Modesty
The apostle Paul taught the Corinthians an important reason why they should respect their bodies.
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
If our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, then it is clearly not our own. If it’s the temple of the Holy Ghost and God created it, then the body belongs to God, and we have a sacred responsibility to use it in the way He planned.
One way of honoring this gift from God is to dress it modestly. Mormons follow a dress code that allows members to look modern, while still appropriately covering the body. The dress code applies to both men and women, and is not, therefore, merely a way for men to control women.
A modestly dressed Mormon will wear clothing that covers the shoulders and properly covers the chest area. Their clothing does not allow the stomach or back to show. Legs will be covered to the knees. Clothing is never extreme and while it can be attractive, it doesn’t call undue attention to itself. Clothing is neither too tight, nor too baggy. Swimsuits for women are one piece and don’t leave the stomach or back uncovered. Men’s suits will also protect modesty. Women may wear one set of modest earrings, but men may not wear any at all. Piercings in other places are prohibited for both genders. Women who wish to wear make-up avoid extremes. Tattoos are forbidden because they defile our temple.
Modesty is more than just putting on the proper outside appearance. It also means to be modest in other ways. When we are baptized, we take on ourselves the name of Christ, and represent Him in all we do. For this reason, we try not to draw undo attention to ourselves in ways that are unimportant.
A Mormon is taught to use speech befitting a representative of Jesus Christ. They learn not to take God or the Savior’s name in vain or to swear or use crude language, because this is not modest and doesn’t properly represent who God has asked us to be. A Mormon tries to be uplifting to those around her and to demonstrate through her actions and speech the joy the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into the life of His followers. Her actions will also be focused outwardly, always watching for ways to serve and to demonstrate what it really means to be a Christian. This does not mean hiding in corners to avoid being noticed. It simply means doing the right things quietly without shouting out for the world to notice. Modesty and humility are closely related concepts and both help to determine how a Mormon will live his or her life.
By trying to clothe our bodies and our spirits in modesty and humility, we demonstrate our appreciation to Heavenly Father and the Savior for the gifts they’ve given us. We show respect for our bodies and try to make them appropriate homes for the Holy Ghost.
