Weird Conversations with Mormons

I think you know the answer to your rhetorical question, Gerald. It does sometimes boggle my mind when I hear conversations like that. Like you, I usually keep my trap shut (something I learned on my mission) but the voice in my head is usually quite loud. The most I might say would be something like “Whom the Lord calls the Lord qualifies” because TBMs seem to like that, even though I personally don’t believe it on multiple levels.

Yes, culture can overwhelm common sense and even the Gospel.

I went to the temple last night for a shift, and when I approached a group of other temple workers one of them with some obvious stubble (or more) saw me (also with obvious stubble), grinned and asked if I had thought to shave before coming to the temple. He obviuosly had been asked about it. I said, also with a grin:

You are asking the wrong person about our facial hair policies in the Church. Facial hair has nothing to do with worthiness or righteousness. The only reason I shave regularly is that my wife won’t kiss me if I don’t.

He grinned again, and we went our separate ways.

I have no idea how many people heard me, but I was grinning the whole time and speaking quietly and softly.

The last version of the handbook of instructions no longer indicates that you must be clean shaven. I think it was a cultural think when beards became popular among “hippies” and that caused a reaction by the church to be as polar extreme from that as possible. Now that beard wearing isn’t seen as a sign of rebellion, the church is ever so SLOWLY moving away from the stance. But it often takes the members of the church even longer.

It would be great to see someone in General Conference with a well trimmed beard (as long as it wasn’t a Sister )

The last version of the handbook of instructions no longer indicates that you must be clean shaven.

You’re talking about the Bishop’s Handbook? Wow! That gives me hope!

I think it was a cultural think when beards became popular among “hippies” and that caused a reaction by the church to be as polar extreme from that as possible. Now that beard wearing isn’t seen as a sign of rebellion, the church is ever so SLOWLY moving away from the stance. But it often takes the members of the church even longer.

My husband was not permitted (this was just about three years ago) to wear a beard while serving as a part-time church service missionary at the Conference Center. The policy absolutely infuriated me, since he looks much better with a beard than without one. I hold him I didn’t want him to shave, and he didn’t want to. Needless to say, he was not able to serve. I suspect things are definitely going to change in this regard at some point, but I’m guessing it will take one more generation.

I’m just going to get into the habit of letting my beard grow when the October conference commences and shaving when the April conference ends each year. Or maybe that’s the solution to getting released! You used to have to move to a different ward if you didn’t like your calling but now you can just grow a beard.

Sounds like a good plan based on your experience. I think when I’m ready to be released from my current calling I might give that a try. On the other hand, two of my fellow servants do have facial hair (not full beards) and they have both served longer than me – so maybe it won’t work. My SP does seem to like to dispense with false traditions.

Which is the worse sin? The judging is the ONLY sin. It’s not a sin to wear a beard. Leadership asking others in leadership not to wear facial hair is probably the dumbest 1950s retroactive BS I’ve ever heard next to a woman’s shoulders constituting pornography.

If judging is the only sin, is it a sin to judge the leadership for asking others in leadership to not wear facial hair?

I won’t judge the person (though I might rib them a little) but I’ll judge the rule.

I’d guess that the majority of members don’t like the rule but we subject ourselves to it.

Why subject yourself to something you don’t like or agree with?