The other day I was sitting in church and watching the young men bless and pass the sacrament. It occurred to me while watching them that not one of them would have been able to participate in my home ward 45 years ago. They all had white shirts on, so that was not the issue. It was their hair length!
As you remember from my previous post on music, I was a teenager in the early 1970’s. This was the height of the hippy revolution, and long hair was of the devil. Our bishop made it a rule that nobody could bless or pass the sacrament unless they had “missionary haircuts” This was just not a ward rule. For stake sports, all participants needed the same missionary haircuts. I remember standing in a line before the start of a stake basketball game, and having the referee checking our hair length. It could not touch our ears, and could not touch the collar on a dress shirt.
I remember some weeks only the bishop’s son and Dan B. could bless the sacrament. The rest of the priest quorum’s hair did not make the grade. I also missed playing quite a few basketball games.
What I find most ironic about this was that white shirts was not a requirement, was not even talked about. In fact I did not even own a white shirt and needed to borrow one from my dad to take my mission photos for my application. So 45 years ago, any color shirt was OK, but hair had to be missionary standards. Today, you must have a white shirt (1) , but hair is no longer a criteria, and is not even talked about. Also interesting is that 45 years ago, all the guys had long hair (over the ears and over the back of the collar) in high school, and our bishop’s son stood out like a sore thumb in school. So the church (our Bishop) decided we needed short hair. Today guys shave their head (unheard of in my day) or wear short hair, and now the church (our current bishop) has nothing to say about hair length.
I know the argument is that one should follow our leaders, and we’ll be blessed for it, but my engineering mind does not work like that. I need a reason, and it needs to make sense. Hair length and white shirts is just busy work in my mind. But maybe there was a deeper reason for cutting my hair in 1973. Like the move “Holes” (2) where it seemed that digging the holes and filling them in was just busy work and building character, the warden had other reasons for digging the holes (spoiler alert); he was looking for treasure.
I’ve not figured out what the hidden reason (treasure) for cutting my hair 45 years ago, or wearing a white shirt today, other than “because I said so, and I’m your priesthood leader and you’ll be blessed”.
Why do you think our Bishop made us cut our hair? And why doesn’t our current bishop care about hair, but does about white shirts? And what will be the defining item 20 years from now for passing the sacrament? No earrings? No tattoos? Green Bow Ties?
(1), Yes, I know that wearing white shirts is not mandatory in the CHI, but just a suggestion. But our previous bishop made it mandatory for all YM participating in blessing and passing. Our new bishop let a YM leader pass with a blue shirt last week, so maybe their is hope!
(2) https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/holes-2003
Wheat & Tares 
So all my sons are bald ….how does that work in our ridiculous cultural wars. Does that make them more righteous??
I was on our Mission ( senior couple) and our Mission President told me I ought to get a hair cut…
I was both offended and bemused.
The trouble with this trivia is that the Pharisees get a run here. Living on the other side of the planet I am always staggered by the almost Calvinist puritanical focus on LDS culture and it always seems to relate to control and the stricter the policy obviously the more righteous you become?
Eg the youth dress policy stated by the Church and the BYU imperialism dress standard which is stated as dress code for EFY….
The way I make sense of it deal with it being mainly a reaction to the 60’s and it includes beards still being banned. David O McKay was clean shaven and had a tight haircut (in fact I have heard that he REALLY cared about his looks). He probably was trying to distance the church from it’s polygamous past, but when the 60’s came along that rather cemented it. The church wanted the youth (and BYU) to stand out against this backdrop. And eventually that came to be codified even as the culture changed (less long hair for a while and beards were not “bad”).
I think we have leaders that went through some of that time wanting or having long hair and don’t see it being such a big deal (same with rock and roll).
Most of the kids in my ward are doing different stuff with their hair than growing it long. They all seem to want to have a lot on top and swirl it around and keep it in place with lots of goop. I think the YM use more stuff than the YW to keep their hair “just right.” I have to admit I am probably just jealous that they have hair on the top of their head.
But it is interesting that BYU still keeps hanging on strong to the beard band even after the 2010 CHI dropped (or was it earlier) the requirement for leaders (bishops/counselors and above) to be clean shaven. Working in the temple does have a requirement of no beards. I have heard of some getting pressure to shave when they are a counselor in a bishopric and are given “the unwritten order of things” speech.
I can tell you that students at BYU think the beard ban is silly and even Pharisaical – at least the multiple kids I have going there. They all came home for Christmas and they all said they shaved the day before their last final and didn’t shave until the first day of class (I am only talking about my sons 🙂
“Why do you think our Bishop made us cut our hair? And why doesn’t our current bishop care about hair, but does about white shirts?”
