Modesty
The leaders of the Church have given further guidelines on modesty in the pamphlet For the Strength of the Youth under the section, Dress and Appearance. It reads in part:
- Prophets of God have always counseled His children to dress modestly. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others. Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act.
- Never lower your standards of dress. Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God. You also send the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval.
- Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change.
- If you are not sure what is appropriate to wear, study the words of the prophets, pray for guidance, and ask your parents or leaders for help. Your dress and appearance now will help you prepare for the time when you will go to the temple to make sacred covenants with God. Ask yourself, “Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord’s presence?”
- Show respect for the Lord and yourself by dressing appropriately for Church meetings and activities. This is especially important when attending sacrament services. Young men should dress with dignity when officiating in the ordinance of the sacrament.
Dressing modestly shows respect not only for God but for the bodies which He has given His children. In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 it says,
- Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
After Adam and Eve had partaken of the fruit, they saw that they were naked, and the Lord gave them garments to clothe themselves:
- Unto Adam, and also unto his wife, did I, the Lord God, make coats of skins, and clothed them (Moses 4:27).
Even though they were alone in the world and married to each other, the Lord still commanded they be modestly clothed once they fell from paradise. This taught them the sacredness of the body. Wearing modest clothing is a way to show respect for the Lord, and also encourages modest, moral behavior.
Alternative Proms
Latter-day Saints in various U.S. cities have begun to sponsor alternative proms for several reasons, including the lack of modesty at regular school proms, plus extremely "dirty dancing" at regular school proms. These alternative proms are attended by friends of all faiths who desire to be more modest and clean-cut in their behavior. Read more. Some young Latter-day Saint women have collected dresses to share and have altered some to make them more modest.
External Links
For more information or to find modest clothing visit one of these websites:
