Some of you may be familiar with the Especially for Youth program. It’s a week-long LDS youth conference where teens can socialize, learn, interact, and set goals, all in a “For the Strength of Youth”-focused setting. I’m kind of a fan (except I wish it were free). I was a youth counselor for 5 years in the 90s (shut up), and I’ve been teaching at EFY sessions since 2006. Each year the program theme focuses on the theme scripture that the young men and young women’s programs have selected. So for 2012, the theme is:
“Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” –Doctrine and Covenants 115:5
I have a confession to make. I was kind of a super-cheesy Mormon teen. Every day after school, I would drop my backpack on my bed, pop in my Janice Kapp Perry (or similar goopy inspirational) cassette tape into my boom box (again, shut up), and study to lyrics like, “Walk Tall, You’re a Daughter of God.” Once I grew into adulthood, I found that my appetite for that kind of music had been pretty much saturated. Even now, I can’t really listen to it without feeling a tad bit nauseous. BUT. The new music, like what they put on the EFY CDs nowadays, is much more modern and palatable. I actually quite like it, and it’s not just for Sabbath music. Some tracks are upbeat, and different songs have different vibes. Did you know you can buy the EFY CDs at your local LDS bookstore? They’re not just for youth, and I’m suggesting you might like them. I’m all for playing music in the car that my kids can like and it’s totally SAFE.
You can listen to samples of all the tracks here. So, Do you WANT ONE? I have two, yes TWO copies to give away . . . if you don’t mind that my curious children actually opened up one of them.
I will tell you that I particularly like to put on track one, “Arise and Shine,” to wake my kids up in the morning. They just love it when I belt out the words ARISE AND SHINE while lifting them out of their beds and shaking their sleepy selves. Truly.
How to win a copy? Just tell me you want to. And I’d love to hear confessions of the cheesy LDS music you used to listen to. I promise this newer stuff is SO much better. I’ll announce winners next Monday.
(small print: These copies were given to me by myldsradio.com for a giveaway promotion that I volunteered to do. CDs can be purchased at http://www.yourldsmusicstore.com/)
Diapers and Divinity 
I want one. Does the Jets cound as chessy LDS music. Also Jeff Goodrich- we LOVED him.
OK, I want one, although I was never into the so-called cheesy LDS music. The only non-hymn LDS song I know from my teenage-hood was “In the Hollow of His Hand” which was sung at every farewell sacrament meeting during the 80s. I liked it then, but then rolled my eyes at it when I reached adulthood. And then I sent a son on a mission, and now it makes me cry (in a good way, although I’m embarrassed to turn out all sappy in my mid-40s).
I want to win- this is great for the youth.
I want one! I’ve been looking for something my almost teen children would enjoy as they have now grown up past Scripture Scouts (much to my dismay).
I can attest to her being a cheesy Mormon teen, cause I knew her way back then! 🙂 Love ya, Steph! And I would love a free giveaway!
You just hush, Emily!
I would love one! My music tastes were 60’s and 70’s vinyl records and 8 track tapes (yeah, I know…SHUT UP). I did however listen to all the dramatized scriptures on cassettes when i was in high schhool. Still have the BOM ones. Does that count? I went to an estate sale several years ago and bought ALL the scriptures on vinyl records. They are priceless!! Got the record player too;)
oh…takes me back to my first semester of college, listening to the seminary soundtrack cassette on a walkman every night as I fell asleep.
This cracks me up. I love it.
ii loved and still love Michael Mclean (sp?). His beautifuly written lyrics touched my heart in such a way that helped me get through some very tough times. I also loved the sound trqcts of his plays. i was fortunate to meet him in person 3 times when he came to my city. I shared with him how much his music helped me out of deep depression. I can’t say that I got overloaded on church music because I could’t buy cassettes and didn’t have a tape player. I am anursery leader and love teaching the children the basic songs such as I Am A child of God. i guess you could call me an old foggey because I like peaceful music. I an open to new music because I like to expand my horizons. So I would love to have one of the CD’s. By the way, I love your blog.
The cheesiest song I remember listening to was my dad’s cassette tape of “Mormon Rap.” LOL
Oh man, “Mormon Rap.” A true classic. Ha ha ha.
I’d love one. I used to listen to JKP and Michael McLean!
Yes, pick me! Like you I need to find something to ease me away from the Church 90’s stuff we listened to … does it help that I know what a boom box is 🙂 !?! Also, I think my kids would enjoy this music!
