I quite agree with Mr Moonella here.
When I was asked to shave my beard to be able to work in the temple I asked why it was a Temple Department suggestion, meaning ultimately it is up to the individual Temple Presidents. I was told three things, the first I think is how the Temple Department explains their policy, the second and third I think are how my particular Temple President feels about it.
1) We want to present a look similar to the missionaries, simple, clean-cut, dignified, and uniform.
2) Even if brethren were allowed and a limit was set as to how long you could let it grow, supposedly people would push the line and grow it longer.
3) My personal favorite... We don't want to offend anyone by wearing a beard.
One other thing I might mention that I have often wanted to say but my sarcastic sense of person would get me in trouble for it... Part of the missionary grooming standard is to not shave your head bald. Well, what about those brethren who work in the temple but are balding a little or a lot and decide to shave their head? Yes, some people can't grow hair on the top of their head, that doesn't mean to me that I should be stopped from keeping a well groomed bunch of hair on my face, since I have that ability.

That is probably the only talk I can say I know came from Nibley, I was introduced to it on my mission and I love it. What part of it don't you agree with LazerusLong?
This is one of the main reasons I tell people I will never attend BYU. The culture that comes prepackaged at those places is so restraining, and to what end? Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite scriptures is section 59 of the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the verses says that we will receive commandments not a few, the thing is is those are commandments not policy.
Come to think of it I am quite the oddly cultured person.
A bearded, Deaf, Mormon naturist.

Thanks for all of your interesting info about the so-called beard policy.



Thanks for explaining. Obviously my 'polygamist' theory is wrong.



It's funny how this sounds like they believe that uniformity is self-evidently desirable. They'd be shocked to discover that most people in the world, myself included, would respond with something like "Why?". In fact, I think most people would find the notion of a religious group wanting uniformity of appearance as being slightly creepy.



When I asked someone why no beards for temple workers, I actually heard someone suggest that they didn't want to SCARE anyone!! Imagine a little old lady going through the temple and suddenly coming face to face with a man with a beard! "Er, yes, why is that scary?" I asked. I doubt that these beard-fearing little old ladies actually exist. If they do, I hope they get over it before they meet their Maker.



I was very surprised to read this. Is it really such a thing in America that the standard in the business world is clean-shaven? That having a beard is somehow unprofessional? Obviously this beard thing goes beyond the church then!

Maybe this was even more true in the 1960s - that being respectable meant being clean shaven and having a beard meant you were a hippie or anti-establishment rebel. But, out of interest, I decided to have a look at the current members of the US senate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_Senators). Out of 80 male senators, plus another 10 male senators-elect, I see a couple of moustaches, but not a single beard! There are a few in the House of Representatives, so it obviously isn't out of the question, but it seems quite striking to me how few there are. Looking at the British MPs (http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mps/) I wouldn't say that beards are common, but there are clearly more of them, and I would never have considered that 'the standard in the business world is clean shaven' in the UK.

Until now I had wondered when the general authorities had stopped having beards, and whether there had been a general conference where all the general authorities had suddenly appeared without their beards. But now I assume that it just happened naturally. If being clean shaven was a requirement for being respectable in the 1960s, then the GAs wouldn't have needed to be told not to have a beard, any more than they needed telling to wear a suit to church.

Since students weren't quite so conformist and BYU like to enforce a dress code, they made a no-beard rule, so from this and the fact that the GAs conformed to the fashion unanimously, seems to have been enough to make it into an unwritten rule.

On another tangent, I had heard that the weird custom of General Authorities always using their initial was also another standard practice in the American business world. I don't know if this is true, as American politicians don't seem to do it. I would hate that so much - being referred to by everyone forever by an unnatural formal form of my name.

I gotta say I got a little chuckle out of that statement. So true.


I've also always been weirded out by that. But then trying to say just first and last name, because of the conditioning, makes that sound weird now too. I certainly don't know if it being a custom among any other groups of people here in the U.S.

