I was innocently changing channels when I heard this song -the words, curses and demons -met my ear.  Since this is something I know about, I stopped to listen. A man is singing about how demons are attacking his mind – guilt, fear, anger, revenge, homosexuality, regret, confusion, lying, for starts. He is told to turn it off by his Mormon leader.

It doesn’t work, and it is not supposed to work.  Mental disciple is important but getting rid of demons is not only deliberate mind control.  Demons are spirit beings and must be dealt with by the Spirit of man through the Spirit of God. The answer is not in the Book of Mormon or any other man-made book.

Here are the lyrics of this song.

ELDER MCKINLEY
I got a feelin’ that you could be feelin’
A whole lot better than you feel today
You say you got a problem…well, that’s no problem!
It’s super easy not to feel that way
When you start to get confused because of thoughts in your head –
Don’t feel those feelings – hold them in instead!

Turn it off!
Like a light switch
Just go ‘click’!
It’s a cool little Mormon trick
We do it all the time

When you’re feeling certain feelings that just don’t seem right
Treat those pesky feelings like a reading light –

And turn ’em off!
Like a light switch
Just go ‘bap’!
Really, what’s so hard about that?
Turn it off!
Turn it off!

ELDER CHURCH
When I was young, my Dad would treat my Mom real bad
Every time the Utah Jazz would lose
He’d start a-drinkin’, and I’d start a-thinkin’
How’m I gonna keep my Mom from getting abused?
I’d see her all scared and my soul was dyin’!
My Dad would say to me, ‘Now don’t you dare start crying!’

Turn it off!
Like a light switch
Just go ‘flick’!
It’s our nifty little Mormon trick!
Turn it off!
Turn. It. Off!

ELDER THOMAS
My sister was a dancer, but she got cancer
The doctor said she still had two months more
I thought she had time, so I got in line
For the new iPhone at the Apple Store
She laid there dying with my Father and Mother
Her very last words were, “Where is my brother?”

Turn it off! (Yeah!)
Bid those sad feelings adieu!
The fear that I might get cancer too…

[laughter]

ELDER MCKINLEY
When I was in fifth grade, I had a friend Steve Blade (Oooh, Steve Blade…)
He and I were close as two friends could be (We could be close…)
One thing led to another, and soon I would discover (Wow!)
I was having really strange feelings for Steve…
I thought about us on a deserted island (We’re all alone…)
We’d swim naked in the sea, and then he’d try and –

Woah! Turn it off!
Like a light switch
There it’s gone! (Good for you!)
My hetero side just won!
I’m all better now
Boys should be with girls – that’s Heavenly Father’s plan
So, if you ever feel you’d rather be with a man –
Turn it off!

ELDER PRICE
Well, Elder McKinley, I think it’s okay that you’re having gay thoughts. Just so long as you never act upon them.

ELDER MCKINLEY
No, ’cause then you’re just keepin’ it down
Like a dimmer switch on “low”… (On “low”…)
Thinking nobody needs to know (Uh oh…)
But that’s not true!
Being gay is bad, but lying is worse
So just realize you have a curable curse –
And turn it off! (Turn it off!)
Turn it off!

Turn it off!

Now, how do you feel?

ELDER PRICE
The same.

ELDER MCKINLEY
Then you’ve only got yourself to blame
You didn’t pretend hard enough
Imagine that your brain is made of tiny boxes
Then find the box that’s gay and CRUSH IT!
Okay?

ELDER PRICE
No, no…I’m not having gay thoughts!

ELDER CUNNINGHAM
Alright! It worked! (Yay!)

He turned it off…
Turn it off…
Turn it off!
Turn it off! (Turn it off!)
Like a light switch
Just go ‘click’! (Click click!)
What a cool little Mormon trick (Trick trick!)
We do it all the time!

When you’re feelin’ certain feelings that just don’t seem right
Treat those pesky feelings like a reading light
And turn it off!
Like a light switch on a cord
And now he isn’t gay any –

Turn it, turn it, turn it, turn it…
Turn it, turn it, turn it, turn it…
Tuuuuuurn it…
Turn it off!
…Off!!!

First, feelings have nothing to do with it.  Demons create the negative feelings of lust, or envy, rage, the list goes on.  The devil’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy you with evil thoughts and emotions.

How do you react?  Immediately you eliminate contact with the problem source.  If you are watching porn, then make a covenant with your eyes, a term from the book of Job, and never watch again.  You can set your compute to warn you or eliminate that.

More importantly you must recognize that the devil, the enemy of your soul, is out there looking for ways to destroy you at any point where you let evil take over your mind.  If it is music stop that too.  If you have unsavory friends, get better friends.

But the best warfare is to say out loud (the bathroom is a good place for this as others might not think this is cool) and say the following as loudly as you can.

“Satan get off my back and out of my life.  I know who you are and what you are doing in Jesus name flee from me and never come back.”  Then announce the troubles he is causing,

People ask me, why the loud voice?  Because demons will pretend to be deaf.  And if you shout, you sound mad  If you whisper a rebuke no one will take you seriously.

My daughter had a terrible stomach ache when she was in elementary school.  She went to the girls room and shouted just as I have instructed you.  You do not need to be 12 to do this; you can be any age.  The authority of Jesus’ name does not depend on your age or status.  Be aggressive.  What about “steal, kill and destroy” sounds passive to you?

Tell the devil off whenever you need and this will clean up your mind and your life.  But turning something off simply won’t work.  If it did work it would be in the Bible.