I want one. I loved the EFY tapes when I was a teen. I still remember the words to “Sharing the Light”. Just came across them and tried to get my kids to listen with no luck. Pretty sure if I got a new, shiny CD in the mail they would think it was cool and listen.
Hi! I know this is 8 years later, but do you happen to have the 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, or 1992 EFY cassettes? I’m looking for some information (song lists, artist names, etc.) for those years for a project I’m working on at my website, SingPraises.net. If you have those albums and might be willing to help, my email address is samuel@singpraises.net.
Pick me! Pick me! I LOVED all that LDS music. JKP, Brett Raymond, Micheal McLean, Jeff Goodrich…I’d spend an hours at the piano playing and singing their stuff. Music is powerful. And the CDs I got at EFY honestly changed my life.
I know what you mean about ♥ing the cheesy church music.
I wore out my Saturday’s Warrior tape from listening to it so much!
It would be so great to have a CD like this to listen to w/ my 5 year old on the way to church.
Quit pretending that you’re old! EFY wasn’t even invented when I was a teen. Saturday’s Warrior premiered when I was a senior in high School and the only other LDS music I remember was the MoTab Choir on LP’s. I remember hearing President Kimball saying something about having LDS Mozarts and Michealangelos. I believe we have almost reached that with all the talented artists around today. Oh and one more tidbit, in Seminary we watched “filmstrips”, I still remember Tom Trails. Anybody else?
Hey, I used filmstrips on my mission, so I ain’t just pretending! 🙂
I want to win! I used to….ya, still listen to the cheesy LDS music and other Christian music, too! I used to listen to KUTR, a local radio station here in the Salt Lake are, and I won tons of stuff from them, too! Unfortunately, that station died….maybe I was the only listener, lol…
I still listen to Christian radio, and I really like most of it. I listen to 107.5 (KLOVE)
KLOVE is also on 95.3, recently discovered…and has also played in the Ogden area on 88.7. Not sure about the 95.3 as it is not listed on their website, but happened to be surfing and found it playing the same feed as the others in Utah…so…yes, we love KLOVE! 🙂 I also still listen to my Afterglow, Rich Gibbons, Micheal Webb, etc…..good stuff and good memories! 🙂
STEPHANIE! I just came back to earth from a prolonged absence of mind, and discovered that The Divine Diapers are back!! 😉 And it occurred to me, we were probably EFY counselors at the same time! Unless…I may have stopped before you started… were you involved in 1992? The “Of One Heart” year? I would give, seriously give, my right arm for the CD from that year…I never got one for some reason, and I was on it! I was part of Audralyn’s musical group! Anyways…. put me on your list of people who would like to win a CD because I have two teenagers at home that are saturated by my Janice Kapp Perry’s and Michael McClean’s and Kenneth Cope cds. We need something new, stat!
Oh Sue, I’ve missed you. I love you still make your daughters listen to JKP. Egads. Even if you don’t win, I’m making you a mix tape. Ha, ha,ha, I just said mix tape. Good grief, I’m old.
Hi! I know this is completely random, but I found this blog article, and this comment specifically, while searching Google for information about the “Of One Heart” 1992 EFY album, which I’m having trouble finding a lot of information about. I’m working on a project to index the tracklists, artists, authors, and composers from all of the EFY albums at my website, SingPraises.net. If you have that album, I’d love your help filling in some of the missing details! My email address is samuel@singpraises.net.
I’m sorry I just saw this, but I don’t. 😦
I would love to win a efy cd!!!! I love listening to good music is just makes ya feel so good 🙂 It’s great to have you back!
I totally need this to add to my EFY collection. I may not still be on my mission, but I can still blast EFY music loudly while attempting to exercise each morning 😉
Okay, I totally want one. As for my Mormon music listening history… I can sing, right now if you want me to, every single song from the original cassette tape by Janeen Brady, Songs for a Mormon Child. I’m a Mormon. Yes I am. And if you want to study a Mormon I’m a living specimen…
And then, of course, once I was old enough to go to EFY, I could belt out with the best of them the theme song… “I know who I am, I’ll take a stand… for all I believe…”
My kids like to listen to the soundtrack to the Single Ward and the RM… who doesn’t like rapped out Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree?
I WANT ONE! 🙂 Im a convert so I dont really have any cheesy stories. I buy church CD’s and listen to them often (I never know good ones until after I’ve bought them, Ive had some… interesting ones. Any suggestions?
