Beards, etc.

[deacon blues]

Beards are becoming more frequent in society, at least so it seems to me. Even more politicians are sporting facial hair. when I attended Church two Sunday's ago with my wife I notice more of the young men in the ward have beards. None in the bishopric though. Has anyone noticed if this trend is sneaking into LDS leadership?

[wtfluff]

I know people who have relatives in bishoprics sporting magnificent beards. (Outside the Moridor, of course.)

[msnobody]

I have the last few times (twice) I’ve attended. I think my coworker who is a bishop sports a beard. We work in separate buildings, so I don’t get to see him very often. I thought it may be more prevalent here in the south, further away from UT, and where more members are converts.

[moksha]

I think fewer of the elders at BYU have those German WWII haircuts.

[Linked]

In the morridor, my current bishop shaved his 15+ year goatee when he became bishop a couple years ago. One of his counselors has a beard. All the male stake leadership are clean shaven.

I think there is more pressure on bishops and "above". But I suspect that is dwindling the further we get from the 1960's.

I have noticed more young people are sporting mustaches though, I think they might be making a come back.

[Just This Guy]

When my FIL was bishop, he was repeatedly suggested to shave his mustache, but he always refused. That was his old hippie self protesting "the Man" in his modern way. Still has it even today.

[græy]

When I was called as bishop our SP suggested "It isn't a rule, but we like our bishops and high council members to follow the brethren regarding facial hair." I've never been interested in growing a beard so I didn't fight it at all.

Our new SP though has straight up told me he doesn't think facial hair or beards are anything to be concerned about.

Take that FWIW.

[Red Ryder]

I have a covid beard that I’m simply too lazy to shave.

I regularly trim and maintain.

I was walking out of sacrament meeting making my hasty escape to the door. I’m still an occasional 1 hour Mormon depending on Sister Ryder’s calling attendance.

Two guys standing there from the other ward and I overhear one guy say “What’s with all the beards? There’s another one….”

As I walk by, I proudly say “Jesus had one too!” and kept walking.

Now I know Mormonism is simply an absurd frontier sex cult that morphed into a real estate holdings empire.

But come on!!!!

How can we claim to worship JESUS H CHRIST and then be all over facial hair requirements for church leaders.

How can we name a university after a bearded man and then ban students from wearing beards?

Anyone else see the irony and stupidity?

[2bizE]

Is the beard thing for bishoprics a cultural tradition? Or is there a call out in the Bishops guide that says they can’t have a beard?

[moksha]

I think this tradition arose out of John Birch opposition to beatniks in the 1950s.

[nibbler]

I think being clean shaven is only official policy for missionaries and people attending church universities. I assume there are also official policies against beards for temple workers, but it isn't listed on the website, at least not in a location I could find.

I think there are also unwritten rules for leaders above the SP level (and up until recently people in bishoprics and stake presidencies). There most certainly was an unwritten rule to be clean shaven if you're in a bishopric or stake presidency member but the church appears to have lost that battle.

[AdmiralHoldo]

One of my 8th grade students (in a very much not LDS part of the world) mentioned BYU in a conversation. I said "oh my husband went there." Then I pulled up a picture of Brigham Young on Google images, and told my 8th graders that you can be kicked out of BYU for growing a beard.

They were flabbergasted.

[deacon blues]

I went to two Sacrament meetings in the last month. There was a beard on the stand at each. I think they were part of the bishopric even though neither conducted. I’m betting the “no facial hair” commandment will slowly become out of date. A few decades after the rest of the world

[moksha]

I’m betting the “no facial hair” commandment will slowly become out of date. A few decades after the rest of the world

What if it gets tied into the new commandment regarding the height of temple spires or in funneling an extra 2 percent of tithing to Kirton McConkie?