Tattoo

[Maize]

So I understand that my body is a temple and should be treated so, however, I am having a hard time accepting the overall LDS stance on tattoos. I know my body is a temple but there is engraving on the temple (many arguments against tattoos are that you don't see graffiti on the temple (I do not believe that tattoos are graffiti. I have recently gone through some very trying times and want a tattoo that says "and it came to pass". I am just having a hard time understanding why the church is against tattoos even if the tattoo is scripture. 

(I do not want the tattoo as a reminder of these hard times but that there will always be hard times and that they will pass that I can get through anything)

Edited June 20, 2018 by Maize

[mrmarklin]

1 hour ago, Maize said:

So I understand that my body is a temple and should be treated so, however, I am having a hard time accepting the overall LDS stance on tattoos. I know my body is a temple but there is engraving on the temple. I have recently gone through some very trying times and want a tattoo that says "and it came to pass". I am just having a hard time understanding why the church is against tattoos even if the tattoo is scripture. 

There is nothing in getting a tattoo that keeps you away from full faith and fellowship in the Church.  So go for it if you want.  I personally am not a fan.

The problem as I see it is what does one do at forty???

[mdfxdb]

1 hour ago, Maize said:

So I understand that my body is a temple and should be treated so, however, I am having a hard time accepting the overall LDS stance on tattoos. I know my body is a temple but there is engraving on the temple. I have recently gone through some very trying times and want a tattoo that says "and it came to pass". I am just having a hard time understanding why the church is against tattoos even if the tattoo is scripture. 

You know they paint the temples as well right?  What does that have to do with a Tattoo?  If you went through hard times, why do you want to remember them the rest of your life or be reminded as if you would forget?

[Overwatch]

2 hours ago, Maize said:

So I understand that my body is a temple and should be treated so, however, I am having a hard time accepting the overall LDS stance on tattoos. I know my body is a temple but there is engraving on the temple. I have recently gone through some very trying times and want a tattoo that says "and it came to pass". I am just having a hard time understanding why the church is against tattoos even if the tattoo is scripture. 

Bro, Get a full sleeve. Everyone is doing it!!!  Like even the university librarian has a full sleeve. She looks quite chic with all that ink. Rawr. Hey, while you're at it you can get my name tattooed on your back. Like across the top, it's gonna look sweet.

wait, me?  Do I have tattoos? Nah man, do you think I'm stupid?  I'm too fresh  bruh. 

[Flexes]

Don't get a tattoo, they look like trash man.  Just my opinion.

hope this helps

[Guest MormonGator]

Speaking as someone who has 18 tattoos (and will be getting more in the next few weeks) I can tell you with iron clad assurance that you will regret this. First off just being LDS, your family will probably be disappointed in you. Is that something you are ready to deal with? 

Next, from a practical standpoint-do you want to relive those tough times every day for the rest of your life? 

I love my tattoos and I'm very proud of them. I'll never stop getting tattooed. But you need to think long and hard about this. 

Edited June 20, 2018 by MormonGator

[Lee]

I had a tattoo between my ribcage that said Lucky to cover up a scar I have. My wife hated it so I had it removed but tattoos are fine. 

 

Be sure about the tattoo though because I can't remember how much it cost to remove but I remember I wanted to cry when I found out the cost 

Edited June 20, 2018 by Lee

[Lee]

2 hours ago, MormonGator said:

Next, from a practical standpoint-do you want to relive those tough times every day for the rest of your life? 

Good point. I used to look at my tattoo everyday and think I am lucky to be alive so that was positive for me but at the same time I would slightly relive things I didn't want to. Unfortunately, I will always have this problem because I can't remove the scar but the OP can avoid putting a mark on their body that will remind them of struggles they would rather forget. 

[Fether]

22 hours ago, Maize said:

So I understand that my body is a temple and should be treated so, however, I am having a hard time accepting the overall LDS stance on tattoos. I know my body is a temple but there is engraving on the temple (many arguments against tattoos are that you don't see graffiti on the temple (I do not believe that tattoos are graffiti. I have recently gone through some very trying times and want a tattoo that says "and it came to pass". I am just having a hard time understanding why the church is against tattoos even if the tattoo is scripture. 

