Ordain Beards

[Jeanne]

My roommate and I had beards at BYU in 1964, but not in 1965. The policy was implemented to counteract the association of hair with the protest movement and rebellion. It's 50 years later, but I don't think that association persists. Hirsucci and Ishmael, two of my sons who attended BYU, were busted at the testing center for not shaving...they have heavy dark beards that grow rapidly and although having shaved in the morning, were unable to pass inspection in the evening.

I don't know....maybe it's time to move on?

Wow, I found this interesting as I as an early teen can't remember how quickly everything changed.  In relation to the "hippie world" I can understand BYU's changes, but nowadays..hey a nice trim beard is very attractive and nothing unclean about it.

[katherine the great]

This is easily the most glorious sentence ever posted on this board! For more than a year, I've been repeatedly told that church leaders will NOT respond to pressure from below. But here seems to be at least one instance in which that is not true. Of course, I've known as much all along but finally, to read it from the keyboard of a REAL saint.

This Church is getting better all the time!

Well of course there has to be the logic element as well. (Is this principle or practice?  Girls can wear slacks and denim jeans are a type of slacks.  What's good for the goose is good for the gander...) Input from the female students (i.e.: murmuring to formal complaints) was just the motivation for change.

[katherine the great]

On a board with discussions about eternal life and happiness and glory beyond description the most glorious thing that you have ever heard is something that peripherally might agree with you in some way? That is kind of sad.

And of course you are also wrong. The church leadership is not micromanaging the BYU dress code and so they did not respond to pressure from below because they probably were not even involved.

The board of trustees of BYU is almost completely made up of apostles and other general authorities.  Any dress code change would have to meet with their approval.  Definitely not micromanaging, but they have the power to recommend and to say yea or nay to proposed changes.

[ksfisher]

Wow, I found this interesting as I as an early teen can't remember how quickly everything changed.  In relation to the "hippie world" I can understand BYU's changes, but nowadays..hey a nice trim beard is very attractive and nothing unclean about it.

 

I don't have any problems with nice, trim beards as you put it.  If the beard get longer and scragglier it does seem to bring to mind the current marijuana culture and everything associated with it.

[Avatar4321]

I would never go to BYU for school. Too many rules that other colleges don't have.

funny. I wouldn't trade my time at byu for anything. Those so called rules were hardly noticiable since as long as you're living the gospel you are already living most of them.

[Jeanne]

I don't have any problems with nice, trim beards as you put it.  If the beard get longer and scragglier it does seem to bring to mind the current marijuana culture and everything associated with it.

I agree, but that being said, in some Wards/Stakes or School, it would not matter what condition of the beard in order to live the dress code.  I just think that we are all adults and should be treated as such.

[VideoGameJunkie]

There is a councilor in my BIshopric who has a beard. No one complains. Why is it such a big deal for BYU students and missionary soldiers?

[why me]

There is a councilor in my BIshopric who has a beard. No one complains. Why is it such a big deal for BYU students and missionary soldiers?

I think that the school is concerned about how young people represent the church to the outside world. The school wants its students to be clean cut. They are a symbol of Mormonism. However, once they are finished with school they then can grow a beard. No problem. If the school did allow beards, the men would not be allowed to grow whatever beard they wanted. There would be the 'beard police' asking students to trim it etc. Hippieville would be out.

Edited September 29, 2014 by why me

[VideoGameJunkie]

What is the harm of the message by having a beard though? Does it show that you're satanic?

Edited September 29, 2014 by VideoGameJunkie

[Hamba Tuhan]

Well, that's certainly the message I'm hoping to send with my facial hair, but somehow people keep misreading me.

[Brian 2.0]

Is there still a policy that temple workers needs to be clean shaven?

[Tacenda]

Brian, last I heard that would be correct.

[ksfisher]

Is there still a policy that temple workers needs to be clean shaven?

 

Yes.

[thesometimesaint]

You do know what they call the Hippies nowadays? Grandma and Grandpa.

