Mormon Feminists Declare Sunday December 16th, 2012 To Be "Wear Pants To Church Day"; Male Sympathizers Encouraged To Wear A Purple Article Of Clothing

A group of feminists belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have declared Sunday December 16th, 2012 to be "Wear Pants To Church Day", and the campaign has attracted mainstream media attention, with the Salt Lake Tribune, the San Jose Mercury, and KSL Channel 5 picking up the story. Jezebel reports considerable opposition.

The campaign has been publicized on this Facebook page (updated link), and it's a reaction against unofficial counsel given in the past by some bishops and stake presidents urging Mormon women to wear skirts and dresses to church in order to appear more explicitly feminine. The reason Latter-day Saints are urged to dress in Sunday best for services traces back to the Old Testament counsel given to the Israelites to bring their first fruits and the best of their flocks to the Temple for sacrifice; the idea is that since church is the Lord's house, we should dress up in our best for the Lord, but without getting lifted up in the pride of our hearts unto the wearing of costly apparel for status reasons like the ancient Nephites did. As is the case in a church operated by imperfect human beings, sometimes leaders get carried away with the letter of the law and forget about the spirit of the law. Here's a screenshot of the Facebook announcement (click image to enlarge):

You can see that this campaign has picked up considerable support, with 1,102 people declaring their intent to participate as of this post. Note that this is NOT A PLOY to campaign for extension of the Priesthood to women; they do not seek to eradicate the differences between women and men, but simply want to emphasize more of the similarities. The Gospel was meant to uplift all that it touches; bond and free, small and great, Jew and Gentile, male and female, etc. The Mercury reports that men who want to show solidarity are encouraged to wear a purple shirt, tie, socks, or ribbon, purple being a color historically associated with the suffrage movement. Since men normally wear pants, this is way deemed most appropriate for them to show solidarity.

LDS spokesman Scott Trotter reacted, stating "Attending church is about worship and learning to be followers of Jesus Christ. Generally church members are encouraged to wear their best clothing as a sign of respect for the Savior, but we don’t counsel people beyond that." Institutionally, this is a true statement, but apparently many women have encountered bishops who substitute personal bias for Church doctrine. Bishops who engage in this type of behavior blur the line between priesthood and priestcraft.

Modesty Can Be Both Smart And Sexy: The Daily Mail Reports On The Proliferation Of Mormon Modesty Blogs

Several members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are attempting to demonstrate that modesty can be both smart and sexy. On October 14th, 2011, the Daily Mail reported on a proliferation of Mormon Modesty blogs designed to communicate this positive message.

In general, these Mormon Modesty bloggers believe that their bodies are temples and should be treated with respect. While LDS dress standards don't dictate personal style, LDS standards provide guidelines for what is considered appropriate and respectful. And this doesn't just include clothing; tattoos, heavy jewelry and body piercing are also discouraged by Church leaders, although not necessarily issues of temple worthiness. Modesty is actually much more than rules; modesty is actually about showing respect for our bodies because they are a sacred gift from God and should be treated accordingly.

So who are these modesty bloggers? Here's the list of those presented in the story:

-- Clothed Much: Edited by Elaine Hearn, a 23-year-old account coordinator. Also has a Facebook page.

-- North Meets South: Edited by Erica Ricks, an accountant based in New York City.

-- Wearing It On My Sleeves: Edited by Sarah Morales.

-- No More Mom Jeans: Edited by Jae Curtis, a 27-year old freelance writer.

-- Cats And Cardigans: Edited by Brandilyn Haynes.

-- Writing Rainbows: Edited by Ashley Nielson.

All six of these bloggers show that modesty can be both smart and sexy, effectively countering the sleazy propaganda put forth by both the fashion business and the entertainment industry.

This is a welcome development, because as a man, I find it more difficult to respect a woman who dresses suggestively than one who dresses modestly. Why is this? It's because of acculturation and opportunism. I actually get turned on more by a secretary wearing a short skirt in a typical office than by a woman wearing a bikini down at the beach. This is attributable to the fact that bikinis fit in with the beach and numerous women wear them, while a single woman wearing a short skirt in an office environment stands out and detracts from professionalism. Married women who dress suggestively may be more prone to illicit affairs than married women who dress modestly, although I know of no objective statistics to back this up.

Obviously, we men have the primary responsibility for being the guardians of our own virtue. But as Young Women President Elaine Dalton suggested during the General Young Women Meeting in April 2011, women have a secondary responsibility to be guardians of our virtue as well. This means women should avoid dressing and behaving in a manner which tempts us beyond our ability to bear it. The unspoken assumption is that we men also have a secondary responsibility to serve as guardians of women's virtue; we serve this purpose best by treating women like ladies even when they don't behave like ladies. This is the most effective antidote to feminism.

One supportive comment was posted on the Daily Mail website by a non-Mormon:

It's not just LDS who have modesty rules, many Conservative Baptists, Pentecostals, Assembly of God, Catholics and other Christian women try to dress modestly! I'm plain-old C of E [Church of England] but I would never wear a skirt that wasn't at least below my knees, or a t-shirt that was too tight or didn't cover the tops of my arms and exposed too much of my 'cleavage'. Basically, it's about self-respect, and also about 'not having everything on show' to the world. There are things I like to keep for my husband! I do the same with my children, they are brought up to respect themselves!

- Anna, Newcastle, 16/10/2011 13:45