Beards and missionaries.


PrinceofLight2000
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But what I don’t understand is why the sister missionaries cannot wear clothing similar to the male missionaries, only in a female cut (white button-up blouse, black women's slacks, black name tag). They can still wear the skirt to church I guess, but I'm saying while walking around in public, and riding bikes, etc!

If women get pants would they give up the car?;)

I have never seen sister missionaries on bikes. It could be a numbers thing, more elders then sisters in the field, but every place i have been they are in a car, while the elders do the bikes.

Any return missionaries want to chime in?

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If women get pants would they give up the car?;)

I have never seen sister missionaries on bikes. It could be a numbers thing, more elders then sisters in the field, but every place i have been they are in a car, while the elders do the bikes.

Any return missionaries want to chime in?

It happens. And there's no sight sexier than a sister missionary riding a bike with her skirt folded 18 funny ways to fit on the seat.

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The days of white shirts and ties maybe numbered because whereas in the past it gave the appearance of respectability the opposite is now taking place IMO. Car sales men, con artists, pontie system criminals come to mind. In other words white shirts and suits mean watch out!

Lol...seriously? A white shirt and tie isn't respectable anymore?

If women get pants would they give up the car?;)

I have never seen sister missionaries on bikes. It could be a numbers thing, more elders then sisters in the field, but every place i have been they are in a car, while the elders do the bikes.

Any return missionaries want to chime in?

All missionaries in my mission who were in cars were required to park it one day a week ("Pioneer Day") and either walk or bike that day. That included sisters. My parents never bought me a bike when I was a kid, so at 21 years old, I learned on my first preparation day in the mission field, from my trainer. The only cycling I've ever really done has been in a skirt, with my hem tucked into my knee-highs.

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hordak--If women get pants would they give up the car?

Sounds like a fair deal to me. I've never been a missionary, but I don't mind walking or riding a bike. Just not in a skirt!! lol. I would trade a car for pants ANY day, that's for sure. I won't even wear skirts to church.

I dress very nice and professional, just in women's slacks and nice blouses. My clothes are perfectly respectable, by any standard. So if they would rather have me stay home than wear classy office attire-- than they are the ones with messed up priorities. Not me. *shrug* :)

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It is not because we are afraid of beards, but that LDS seek to set a higher standard, not just try and slouch towards exaltation. Missionaries dress and look like General Authorities, who wear suits, white shirts, and no beards. It helps them stand out in a good way, gives a professional and neat appearance, and ensures little children will not be frightened.

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Who here works in Corporate America? *raises hand* Come on now, if you do raise your hand. I don't know where the idea that being clean shaven, wearing a white shirt and tie and sometimes a suit coat makes a person look unprofessional. As someone who works in Corporate America I can say that you may find the colored shirt and beard on some of your lower paid employees but when it comes to the executives, the ones who really are trying to look professional, you see them with neatly cut hair cuts, clean shaven face, white shirts, ties and suits. Yes you may every so often see a beard, but to tell the truth it is still rare.

And I don't know where the idea that the hippie culture is dead or that their way of dressing is dead. Just the other day I saw a couple walking through a town I was in, the guy had his hair dredded, and both him and his lady friend were dressed like someone I would call a hippie. The hippie culture is still around, and beards are still part of it. I think when it comes to missionaries appearance is something the church is really trying to get at. First appearances can be influential and when a guy is dressed like he is heading to a job interview then he is going to get noticed. I don't think that is a bad thing when it comes to missionaries.

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So if they would rather have me stay home than wear classy office attire-- than they are the ones with messed up priorities. Not me. *shrug* :)

I seriously had to laugh at this comment.

This thread is about missionaries.

That's exactly why they would rather have someone with this attitude stay home rather than go on a mission. If an Elder or a Sister can't or won't follow one of the simplest of rules such as clothing, what other rules might they want to break too? And are they going for the right reason?

Going on a mission is not a requirement for Salvation. It's a privilege to be able to serve the Lord by going out into the mission field to preach His gospel. Not a right. Part of that privilege is following the rules. If that's not for you, then better to stay home and be a member missionary within your own area.

So please don't say someone else has their priorities mixed up. No one HAS to go. If someone feels the type of clothing is more important than the message...who has priorities mixed up?

Edited by pam
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I seriously had to laugh at this comment.

This thread is about missionaries.

That's exactly why they would rather have someone with this attitude stay home rather than go on a mission. If an Elder or a Sister can't or won't follow one of the simplest of rules such as clothing, what other rules might they want to break too? And are they going for the right reason?

