Weird Conversations with Mormons

[Anonymous]

Yeah, there are lots of reasons.

A generic reason might be that the general membership doesn’t apply as much weight to having a beard as the weight that they apply to other things. Having a beard might be very low on their list of priorities. If that’s the case not having a beard becomes a point of minor inconvenience. A small sacrifice that can even go so far as to help someone confirm their level of devotion, and I’m not referring to convincing others of their devotion, sometimes it’s the way we convince ourselves.

I don’t know what my calling invitation will be but since it’s coming from the BP I can rest assured that it’s not one that will require me to shave. Either way I’m just glad I shaved before I was asked or knew a calling was on my horizon. I’d hate to give Lorenzo Snow a run for his money out of some kind of misguided obstinance on my part.

[Anonymous]

nibbler wrote:

When I had the beard I had a few BPs/HCs show me their driver’s license where they had facial hair and lament a bit that they couldn’t have facial hair as a part of their calling. I don’t pass on the opportunity to tell them that they are sell-outs.

A few stakes over and members of the BPric have facial hair. What you can grow depends on where you’re planted.

We have a bishop in a neighboring ward with a goatee. He has always had it, and nothing is said.

I don’t like the beard “rule” but it doesn’t especially affect me because I don’t like a beard on me. I once had a mustache for a few months and shaved it off – I like being clean shaven (however I do skip shaving many Saturdays and GC weekend). I don’t care of other people have beards though, and I don’t think a beard makes them any less “spiritual” or “worthy.”

[Anonymous]

Gerald wrote:

I had the oddest conversation yesterday. It was odd because I suddenly realized how pervasive social norms are within groups and how such norms are easily elevated to laws and commandments. There was a group of us talking about some common acquaintances and someone mentioned the name of “Bill” (not his real name) and that he had been made a counselor in the bishopric in his ward. Someone else in the group shook his head and said, “I don’t know how he could possibly be in a bishopric with that beard he has.” The conversation then turned to (albeit briefly) beards and what was implied in the conversation was the obvious weakness of an individual who sports a beard. I remained silent but thought “I don’t think beards are forbidden except at the BYUs and while working at the temple.” (Though if I’m wrong about that please correct me.) I don’t wear a beard (nor do I ever plan to…ick!) but conflating personal worthiness with beard wearing seemed a bit superficial to me. And I was struck by the thought: which of these is the worse sin? The beard or the judging?

Need I repeat it, but some people are just plain idiots?

As long as a beard is well maintained, I don’t have a problem with it. (Some beards can get horrible, if not washed etc, but I’m not a pogonophobe…)

[Anonymous]

nibbler wrote:

1) I knew a guy with a real lumberjack beard. He got called as 2nd counselor in the BP shortly before going on vacation. During the vacation he ran into his MP. Of course his MP asked him what he was doing in the church these days (that’s what we do in the church) and he related how he had recently been called to be the 2nd counselor in the BP. The MP asked him, has your SP asked you to shave yet? No. Good, that shows that he trusts that you’ll do the right thing. The only reason I heard the story was because people were asking what had happened to his beard. That was what happened to the beard.

I was told the same sort of story. It was portrayed as though there was no written rule against facial hair in leadership but that the spirit was giving impressions to individuals that they should be clean shaven.

I wonder if one could have the spirit testify of the importance of keeping facial hair? “My hair like Jesus wore it, Halaluya! I adore it!” :angel:

[Anonymous]

DarkJedi wrote:

I like being clean shaven (however I do skip shaving many Saturdays and GC weekend).

Who can even see your stubble with that hoodie you always have on?

[Anonymous]

Roy wrote:

I was told the same sort of story. It was portrayed as though there was no written rule against facial hair in leadership but that the spirit was giving impressions to individuals that they should be clean shaven.

That’s the part that gets me; we have written, specific rules about all sorts of things, but somehow the Lord cares so deeply about this one and yet could never find the time to have any of His prophets pick up a pen for ten seconds to add “beards are bad” to the official rules. Same goes for white shirts.

It’s amusing the looks I got for wearing a maroon banded collar shirt (perfect excuse to skip the tie) to Sacrament meeting when I had a beard.

[Anonymous]

LookingHard wrote:

DarkJedi wrote:

I like being clean shaven (however I do skip shaving many Saturdays and GC weekend).

Who can even see your stubble with that hoodie you always have on?

I have to take the hood down to do the mind trick (like Luke did with Jabba), and remove it completely when I’m about to use my light saber! I don’t use the light saber very often (lightning from the finger tips is more fun, but it kind of tingles), but I use the mind trick all the time. “I don’t recall being asked about [insert whatever here – beard, prayer, reading the BoM, JS] in the TR interview.” From the weak minded I get “Oh, yeah, I guess not” and from the less weak minded I get a cold stare. There is little one can say in response to that. I also like “Your testimony doesn’t have to be this tall to enter” and “It is not that simple” (both of which I stole from the greatest master of the mind trick). I think I might start using “Have any of us done all that we can do?” as well.

[Author]

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