Modesty

President Joseph F. Smith stated:

“The Lord has given unto us garments of the holy priesthood, and you know what that means. And yet there are those of us who mutilate them, in order that we may follow the foolish, vain and (permit me to say) indecent practices of the world. In order that such people may imitate the fashions, they will not hesitate to mutilate that which should be held … sacred. … They should hold these things that God has given unto them sacred, unchanged and unaltered from the very pattern in which God gave them. Let us have the moral courage to stand against the opinions of fashion, and especially where fashion compels us to break a covenant and so commit a grievous sin” (“Fashion and the Violation of Covenants and Duty,” Improvement Era,Aug. 1906, p. 813).

Modesty is not just about covering your garments.  Too many think that if you can’t see the garments, you are okay.  Well, I don’t know about you, but my garments really don’t fit very well.  The cup size is always wrong, and they pull down in the front.  A lot.  So I could justify wearing lower cut shirts.  But that is living the letter of the law, not the spirit of the law. 

I don’t want to see your boob crack.  Neither do my teenage boys.  They have enough temptations to deal with.  They don’t need it from women who have been to the temple.  Please cover up.  If not for me, for my boys.

Modesty

Modesty is very important to me.  My church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), has said this about modesty:

Modesty is an attitude of propriety and decency in dress, grooming, language, and behavior. If we are modest, we do not draw undue attention to ourselves. Instead, we seek to “glorify God in [our] body, and in [our] spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:20; see also 1 Corinthians 6:19).

Our clothing expresses who we are. It sends messages about us, and it influences the way we and others act. When we are well groomed and modestly dressed, we can invite the companionship of the Spirit and exercise a good influence on those around us.

Central to the command to be modest is an understanding of the sacred power of procreation, the ability to bring children into the world. This power is to be used only between husband and wife. Revealing and sexually suggestive clothing, which includes short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, and shirts that do not cover the stomach, can stimulate desires and actions that violate the Lord's law of chastity.

In addition, when we get married in the temple, we begin to wear sacred underwear, called garments.

The garment provides a constant reminder of the covenants made in the temple. The garment should be treated with respect at all times. It should not be exposed to the view of those who do not understand its significance, and it should not be adjusted to accommodate different styles of clothing. When worn properly, the garment provides protection against temptation and evil. Wearing the garment is an outward expression of an inward commitment to follow the Savior.

The garment comes down to our knees and covers our shoulders.  We keep the garment covered, thus wearing shirts with sleeves and shorts that come to our knees.

I believe very strongly in modesty.  And I believe that we should start teaching our children when they are young.  This means not allowing them to wear certain clothes. 

I do not let The Princess wear tank tops. The shirts always have sleeves.  If she has an outfit that doesn’t have sleeves, we put an undershirt on with it to keep her modest.  She also doesn’t wear swim suits that don’t cover her stomach.  I know that tankini’s have become all the rage, but I have seen a lot of them that don’t keep the stomach covered, especially on kids.  So we just avoid them. The shorts she wears are longer than most.  I try to get them as long as possible. 

I also do not let my boys wear tank tops or run around without their shirts on. 

I know a lot of people think that’s silly, especially with the boys, but I’ll tell you this.  My mom had the same rules for me while I was growing up, and when it came time for me to get married in the temple and begin wearing garments, I only had to get rid of a few pairs of shorts.  All the rest of my clothes were modest enough that I could continue wearing them.  All of them. I was used to dressing modestly, so it wasn’t a shock to start wearing the garment.

I am so grateful to my mom for teaching me to dress modestly, and I will continue to teach my children the same. 

General Relief Society Meeting

I just ironed.

Gasp!  I know!  Me?  Ironing?  Will wonders never cease?

I hate to iron.  I think it stems back 12 years ago when I was putting the iron away on a shelf and it fell and landed on my pinky toe and broke it.  Ever since then, I have had a hate/hate relationship with the iron.  I don’t buy 100% cotton shirts.  #1, they shrink in the wash, even if you are careful.  And #2, they have to ironed.  So I just avoid them.

But…(and here’s the really cool news, the whole reason why you are reading this post)…

I get to sing in the choir for the General Relief Society Meeting in the Conference Center on September 25th!  I am so excited!  We have to wear a white, button up shirt for the choir.  So I had to go buy one.  Now, I know I am going to get a lot of you saying, “You could have borrowed one from me,” and my mom has already offered and I know I would fit in hers.  But I was thinking about it and I came to the conclusion that I need to have one.  It is a little dressier than what I have been wearing and I guess, I just felt like it was time to own one.  I know, it sounds stupid.  Let’s move on.

So I bought one and I ironed it.  It looks nice.  But my biggest gripe with white shirts is that they generally aren’t made with the thickest of fabrics.  Which means you can see more through them than I am EVER comfortable with.  So in addition to buying the shirt, I also had to buy a camisole to go under it to hide my, well, you know, goodies.

But it’s frustrating to buy something that won’t even be fully seen.  Yes, I can wear it with other outfits, those that are just a little too low in the front.  But even then you will see about 1 square inch of this cami that cost $9!  And that was at 50% off.  But if that’s what it takes to make me feel comfortable in the white shirt, I will do it.

Now, if learning my alto part for the songs was as easy!