome!
Work
I use Focus@Will when I am working or studying to help myself get into a deep flow of focus. I have really enjoyed it and have been using this service since 2014. Occasionally though, I’ll tune into one of these playlists (the best music for focus are ones that don’t have any lyrics):
- Focus Flow
- Lo-FI Beats
- Beats To Think To
- Workday Lounge
- Music To Code By
- Upbeat Background Instrumentals
- RetroWave / Outrun
- Night Rider
- Gramatik
- Jazz Beats
- Nhato
- Lofi Jazz Hop
- Super Mario Lofi
Relax
- Peaceful Meditation
- Soothing Classical Music
- Morning Coffee
- Dreamy Vibes
- Calm Instrumental Music
- Deep Sleep
- Upbeat Background Instrumentals
- Feel Good Piano
- Peaceful Piano
- Liquid Mind
- Jeremiah Fraites
- Kip Mazuy
- Classical
- Lullaby Renditions of Winnie the Pooh (my kids have loved this for bedtime music)
Entertainment / Dinner
- Beegie Adair
- Upbeat Background Instrumentals
- Jazz Beats
- The Beegie Adair Trio
- Osmond Chapman Orchestra
- This Is Jazz
- Let’s Cook!
- Ambient Relaxation
- The Doobie Brothers
Another thing we love to do as a family for dinner is play themed music for what we are eating. Here are some playlists we like to use to make dinner that much more fun!
Let Me Know What You Think!
I would love to hear from you! Let me know what you like to listen to, and how you use music to enhance and bless your life.