Both could be one of two reasons: either 1. they believe/d that’s how things ought to be, some higher leader once said something on the topic that they’ve hung onto ever since, and so feel obliged to uphold the rule, or 2. when I’m feeling cynical I’d say control (see my post in a similar vein ).
To add further, my childrens’ secondary school has a very strict dress code, which along with a prescribed uniform includes very similar rules about hair, and also facial hair. Now that my son is university student he’s taking the opportunity to grow his hair.
“David O McKay …had a tight haircut” sometimes. But his relatively long hair swept back on the sides appears in photos and his official portrait. See also the picture of him as a “small boy” — even longer. Yes, he cared about his looks — and his full head of white hair. When my full head of white hair has been too long, I’ve even been accused of looking “prophetic”! (By another apparently off-balance relic of the 60s.)
In the late 60s rumor had it that the beard ban at BYU was not only to distinguish BYU from other campuses, but was a distinguishing characteristic important to some very lavish donors. (I never cared enough to track down the rumor; my beard looks terrible even after 3 weeks.) Perhaps “hidden treasure” from wealthy donors was exactly the motivation.
Like a number of other things in various LDS cultures, maybe some dress and grooming standards are imposed to avoid offending leaders (or others) of weak faith! 🙂 “Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.” Romans 14:1 NLT and vv. 13-14
Why is it that to work at some restaurants, you have to wear a funny hat and outrageous uniform, at others a simple company T-shirt, and at others just an apron or a name tag?
Why is it that BSA considers the uniform to be an important part of the program? Why do school sports teams often require team uniforms at practice, instead of just at games or meets?
Yep, clearly there’s just something about human nature where we simply like to boss other people around.
Or maybe, there’s something else about human nature?
I wake up snarky in the morning. Maybe I’ll finish my poem “White shirts, blue shirts…”
Four words: Social ‘ingroup’ boundary maintenance.
1947 Aaronic Priesthood Handbook
Avoid Formal Dress or Posture in Passing the Sacrament
White shirts and black bow ties, or any other required uniform dress, for passing of the sacrament is not recommended. Boys should be encouraged to be dressed neatly, with their hands and faces clean, hair combed, shoes polished, etc., but no regulation made for uniform dress.
Such practices as standing with arms folded, or with the left hand behind the body, or any other unnatural or required posture should not be employed while passing the sacrament.
Emphasis should be placed upon neatness, cleanlineess, and naturalness, rather than on any degree of formality.
I remember references to that Chad.
So, things change. It’s a matter of respect and obedience. Long hair is a sign of rebellion, albeit a harmless one.
Very interesting Chad. Have certainly seen some left hands behind back of late…
Nowadays , since our deacons and missionaries look just like kids who work in offices, rather than the East German spy look sported in the 7os, maybe they should distinguish themselves by growing hair and beard and sport that ‘prophetic’ look? No longer looking like peculiar people here in the UK.
I’ve said it before, but clean-shaven looks effeminate to me. (Been married to a neat bearded man for 35 years).Don’t get why the major external signifier of male-ness has to be eliminated.
My church refusenik son could pass sacrament tomorrow based on his grooming. Must have been all that encouraging him to grow his hair that did it. I think his hair is so short he looks like he might beat up old ladies. ( we equate very short hair and clean shaven-ness with far right politics here in the UK).
White shirts are seen as a signifier of a lack of imagination here, and for many jobs requiring creativity and ability to project, would be a liability at interview. I just hope our young men know that.
Personally, I never look at what young men passing the sacrament are wearing, I just think they are little miracles doing what they do , and I’m grateful to them and their parents for facilitating an ordinance that expresses my clearly conflicted compliance.
I grew out my hair/beard and dressed up as Jesus for DragonCon…what’s wrong with emulating the Lord himself?
ReTx and Martin said it best: uniforms and dress codes are a way of enforcing social boundaries and building group cohesion. It’s not a holy thing, it’s a culture thing. Honestly, as long as we’re taking care of each other enough to ensure proper hygiene in the chapel, does it really matter to me what anyone else is wearing?
In 20 years? I’m guessing the last restriction to be lifted will be facial tattoos, immediately followed by Armageddon.
Long hair,short hair,bald,tattoos,no tattoos, black skin, white skin, purple skin….
No judgement here and should never be a “requirement “ to be active and participate in the Priesthood.
I believe our Savior would just be happy these folks are in church doing Gods work.
Because blessings are predicated on obedience to arbitrary, made up rules.
Just 10 years ago, I was told that I was unworthy to pass, prepare, and bless the sacrament because of my sideburn length. I was dishonoring the priesthood and “taking the Lord’s name in vain” if I acted in priesthood responsibilities with such long sideburns (they reached the middle of my ear). I couldn’t understand why I had to cut my sideburns, but I did. And you know what? I learned so much….
…about the controlling and outrageous power trips these straight-laced accountant-type bishops have.
The warden was a she, not a he.