Going on a mission is not a requirement for Salvation. It's a privilege to be able to serve the Lord by going out into the mission field to preach His gospel. Not a right. Part of that privilege is following the rules. If that's not for you, then better to stay home and be a member missionary within your own area.

So please don't say someone else has their priorities mixed up. No one HAS to go. If someone feels the type of clothing is more important than the message...who has priorities mixed up?

I never said I wasn't going to follow the policy, only that it makes no sense.

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Who here works in Corporate America? *raises hand* Come on now, if you do raise your hand. I don't know where the idea that being clean shaven, wearing a white shirt and tie and sometimes a suit coat makes a person look unprofessional. As someone who works in Corporate America I can say that you may find the colored shirt and beard on some of your lower paid employees but when it comes to the executives, the ones who really are trying to look professional, you see them with neatly cut hair cuts, clean shaven face, white shirts, ties and suits. Yes you may every so often see a beard, but to tell the truth it is still rare.

And I don't know where the idea that the hippie culture is dead or that their way of dressing is dead. Just the other day I saw a couple walking through a town I was in, the guy had his hair dredded, and both him and his lady friend were dressed like someone I would call a hippie. The hippie culture is still around, and beards are still part of it. I think when it comes to missionaries appearance is something the church is really trying to get at. First appearances can be influential and when a guy is dressed like he is heading to a job interview then he is going to get noticed. I don't think that is a bad thing when it comes to missionaries.

Clearly you didn't read through the whole thread. When Dravin thought I was saying being clean-shaven looked unprofessional, I clarified. When people get word that the Church doesn't allow it, that's where the confusion begins.

Secondly, I get that people dressing in strange and sloppy ways isn't dead, nor will it ever be. What I've been saying this entire time is that the connection between beards and supposed sloppiness has been broken for years. Unless of course, you can't grow a full one and it looks awful, like 2 out of 3 of Hordak's pictures.

By the way, I've yet to meet a stoner kid with dreads who has a beard, and I used to know a couple dozen.

Edited by PrinceofLight2000
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Saw the originals, saw the later version. Despite the intervening years, the quality of the movies didn't improve. I'm not sure what that has to do with the topic, though.

There was a scene in the original where Taylor shaved off his beard with a knife, and one of the apes remarked he looked less intelligent clean-shaven.

Because having facial hair or not completely changes the capacity of one's mind. :rolleyes:

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To the OP:

Most 19-20 year old boys do not have the ability to grow a decent looking beard. Some do, but a lot of them are going to grow a sickly looking, sorry excuse for facial hair and they are going to look ridiculous.

If you give them the OK on facial hair some are going to do it whether it is prudent for their appearance or not. Think of spandex. Just because one can pour their fat body in it does not mean that they should be doing it. It looks horrible.

Until beards/goatees are kosher at my job missionaries aren't going to get the go ahead.

It is simply a cultural thing of a neat appearance too.

Carry on.

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You are talking about a fictional movie about apes.

Sentient apes, with beards!

Given the fact that in reality there are no other sentient life forms besides humans, it's safe to say that we can analyze the scene as if the apes were actually human. When it comes to this particular application, anyway.

So, what it comes down to is that one culture looks down on being clean-shaven, and another looks down on beards. I say, why? It's not as though facial hair is unnatural. Neither is the lack of it.

It's not always a mess, either, much like head hair is. Should we have the missionaries shave their heads as well, for fear of their head hair appearing "messy"?

Unfortunately, I have a receding hairline and it doesn't look all that good. Maybe I should shave my head bald for fear of someone thinking it looks bad. :P

Edited by PrinceofLight2000
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To the OP:

Most 19-20 year old boys do not have the ability to grow a decent looking beard. Some do, but a lot of them are going to grow a sickly looking, sorry excuse for facial hair and they are going to look ridiculous.

If you give them the OK on facial hair some are going to do it whether it is prudent for their appearance or not. Think of spandex. Just because one can pour their fat body in it does not mean that they should be doing it. It looks horrible.

Until beards/goatees are kosher at my job missionaries aren't going to get the go ahead.

It is simply a cultural thing of a neat appearance too.

Carry on.

Valid point, although I tend to think that the neatness rule is enough to cover this problem as well as any other neatness problem. If one can grow a beard and keep it neat, which is what I've been saying all along, I really don't see an issue with it. If we expect the missionaries to keep themselves neat in terms of dress without being watched to see what they do every morning, why can't beards just be applied under the same scrutiny rather than being prohibited outright?

Edited by PrinceofLight2000
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