God Doesn't Play Clarinet

by The Hippy Coyote

Mormonism is the opposite of many of my spiritual concepts.

Religions and spirituality should provide a foundation upon which a person's life can flourish and grow.

Mormonism is founded upon secrecy and retreat. Mormons are taught that sacrificing your life and goals to serve the church is a good thing.

Yesterday at the Intermountain Music Repair Shoppe, Bob Joffs was doing a final adjustment on my flute. A young musician named Darin was getting his clarinet serviced. We spoke. Darin was excited to hear of my musical activities and seemed sincere about loving music. He then informed us of his upcoming two year missionary pilgrimage to Peru.

This young boy of 17 also told us he wasn't taking his clarinet with him. I didn't even try to persuade him to take it as Bob emphasized several times he should take it to "keep his lip up."

The boy Darin insisted that he felt it would be wrong to take his clarinet as his mission was to "serve God." He said he knew of some others who had taken their instruments on pilgrimages including his hero, Eric-something. Somehow he had been convinced that no matter how much he wanted to take his clarinet, it was not part of the church's desire or design.

I felt so sick inside.

After he left, Bob Joffs informed me that the kid was "truly a genius and an excellent musician."

Religion seems to destroy more people than save them.