I loved EFY and would love to win a CD 🙂
I would love to win and my favorite cheesy music is Roger Hoffman music, but really it isn’t cheesy at all.
I’d love to win a copy. I still sing along to my EFY cd’s from when I was a youth… 🙂
I would LOVE to win a CD!
Confession: I used to study to Janice Kapp Perry too. It’s sort of a relief to know that I wasn’t the only one. 🙂
As a kid, I seriously choreographed all the songs from My Turn on Earth and Saturday’s Warrior (my parent’s had the 8 tracks). Thankfully it was in the privacy of my room. As a teenager, I couldn’t get enough Michael McClean, Kenneth Cope, JKP, Amy Grant, Envoy, Carol Lyn Pearson, you name it. My faves these days include Cherie Call (I think every mom should listen to “Leave it Like it Is”), and the Primary music CDs by Jenny Phillips.
And I would LOVE a new EFY CD!
Please pick me!! I am a product of Janice Kapp Perry when I was a youth. We sang her songs ALL the time in Young Women’s. I do have to admit that I love the lyrics to those songs, I am also a huge fan of EFY cds and would love to listen to the new one every day! Thanks for considering me!
I’d love one of the new cds! My all time favorite kid church song was “I’ll build you a rainbow” – made me want to be a good mom, but also made me pray to not die too young.
I want one! I’m so tired of having to change the station every two seconds – we always listen to LDS CDs in the car, now. (Jessie Funk – Dancing in the Rain is awesome, by the way.)
My favorite LDS music is Michael McLean, hands down.
I found JKP very inspirational as a teen. I was a beehive when the YW values were introduced (shut up ;)) and sang those songs from “I Walk By Faith” in sacrament meeting throughout junior high and high school. But I played that CD on a recent road trip and I just had to laugh. (No offense, Janice!) I also like to listen to Christian radio and I would LOVE to win a new EFY CD!
I’d love the EFY CD! Any one remember “A Time to Love”? I would listen to that and Afterglow. oh my. I do think the YW “I walk by Faith” songs have held up really well- we still sing them in YW’s sometimes.
You make it sound cooler than it really was. It was a HUGE ugly pink bag/purse thingy, NOT a backpack, that you carried home and plopped down on your bed.
Oh no. You are mistaken. It was a pink backpack with green trim. I think it might have even been JanSport.
Ha Ha, Yeah, I had all the the seminary video soundtracks –and yes I even made a “mix tape” of my favorites. Even though I lived in UT, I never got to go to EFY, it was too expensive. But I didn’t feel bad because living in UT, every Tuesday night was like EFY. My cousins from California got to go, but I figure they needed it more –good thing they were rich.
As for cheesy music, I actually liked the Goodman Family (not the Goodmans) Fortress of Love album. I saw their story on KUED and it made me cry, so I bought their tape. I used to go running to Mo-Tab, if that’s cheesy. Seriously though… High On the Mountain Top was good motivation as I jogged up the hill to where the Rexburg Temple sits today.
Nowadays I still really like Kierre Lewis, and I love a CD I got for mothers day by Geslison and Groberg. Maybe I’ll have to give EFY music a chance.
The cheese has been reduced, hasn’t it? And though in most parts of my life I’m really against reducing cheese, I’m all for it in the Mormon Music segment of the world.
I’d love one! I went to two EFYs as a teen (I graduated high school in 1990…so there ya go!) I had the cassette tapes for years….and recently was able to find some of the songs on itunes. My favorite that I remember was Kenneth Cope “Never A Better Hero”….and there was one other that I would rewind and play over and over and over again. Can’t remember it now.
I’d love one! I didn’t grow up in the church…or any church for that matter. I didnt listen to anything really religious outside Christmas music once a year. My husband is a convert as well and neither of us are big fans of the genre outside church hymns…but I’ve heard a few of the newer songs and they sound fun. My kiddos would probably love them and it would definitely be better than most of what plays on the radio(minus my beloved 80s station. lol).
I need something new for my youngest daughter’s iPod, so this would be good!
I’d love one. I also grew up on Janice Kapp Perry. My son attended EFY this year and loved it. It would be a great reminder for him.
Ha ha, I’m chuckling because I was singing “Walk Tall, You’re a Daughter” just this morning. And I’m 32. I guess I never outgrew cheesy! I assume you’ve already done this drawing – I’m way late to the party – but if not, count me in. 🙂