[CV75]

From the article: "I feel like everyone feels that way, but they don’t feel like they have a place to say anything," he said.

 

Yep. Three cheers for the undeveloped frontal lobe!

[VideoGameJunkie]

Brigham Young would lead Ordain Beards. He'd be turned away from being a temple worker with that beard of his.

[mormonnewb]

According to Fox News, there were about 50 BYU students at the OB protest on Friday night. Not the strongest show of support, but more than I would have guessed. You go, boys!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/28/students-protest-byus-beard-ban/

Edited September 29, 2014 by mormonnewb

[mtomm]

I've been without facial hair for exactly two years of my adult life -- the same two years I had a black name badge on my chest. For the vast majority of LDS men who aren't currently making the choice to enrol themselves at BYU, there is simply no need to 'bring beards back'.

 

. It isn't just being at BYU that gets your beard banned. Ask many bishops and bishopric and high council members, etc. who have been required to shave their beards and mustaches. I realize this varies from stake to stake and region to region but if it would get changed at BYU the trickle down would happen quickly. 

[why me]

According to Fox News, there were about 50 BYU students at the OB protest on Friday night. Not the strongest show of support, but more than I would have guessed. You go, boys!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/28/students-protest-byus-beard-ban/

The article said that the ban was put in place by students and not the administration. So, it would seem that a majority vote would be necessary. So far the vote would be a no to beards. Also, I don't believe that 50 students from byu attended the demonstration. I would guess that some support came from students from other campuses. If a referendum vote were to occur next week, the no crowd would win by a majority. However, I do wish that today's students would protest something more meaningful. The US has many problems in many areas of life. Wearing a beard is the least of them.

[why me]

. It isn't just being at BYU that gets your beard banned. Ask many bishops and bishopric and high council members, etc. who have been required to shave their beards and mustaches. I realize this varies from stake to stake and region to region but if it would get changed at BYU the trickle down would happen quickly. 

I don't know.  It seems to be a students initiative to ban the beard, at least according to the article. I think that each state can decide about the beards and other dress codes. In my ward, the young women wear short skirts. No problem. And people pass the sacrament in black shirts or other color shirts. No problem. And beards are no problem either. I suppose that the ward is bohemian and rather liberal.

[Brian 2.0]

I don't know.  It seems to be a students initiative to ban the beard, at least according to the article. I think that each state can decide about the beards and other dress codes. In my ward, the young women wear short skirts. No problem. And people pass the sacrament in black shirts or other color shirts. No problem. And beards are no problem either. I suppose that the ward is bohemian and rather liberal.

 

But does anyone pass the sacrament in a beard, black shirt, and a short skirt?  

 

if so... please let me know the address of your church building.

[fatherofone]

But does anyone pass the sacrament in a beard, black shirt, and a short skirt?  

 

if so... please let me know the address of your church building.

I have blessed the sacrament with a beard, not the same as passing it, but an ordinance none the less.  Nobody said anything to me, of course I had a white shirt on

[why me]

But does anyone pass the sacrament in a beard, black shirt, and a short skirt?  

 

if so... please let me know the address of your church building.

I cant do that. I need to protect my privacy. However, it is not impossible to wear various color shirts. Most of the white shirt thing is based on cultural norms and not on policy, a sort of monkey see monkey do approach. Strangely, men can also have a protest movement: wear a black shirt to church sunday. Why not? People are protesting beards, women wanted to wear pants to church etc. True, it all seems a little infantile but such is life within mormonism. It brings out the child in us.

[Brian 2.0]

No really a protest... but i remember we would wear our rented tuxedos to church the Sunday after school formals.  Does that still happen?

[Avatar4321]

But does anyone pass the sacrament in a beard, black shirt, and a short skirt?  

 

if so... please let me know the address of your church building.

I've had a beard for years and have never had any problem passing or blessing the sacrament. Nor has anyone else in the wards I've lived in