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The Ban On Long Hair And Beards

theplains

By theplains
in General Discussions

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Robert F. Smith Grand Master

Robert F. Smith

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Posted

Oh..and by the way..as a child from the 60's..we have just got to quit blaming the Beatles for everything! :acute:

Did the Beatles have beards in the 60s?  They wore cute suits and sported the type of hair length associated with English schoolboys.  They were a boy band at first, after all.  But I don't recall beards on a couple of them until much later.

Robert F. Smith Grand Master

Robert F. Smith

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I completely agree that the way we look gets linked with certain groups sociologically.  That's why when people pull out the whole "Christ had a beard" argument it doesn't hold water.  The quote is very clear why facial hair gained disapproval (personally I blame President McKay - what?  he didn't like the way his predecessors looked or something?)

McKay (whose white hair did not meet missionary standards) died in Jan 1970 at age 96, and was quite infirm.  It is more likely that beard and hair length policy was set in about 1968 by a counselor in the Presidency, such as Joseph Fielding Smith (whose father had the longest beard of any Mormon Prophet).  Until that time, beards were acceptable at BYU.  Missionaries were restricted much earlier probably, but it has always been O.K. for any member to have a beard -- unless called to certain positions -- and that includes obtaining a temple recommend (beards are O.K.).  McKay himself had a mustache as a young Apostle, and his immediate predecessors in the Presidency both had beards.

 

Hugh Nibley thought that controlling how people were coiffed or shaven was just silly, and some have joked that, if Jesus showed up on BYU campus with his beard, long hair, and sandles, he'd promptly be removed from Brother Brigham's fiefdom.

 

But now as others have said, there is no more ban on facial hair.  Times HAVE changed, although I'm sure there are those who didn't understand why the standard was implemented and so wouldn't recognize why it no longer applies and think it continues.

Self-censorship is the most powerful kind.

 

I'm sure in 1950 it would have been perfectly acceptable to wear REALLY baggy pants that had a hard time staying up   ;) ...but in today's society that connects to a social group the Church probably doesn't want to emulate.  In the 60's they didn't want members dressing like hippies.  There are groups today we wouldn't want to emulate the standard of dress either.

 

Actually, from the 30s through the 50s, men wore suspenders to hold their pants up.  Some old guys still do.

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HappyJackWagon Grand Master

HappyJackWagon

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There are still local bans. Entire stakes preacha against facial hair, even today. It's astonishing. They make clean shaven a requirement to serve in leadership callings. It's not all in the past but hopefully it is getting better.

Buzzard Mentor

Buzzard

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I may have related this story before, but upon moving to Utah County from SoCal, told my family that Utah Mormons were generally more orthodox on things like facial hair, white shirts, etc...all the cultural stuff. 

We walked into church that first Sunday and were greeted by a nice guy in a blue shirt, sport coat (no suit), and goatee. He introduced himself as one of the counselors in the bishopric.  So much for assumptions.  Of course, we DID find out later that he was a University of Utah sports fan, so that took him down a notch in my estimation.  Blue shirts are one thing, cheering for the U. is quite another matter. 

Maestrophil Experienced

Maestrophil

Posted
Posted

Did the Beatles have beards in the 60s?  They wore cute suits and sported the type of hair length associated with English schoolboys.  They were a boy band at first, after all.  But I don't recall beards on a couple of them until much later.

 

Beards on the Fab Four came at the end of 67...  As soon as Sgt. Pepper was over we had bearded Beatles.

 

I almost always sport a neatly trimmed beard. Once, when I was attending the sealing of a friend, I had my beard AND long hair pulled into a ponytail (I was a professional musician in the L.A. area at the time in the grungy 90s).   I had the rings in my pocket and right after the sealing while in the temple my friend and his spouse exchanged them - so everyone saw me hand over the rings to the sealer.  Later, while I was singing at the reception, my cousin, who is not an active member, overheard two women in the hall of the chapel say something like "You know that FREAK that was in the temple with the long hair?  Well he's playing guitar and singing in the cultural hall and he actually sounds pretty good!"