I wonder if using the middle initial had something to do with such individuals as "Joseph Smith, Joseph F. Smith, Joseph Fielding Smith" "J. Russell M. Ballard, Melvin J. Ballard" "Ezra T. Benson, Ezra Taft Benson" "John Taylor, John W. Taylor" "George A. Smith, George Albert Smith" etc.

One of my brothers recently went on a trip over seas and was detained for half an hour when he tried to enter the country he was visiting. They just kept asking him if that was the first time he had been to their country and how many times he had been there until someone new and higher up came in to ask the same questions. It was the fist and likely the last time he had ever been there. When they finally let him go so he could catch his next flight they wrote something in his passport and, as he put it, "Almost" politely asked him to be out of the country within the week like he said he would be. The note they put in his passport said if he was not out of the country by a set date he was to be arrested.

His name was on some kind of a watch list but I don't think they had a middle name for the undesirable person as they only asked about his fist and last name over and over again. I know of at least two other women with the same first and last name as me. You never know what someone might be doing with your name and how it might affect you. One of my brothers also ran into some trouble on his mission because of our last name and the reputation a family in that area had that shared the name.

I guess having a very unique name has its advantages. All I need to do is keep my nose clean. But should I get my nose dirty .. Well then I guess my jig is up.

There seems to be way too much cultural and "religious" stigma to overcome for us as a society to even consider a break from the norm. And too much fear around what others think. Many don't understand or appreciate the underlying philosophy of naturism. For some reason it was wonderful and beautiful for Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and when they left the garden, eventually nudity changed into something shameful, dirty, and exclusively sexual. Why?? I don't understand and I believe Satan is behind much of the cultural shift that exiles all notion of inherent value in social nudity, and people wonder why pornography is mainstream now?? Practically NOBODY remembers healthy nudity from 6000 years ago. They've literally forgotten, and now as a result, they resent and/or abuse their own and others' physical bodies; looks like a big win for Satan. The adversary has also tainted the public's view of naturism, such that it is something eclectic and sensational, which in its purest form is the exact opposite of those descriptors; his case to the public is sadly assisted by a number of people out there claiming to be naturists but in reality are artificial naturists with alterior motives, who give naturism a bad name. Jesus please come quickly.

I know from a particular experience that skinny dipping was the norm about 60+ years ago. When I was about 12 my sister caught me skinny dipping in the pond with some friends. Later that evening, at supper, she tattled on me. My dad just said that he didn't have a problem with because he used to go skinny dipping all the time when he was younger. It's only in the past few decades that nudity has become taboo. But I think that people are slowly trying to make it more acceptable.

I know this post is old, but since I am new I would like to put in my $.02 worth. I agree with dagadahon about the diet aspect. My wife and I have gluten issues, hers is allergy and mine is intolerance. When ward parties or picnics come we have to be very careful with what we eat, and sometimes we have to eat either before or after. Nothing is said in the WofW about gluten, which is most commonly found in wheat, but it says “All grain is ordained for the use of man...” This is similar in theory as naturism; Naturism is not for everyone, but those that practice it with a chaste mind feel better because of it, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I can’t attest to the social aspect yet, but I can tell you that when my wife and I practice together at home there is a closeness that is felt by me that clothes block. It is not the sexual aspect that I am feeling, even though I can let those feelings start very easily, rather it is pure love. Last night we sat on chairs in our side yard while nude. It was dark and we had the yard umbrella opened to minimize the “scene” from the second story windows of neighbors but it was a wonderful feeling. I remember thinking that it just feels so natural and easy to be with the one I love more than anyone on earth. Even though she was nude, and very attractive to me, I was focused on her as a whole person. What a liberating feeling that was!

Naturism to me is like eating a gluten free diet, when I am true to what I eat I feel good. When there is a cheat (which I don’t do intentionally) or by accident I don’t feel so good. Practicing naturism with a chaste mind keeps my mind in the proper place by allowing me to see others as God has created them. Practicing naturism does away with the urge to view pornography in any of its shapes or forms. I love the Gospel with all my heart and will follow it with everything I have, but I know for me a healthy outlook on life and humanity corresponds with naturism.