Elder Gene R. Cook made the following comment in regard to the standard for music in his own home. “We determined to maintain our family music standard of Church music, classical music, or other good general music, but no light or hard rock or anything like unto it.” (Gene R. Cook, Raising Up a Family to the Lord, 157)
Other leaders have likewise warned against backbeat or offbeat that is almost universally prevalent in music today.
President Harold B. Lee:
The hellholes of Satan are always made very attractive. [They feature] enticing music of the kind that appeals to the lower senses. Now, there may be good rock music—I don’t know what it is—but there’s damnable rock music that appeals to the lower senses of man, where the
offbeat [rock beat] is just as vile and abrasive to human thought as it can be. We say it to you, we plead with you to listen to the beautiful
President Boyd K. Packer:
In our day music itself has been corrupted. Music can, by its tempo, by its beat, by its intensity,
dull the spiritual sensitivity of men. (Boyd K. Packer, “Inspiring Music–Worthy Thoughts,” Ensign, October 1973. p. 25)
A common question that is asked is, “But what is offbeat or rock beat?” Below are a few examples of identical pieces of music with and without offbeat. An enjoyable activity can be carefully listening to and analyzing the difference in the spirit between the two pieces. President Harold B. Lee said that the elements of rock (especially offbeat) “[appeal] to the lower senses of man”. What spirit comes in once the backbeat is added? Why is that spirit destructive?
