LDS hair standards

[mcclurf]

Please help me with this hair issue:

A little history of my experience:
1) My temple marriage - my bishop required me to cut my hair and shave my beard to marry in the temple. So I did. But I later found out that others were not required to do so. Why???
2) As a Ward Clerk my hair started to grow out. Then the Stake Leaders ask me to cut my hair again. I did not feel the spirit in doing so. Of course they released me.
3) With my hair long I was called as a Ward YM President. 1 years later at a multi Stake Leadership meeting a church Presidency Leader from Salt Lake commanded my Bishop to release me. My Bishop was sorry and confused.
4) Had multi callings in Ward leadership with long hair e.g. Primary instructor, YM leadership, Elders Q leadership, HP Group Leader.
5) Called into the Bishopric but was informed prior to sustaining to cut my hair but could have a short groomed beard. I complied. The Stake President mention after serving the calling I could grow my hair back. I did.
6) Called to a Stake Assistance Clerk but was not ask to cut my hair.
7) Called to another Bishopric but was not informed by the Stake Presidency to cut my hair. Weeks later my Bishop said I had to cut my hair and shave my beard.

Why are the church hair standards sometimes required and sometime not required in the church. I am so confused with this issue and so are some the leaders of the church.

Should this be a standard in the church that all male members be required to fulfill the hair standards???
Should the Missionaries teach this standard to investigators???
Is this a church doctrine or is it a administration policy???

In the 2010 manuals Handbook 1 "Stake Presidents and Bishops" and 2 "Administering the Church" - I could not find any reference concerning my hair issue.
But in "For the Strength of Youth Fulfilling Our Duty to God" in the "Dress and Appearance: section it states "All should avoid extremes in clothing, appearance, and hairstyle....... Ask yourself, "Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord's presence?"".

An article in Salt Lake Tribune:

BY PEGGY FLETCHER STACK THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

PUBLISHED APRIL 5, 2013 11:09 AM

Marostica was the only LDS bishop with a beard at a recent leadership training meeting of 11 LDS stakes in the Bay Area. Mormon apostle Quentin L. Cook led the discussion and said nothing about it.

"I proudly introduce myself to apostles as Bishop Marostica," he writes. "None of them have even blinked at the beard. I certainly haven't been asked to shave it in the five years I've been bishop."

I know this is not a point of unworthiness but a point of being an example.

Can anyone help me out on this subject????

[jo1952]

God is not the author of confusion. You are dealing with men who are confused by their own commandments. You are being subjected to the commandments of men. It sounds like you have been handling this well, and have remained faithful in your efforts to serve God in spite of being faced with so many differences of opinion and meting out of "standards".

God does not care about the length of your hair, or whether or not you have a beard. I do not doubt that many people who heard about or got to meet John the Baptist were "put off" by his manner of dress, how he lived, and/or what he ate. Many probably thought he was crazy. Yet, Jesus did not ask John to change his dress to be in the same manner of those who came to hear him preach and perform baptisms. Nor did Jesus ask John to "clean up" before allowing John to baptize Him.

I would offer that the example of how different John the Baptist was in appearance, is an important lesson in itself.

[marc]

D&C 121 comes to mind.

[Lizzy60]

D&C 121 came to my mind almost immediately also. It does not just happen with men. My Stake RS President, just a year ago, started "instructing" the women on proper dress for church (in an effort to stop women in the Spanish-speaking branch from wearing trousers to meetings) until she was told to cease and desist by the Stake President. And the level of control about what temple workers wear both in the temple, and traveling to and from the temple reached Pharisaical heights when I was serving as an ordinance worker. It's usually about CONTROL.

[TZONE]

Yea its just all personal opinion of different people. There was a man in last GC in the choir who had a mustache. http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2 ... hing/3216/

Its really what "the personal opinion is of your leaders". I understand we should look nice and dress nice to show a good example but this formality has been taken a lot farther than it should have. My parents were somewhat the same way with me. They always got them to cut my hair. It did change my attitude though having long hair. As a kid it made me want to be more rebellious. Not sure why. If I had long hair now it wouldn't though.

[embryopocket]

God is not the author of confusion. You are dealing with men who are confused by their own commandments. You are being subjected to the commandments of men. It sounds like you have been handling this well, and have remained faithful in your efforts to serve God in spite of being faced with so many differences of opinion and meting out of "standards".