(I do not want the tattoo as a reminder of these hard times but that there will always be hard times and that they will pass that I can get through anything)

“Latter-day prophets strongly discourage the tattooing of the body. Those who disregard this counsel show a lack of respect for themselves and for God.”

https://www.lds.org/topics/tattooing?lang=eng

you arguement for art being in the temple is rediculous. There is alcohol in the temple (for first aid purposes), we cook food in the temple and smoke is produced (but well ventilated out). This does not mean we can drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes.

The phrase your “body is a temple” is purely symbolic. I don’t have to explain to you that you therebare not people inside of you walking around, or that there is a baptismal fount in your spleen, or a celestial room in your head. I’m not running HVAC through my body cause the temple has HVAC.

So why do you tell yourself  “oh I can get ink and needles stabbed in my body because the temple has art nailed in the walls.” It is symbolic, not literal. 

And it has nothing to do with art or history. God gave you this body, you are made in his image. We show God disrespect when we tattoo our bodies.

[omegaseamaster75]

23 hours ago, Maize said:

So I understand that my body is a temple and should be treated so, however, I am having a hard time accepting the overall LDS stance on tattoos. I know my body is a temple but there is engraving on the temple (many arguments against tattoos are that you don't see graffiti on the temple (I do not believe that tattoos are graffiti. I have recently gone through some very trying times and want a tattoo that says "and it came to pass". I am just having a hard time understanding why the church is against tattoos even if the tattoo is scripture. 

(I do not want the tattoo as a reminder of these hard times but that there will always be hard times and that they will pass that I can get through anything)

The fact that you are trying to draw parallels to the temple tell me that you are trying to justify something that you know inside of you is wrong or incorrect. 

Take a woodshop class and make a sign that says the same thing, hang it someplace you look everyday

[seashmore]

Tattoos are expensive, so I vote no on those grounds alone. I've also heard they're painful; I can't imagine paying someone to inflict unnecessary pain on me.

There are other ways besides tattoos to remember life lessons. I had a post it above my light switch in my bedroom for three years because of the lessons associated with it. (It had my plan for the day all mapped out, but my life changed drastically that day, in good ways and bad.) You could make it a pinned tweet or your cover picture on Facebook.

Fun Fact: I have a social media friend who I hadn't realized had distanced himself from the Church. When I noticed pics of him having a circular tattoo on his chest (does a lot of CrossFit) I thought it was the Salt Lake Temple. It took me a few years to get a close enough view to see that it was really just a forest.

Edited June 21, 2018 by seashmore
Fun fact

[Bad Karma]

I'm covered in military tattoos. They all mean something to me. No one from the church has ever commented about them. I see lots of people in my ward that are fellow inkies. We're Mormons, we are a variety of different people. My temple recommend holds the same rights and privileges as a non-inkie's recommend. My wife is an inkie as well. We're just ordinary people, no better, no worse. 

[Overwatch]

It seems like there needs to be some clarification on this matter by the brethren. 

In the meantime I really like this comedy piece by Sebastian Maniscalco 

He is not LDS

 

 

[JayKi]

I used to want tattoo but my first hospital placement I saw infected tattoo (probably not so common in America) and I saw someone with foot infection and he need skin graph and they took skin from his tricep to put there and the tattoo was partially on tricep and foot. That made me no want one

[askandanswer]

If you only have one, is it still called a tatwo?

[Overwatch]

I really find it appalling that people can hold a temple recommend while actively defiling their bodies (getting tattoos) but can't hold a recommend because they drink Coffee and are defiling their bodies from the inside. I am going to talk to my bishop about this and maybe get it pushed up the chain. I find it completely nonsensical for one to count and the other not to.  

I really don't want someone being my Temple officiator who is drawing on their body like a toddler. No self control. Getting high off the pain. Doing it to "remember something" If you are going to forget about it then maybe YOU aren't worthy to have the flag or person marked on you. The madness is thick. 

Edited June 21, 2018 by Overwatch

[Guest MormonGator]

4 hours ago, Bad Karma said:

I'm covered in military tattoos. They all mean something to me. No one from the church has ever commented about them. I see lots of people in my ward that are fellow inkies. We're Mormons, we are a variety of different people. My temple recommend holds the same rights and privileges as a non-inkie's recommend. My wife is an inkie as well. We're just ordinary people, no better, no worse. 

Amen to that. 