 

My cousin was very upset and told me about it.  I kind of told her that it was no big deal to me and to laugh it off - but she did not see it that way and it soured her on the church in a big way. 

 

I feel we need to be careful how much weight we put on these cultural "norm" and realize there might be a price for being too rigid.

 

MP

JLHPROF Grand Master

JLHPROF

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I'm a goatee kind of guy...most of the time.

Rock_N_Roll Community Regular

Rock_N_Roll

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I've done it all (almost) when it comes to facial hair.  Clean Shaven, Full Beard, just the mustache, goatee (now).  I had long hair from just after my mission until I turned 40 (hair became too fine and thin).  It’s funny that 5 or 6 years ago the majority of women liked their man clean shaven, now the pendulum has swung the other way.  Facial hair is all the rage today. 

 

I agree with Maestrophil, that putting too much emphasis on cultural norms can sometimes be damaging.  Being a member of rock bands (past and present) has given me the opportunity to become friends with, and be an example to (somewhat) individuals who wouldn't normally give a clean-shaven, short-haired, “uptight”, Mormon the time of day.

 

Long hair and beards are no longer associated with rebellion and drug use.  This isn't the 60’s, early 70’s anymore.  In fact, wear your hair too short, and in some areas you could be associated with white supremacy groups.  It’s time we put the length of time between shaves, the number of inches below our collar, the color of our shirts, the number of inches below/above the knee our skirts are, and the number of holes in our earlobes, to rest. Just be clean and neat, and dress nicely at church. 

Edited by Rock_N_Roll
CV75 Grand Master

CV75

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Posted (edited)

How did long hair and beards get solely associated with rebellion when many in the crowd

had short hair and shaven faces?

I think, for the time and place, long hair and beards were mostly worn by an activist minority whose intent was to influence the masses to adopt less-than Christlike principles and use less-than Christlike methods, and thus became a negative symbol standing for behavior that went against the Light of Christ. As the cause gained momentum, they eventually became a uniform.

 

Was this ban done by some type of revelation or declaration?  I can't seem to the find the

exact date of institution.

I thunk it was inspired guidance for the particular time and place.

Edited by CV75
VideoGameJunkie Grand Master

VideoGameJunkie

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Robert F Smith, I've been playing all kinds of video games, but in all depictions of them and even in the temple videos, God and Jesus always have beards and long hair, which shouldn't make them too bad to have.

Eddie Lyle Newbie

Eddie Lyle

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I had a Joseph F. Smith beard when I was an elder's quorum president some time ago. I've trimmed it up significantly but it is still a few inches long. I've moved to a new Stake and I was recently told I was passed over for the high council because of my beard. I didn't think my beard was so advantageous.

 

Remember 7 of the last 16 prophets had beards.

Stone holm Grand Master

Stone holm

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Posted

Had to do with the 1960's counterculture and Castro, Church leadership sympathized with the John Birchers. They will drop the ban as soon as they figure out most gays have short hair and no beards.

Jeanne Grand Master

Jeanne

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Posted

Did the Beatles have beards in the 60s?  They wore cute suits and sported the type of hair length associated with English schoolboys.  They were a boy band at first, after all.  But I don't recall beards on a couple of them until much later.

No they didn't have long hair..but the complaints were heard plenty about the long hair..the bada..(sp) my home ward pitched a fit when everybody stayed home to watch Ed Sullivan... :diablo: Oh my!

Garden Girl Grand Master

Garden Girl

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Posted

No they didn't have long hair..but the complaints were heard plenty about the long hair..the bada..(sp) my home ward pitched a fit when everybody stayed home to watch Ed Sullivan... :diablo: Oh my!

 

Hello Jeanne...

Well, they didn't have long hair by today's standards... but at the time don't you remember they were called "the Mopheads" and one of their gestures during singing was to shake their heads so the hair moved and the girls would just scream... and slowly but surely hair lengths became longer until we have the variety we do today.

 

GG

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