God does not care about the length of your hair, or whether or not you have a beard. I do not doubt that many people who heard about or got to meet John the Baptist were "put off" by his manner of dress, how he lived, and/or what he ate. Many probably thought he was crazy. Yet, Jesus did not ask John to change his dress to be in the same manner of those who came to hear him preach and perform baptisms. Nor did Jesus ask John to "clean up" before allowing John to baptize Him.

I would offer that the example of how different John the Baptist was in appearance, is an important lesson in itself.

Wow, great example! Thank you, I hadn't previously thought about this. Yes, I believe that men are confusing normal cultural habits with Church doctrine.

mcclurf, if anyone gives you any sass about this I would have a loving conversation with them about their reasoning. See WHY they have a problem with your hair and try to see if you can explain WHY you don't feel like it is important to the Lord. Loving communication is how most problems are solved and errors corrected.

[Anselm]

.

[Fiannan]

If a woman in the Church chooses not to shave her underarms or a man chooses to have a beard, or a woman and a man choose a Brazilian wax job then so be it -- it is their right.

[NamasteMama]

If HF cared about the length of our hair and if men had beards he would have created man to have short hair and no beards. The fact that Christ not only has long hair but also a beard leads me to believe that HF prefers men to look that way as Chirst is about as perfect as anyone could be.

[creator]

Yep. D&C 121, Unrighteous dominion, pharisees, etc.

[Sheol27]

I had a beard a couple of years ago. A fireball exploded in my face and my beard was partially burnt off and lopsided so I had to shave it....... Shaving is a habit now but beards are nice in cold climates when you work outside a lot.

[Rose Garden]

I know this is not a point of unworthiness but a point of being an example.

My husband was hit with that reasoning by his bishop as well. But I have to ask, if it's not a sin to have long hair and/or a beard, how is it a good example to not have long hair and/or a beard?

[creator]

Right, an example of WHAT?!



Shave the facial hair as an "example" of being submissive to the unrighteous dominion of pharisees?

[reese]

Tell them you are trying to be more like Jesus. (see Brian's pic above)

[sevenator]

When my wife and I were sealed in the Dallas, TX temple, there was a guy coming out of one of the endowment rooms with a ponytail.

I'd say case closed. Some people just get hung up on the wrong stuff.

[Zowieink]

In the temple, patrons come in all manner of dress, facial hair, long hair and it really isn't our place to correct them. Same with tattoos or piercings. It is simply against the policies and procedures to comment or instruct. I'm sure the same is in handbook 1 or 2. The individuals need to be challenged in their declaration of requirement for clean shaven, short haired individuals.

[Lizzy60]

It's interesting that you used the term "correct them" assuming that they are doing something incorrect.
(One reason I'm grateful that my calling as a temple ordinance worker has been completed.)

[BeNotDeceived]

D&C 121 came to my mind almost immediately also. It does not just happen with men. My Stake RS President, just a year ago, started "instructing" the women on proper dress for church (in an effort to stop women in the Spanish-speaking branch from wearing trousers to meetings) until she was told to cease and desist by the Stake President. And the level of control about what temple workers wear both in the temple, and traveling to and from the temple reached Pharisaical heights when I was serving as an ordinance worker. It's usually about CONTROL.

Joined: Thu Jun 06, 2013 5:33 pm
Last active: - Total posts: 5723
(0.56% of all posts / 1.93 posts per day)

Figures a control freak would join 27 minutes to 6 on 6/6.

Maybe only in me westerly time zone?

Ha, 77 more posts where your post count adds from 5700.

[Aprhys]

Funny story. Not totally related but kind of. I lived in Georgia and people's dress code at church was pretty relaxed. One of the area presidency members spoke in church and announced that denim was not appropriate for church. He had a real bug about this and the talk was repeated for a couple of weeks. Many of the members were quite poor and didn't have the cash to have a designated set of clothes for their kids to wear on Sunday. One of the older, and wealthier, members had had enough and showed up to church wearing denim pants, a denim shirt, denim jacket and denim tie. Where on earth do you get a denim tie?! He sat near the front with an "I dare you to say something," glare. It was epic.

[Subcomandante]

I think it has more to do with optics than anything else.

[tribrac]

After a summer being with the youth I was unaware the church had a hair standard, or any standards.

[TrueFaith]

I see nothing wrong with a well trimmed beard. However long hair in men is spoken against in the New Testament.

"Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" 1 Corin 11:14

There is no evidence Jesus had long hair, in fact I'd wager he did not since he is perfect and he spoke his perfect word against it to his New Testament prophets.