 

 

[Guest MormonGator]

7 hours ago, seashmore said:

 I've also heard they're painful;

They are, but a little bit of pain for a beautiful piece of artwork is sometimes worth it. 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

They are, but a little bit of pain for a beautiful piece of artwork is sometimes worth it. 

Tell Van Gogh.

[Guest MormonGator]

5 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

Tell Van Gogh.

Theo or Vincent? 

[JayKi]

When I had short placement with Coroner he told me tattoos are useful for relative to identify dead bodies. So they can be useful the problem in Costa Rica is everyone had same cross tattoo with beads.

[Fether]

5 hours ago, Overwatch said:

I really find it appalling that people can hold a temple recommend while actively defiling their bodies (getting tattoos) but can't hold a recommend because they drink Coffee and are defiling their bodies from the inside. I am going to talk to my bishop about this and maybe get it pushed up the chain. I find it completely nonsensical for one to count and the other not to.  

I really don't want someone being my Temple officiator who is drawing on their body like a toddler. No self control. Getting high off the pain. Doing it to "remember something" If you are going to forget about it then maybe YOU aren't worthy to have the flag or person marked on you. The madness is thick. 

 I do share you distaste for tattoos and am similarity dumbfounded for when I see people still getting tattoos after the prophets of God have been pretty clear on their stance that it is highly discouraged.

I do, however, disagree with your judgement towards those with tattoos. First of all I don’t know that God would call a man who is actively doing something that is strongly discouraged by the brethren to be a temple officiator. But if I am wrong and I see a man officiating in the temple who is all “tatted up” and even know that he is continuing to add tattoos, I will sustain that man as an officiator with no further question. If God has need to increase the importance of not having tattoos and make it part of the temple reccomend process (which to some extent it already is per questions 4,7 and 8), He will do it through the appointed paths, not by a concerned member of the church.

[anatess2]

3 hours ago, JayKi said:

When I had short placement with Coroner he told me tattoos are useful for relative to identify dead bodies. So they can be useful the problem in Costa Rica is everyone had same cross tattoo with beads.

Military people have them for this reason - so their bodies can be identified in mass graves.

[anatess2]

On 6/19/2018 at 6:01 PM, Maize said:

So I understand that my body is a temple and should be treated so, however, I am having a hard time accepting the overall LDS stance on tattoos. I know my body is a temple but there is engraving on the temple (many arguments against tattoos are that you don't see graffiti on the temple (I do not believe that tattoos are graffiti. I have recently gone through some very trying times and want a tattoo that says "and it came to pass". I am just having a hard time understanding why the church is against tattoos even if the tattoo is scripture. 

(I do not want the tattoo as a reminder of these hard times but that there will always be hard times and that they will pass that I can get through anything)

We are cautioned against tattoos because it is a one-time exercise of agency that will last you your whole life.  It is considered permanent.  It gives a visual statement of who you are that you may not intend to express in a certain cultural environment.  Tattoos outside the military in the Philippines, for example, gives a visual statement of being counter-cultural which can indicate anti-Godliness (as the current culture is Godliness) especially outside the major cities.

Our baptismal covenant is to stand as a representative of Christ in all times and all places.  A tattoo could possibly detract from that representation and there's not much you can do to change it.  It's not like putting some hair dye where you can change it if that hair color starts to detract from your representation of Christ.

My grandmother wore shades of violet from the time her husband died when she was in her 20's to the time she died in her 80's to remember my grandfather by.  My parents and siblings wear a necklace that they don't take off, not even in the shower, as a memorial of their patron saint.  There are thousands of ways you can create a memorial for that event of your life, none of which removes your agency to change it in the future.

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by anatess2

[Guest MormonGator]

20 minutes ago, Fether said:

I do, however, disagree with your judgement towards those with tattoos.

 Those with tattoos aren't overly concerned with others opinions about them. Speaking for myself of course, but I'm pretty confident that's what other tattooed people would say. 

 

[Fether]

20 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

 Those with tattoos aren't overly concerned with others opinions about them. Speaking for myself of course, but I'm pretty confident that's what other tattooed people would say. 

 

Nor should they be. But they should be concerned about the desires of God, and though it won’t bar you from any ordinances, I’m sure if you were to ask an ordained apostle or prophet of God, they would council against it