What will it take…?

I was thinking about this after I wrote it….I think your beard analogy has merit, although in reverse of the way you said it.

Colored shirts might gain acceptance when:

1. A high ranking leader in the church wears one at a conference.

2. If the Church Handbook of Instructions currently says sacrament passers must wear a white, shirt and tie, this gets deleted or replaced with more liberal dress standards.

Anyone know if the handbook specifies that people passing the sacrament or engaging in ordinances should wear a white shirt?

Makes me want to photoshop some conference pictures and make all the GA’s on the stand have different colored shirts!!!

The current handbook does not say a white shirt and tie must be worn. I think this is being overcome in our area. As I have traveled around our stake I am surprised at how many men and boys I see not wearing white shirts, even in bishopric and other leadership positions (EQP, HPGL, etc.). In my own ward today we had a high council speaker (the SP also just happened to be present), the HC did not wear a white shirt. We have two priests who bless and four passers (small ward). Of the blessers/passers ONE wore a white shirt. One of them, a poor boy who hasn’t been active long, wore jeans (he has no dress pants) and another wore no tie. One of them also has pretty much a full beard (as much as 15-year-olds get). This isn’t all that unusual, my son owns a white shirt but prefers to wear his blue one to church – he usually blesses (there are only 2 priests). Not a word was said to anyone. Our HPGL, a fine upstanding TBM (former bishop, SP counselor) never wears a white shirt and sports a full beard.

So what does it take? A little common sense and tolerance. (Although I do agree that if Pres. Uchtdorf or Elder Christofferson wore a blue shirt it would make a huge difference in attitude.)

I knew that the handbook said that white shirts weren’t required but I decided to go back and actually read the policy to remind myself of what it actually says.

Those who bless and pass the sacrament should dress modestly and be well groomed and clean. Clothing or jewelry should not call attention to itself or distract members during the sacrament. Ties and white shirts are recommended because they add to the dignity of the ordinance. However, they should not be required as a mandatory prerequisite for a priesthood holder to participate. Nor should it be required that all be alike in dress and appearance. Bishops should use discretion when giving such guidance to young men, taking into account their financial circumstances and maturity in the Church.

I think the “recommended because they add to the dignity” is going to be used for ill but the policy is still clear in that they are not required… but if you want to show more dignity. See how that works?

The first thing that came to mind has already been mentioned. Let the GAs wear non-white shirts. Let them visit the stakes of the church. Let people cup their hands to other people’s ears and whisper in hushed voices about what they’ve seen. 😆

The other thing has already been done. Handbook 2 is public information. The policy is now official and public, it’s no longer a part of the unwritten order of things. I’ve heard many members that like colored shirts make comments in church that start off with “The handbook says…” People now have something with which to defend themselves.

Last Sunday I gave my talk while wearing a blue shirt (a member of the SP was there). No one said anything about it.

I mean I don’t have much clout, but perhaps if people see a HC member wearing a non-white shirt it will help this along a bit…(baby steps).

Or people just automatically tune me out right off the bat because of it.

-SBRed

It seems like white shirts are more than a church culture thing. They’re “expected” in a lot of settings.

But, yeah, one light blue shirt at conference would be earth-shaking.

I didn’t realize this was a thing

Ya…it kinda is. It is usually handled with tact, but many local leaders talk in Priesthood meeting about the importance of respect to the priesthood and services performed. It is often said by local leaders that all priesthood actions should be done in a white shirt to symbolize purity and respect.

I am about to attend priesthood preview with my son in hour. Feeling a bit sheepish I am attending with a colored shirt..largely due to laundry problems in my home and my refusal to take over the job of laundry myself. I wonder if I will get chastised….

We did ours about a month ago. Here you would have been fine.