Godliness is beauty and cleanliness. We should strive for this. I wouldn't allow men with long hair to pass the sacrament.

[Mindfields]

Please help me with this hair issue:

A little history of my experience:
1) My temple marriage - my bishop required me to cut my hair and shave my beard to marry in the temple. So I did. But I later found out that others were not required to do so. Why???
2) As a Ward Clerk my hair started to grow out. Then the Stake Leaders ask me to cut my hair again. I did not feel the spirit in doing so. Of course they released me.
3) With my hair long I was called as a Ward YM President. 1 years later at a multi Stake Leadership meeting a church Presidency Leader from Salt Lake commanded my Bishop to release me. My Bishop was sorry and confused.
4) Had multi callings in Ward leadership with long hair e.g. Primary instructor, YM leadership, Elders Q leadership, HP Group Leader.
5) Called into the Bishopric but was informed prior to sustaining to cut my hair but could have a short groomed beard. I complied. The Stake President mention after serving the calling I could grow my hair back. I did.
6) Called to a Stake Assistance Clerk but was not ask to cut my hair.
7) Called to another Bishopric but was not informed by the Stake Presidency to cut my hair. Weeks later my Bishop said I had to cut my hair and shave my beard.

Why are the church hair standards sometimes required and sometime not required in the church. I am so confused with this issue and so are some the leaders of the church.

Should this be a standard in the church that all male members be required to fulfill the hair standards???
Should the Missionaries teach this standard to investigators???
Is this a church doctrine or is it a administration policy???

In the 2010 manuals Handbook 1 "Stake Presidents and Bishops" and 2 "Administering the Church" - I could not find any reference concerning my hair issue.
But in "For the Strength of Youth Fulfilling Our Duty to God" in the "Dress and Appearance: section it states "All should avoid extremes in clothing, appearance, and hairstyle....... Ask yourself, "Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord's presence?"".

An article in Salt Lake Tribune:

BY PEGGY FLETCHER STACK THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

PUBLISHED APRIL 5, 2013 11:09 AM

Marostica was the only LDS bishop with a beard at a recent leadership training meeting of 11 LDS stakes in the Bay Area. Mormon apostle Quentin L. Cook led the discussion and said nothing about it.

"I proudly introduce myself to apostles as Bishop Marostica," he writes. "None of them have even blinked at the beard. I certainly haven't been asked to shave it in the five years I've been bishop."

I know this is not a point of unworthiness but a point of being an example.

Can anyone help me out on this subject????

Typically Mormon. Judging by appearance ignoring the true character of the person.

"…the worst sinners, according to Jesus, are not the harlots and publicans, but the religious leaders with their insistence on proper dress and grooming, their careful observance of all the rules, their precious concern for status-symbols, their strict legality, their pious patriotism. Longhairs, beards, and necklaces, LSD and rock, Big Sur and Woodstock, come and go, but Babylon is always there: rich, respectable, immovable… We want to be vindicated in our position and to know that the world is on our side as we all join in a chorus of righteous denunciation; the haircut becomes the test of virtue in a world where Satan deceives and rules by appearances." Hugh Nibley

[Mindfields]

I see nothing wrong with a well trimmed beard. However long hair in men is spoken against in the New Testament.

"Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" 1 Corin 11:14

There is no evidence Jesus had long hair, in fact I'd wager he did not since he is perfect and he spoke his perfect word against it to his New Testament prophets.

Godliness is beauty and cleanliness. We should strive for this. I wouldn't allow men with long hair to pass the sacrament.

I imagine he had a weekly appointment at the local barber. Godliness is a broken heart and contrite spirit and giving your heart to him more nothing less. God could care less about outward appearance.

[TrueFaith]

I see nothing wrong with a well trimmed beard. However long hair in men is spoken against in the New Testament.

"Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" 1 Corin 11:14

There is no evidence Jesus had long hair, in fact I'd wager he did not since he is perfect and he spoke his perfect word against it to his New Testament prophets.

Godliness is beauty and cleanliness. We should strive for this. I wouldn't allow men with long hair to pass the sacrament.

I imagine he had a weekly appointment at the local barber. Godliness is a broken heart and contrite spirit and giving your heart to him more nothing less. God could care less about outward appearance.

Wrong. God absolutely cares about our thoughts, words, and outward actions. You deny God's own word in the Scriptures by saying such nonsense. You think the man who created the earth and raised the dead and walked on water couldn't find a way to keep his own hair trimmed?

(And it's "couldn't" care less.)