moksha wrote:I would like to put forth an idea that may be enlightening: Worshipfulness, reverence and holiness have nothing whatsoever to do with your manner of dress. Whether you are tuxedo-clad or sky-clad, it is all the same. Any clothing desires or hangups you may have comes strictly from you and does not represent any wish of God.
And I would like to put forth the idea that we show respect when we clean up, shower, wear clean clothes that are the best we have (whatever that is), use respectful language, and other respectful behaviors.
And we are commanded to be respectful to God. So I think it comes from Him.
What is there about a white shirt that is inherently more respectful than a blue one? What is more respectful about a dress than a pair of pants?
Well, I learned from believers on FAIR that the whole "women must wear a dress" idea is not actually doctrine or a requirement. :-) IRRC even the CHI is not specific about this.
I wear nice pants to church and no one has said a thing.
The way I figure it, the whole "women must wear a dress" is just a tradition (a very archaic one at that), and no man in a dark power suit and white tie is going to tell women that it is actually fine for her to wear slacks.
The ONLY way this silly habit will change is for women to just start wearing pants.
The idea that men can tell women they must wear dresses really speaks of something unhealthy... IMHO!
And lets face it... winter is COLD in many areas of the world. I just do NOT get the idea that women must show their legs even in freezing weather.
:-)
~dancer~
"The search for reality is the most dangerous of all undertakings for it destroys the world in which you live." Nisargadatta Maharaj
A funny little story for you... many years ago I was wearing a beautiful, long, culotte skirt, a gift from my French MIL. It looked like a regular wrap around skirt but was more modest. (smile)
Anyway, my husband and I were at the temple and I was walking into the dressing room and a woman temple worker noticed that my skirt was actually a culotte so I had to go back to the entrance of the temple where she gave me a wrap skirt, thing to go over my other skirt.
LOL!
~dancer~
"The search for reality is the most dangerous of all undertakings for it destroys the world in which you live." Nisargadatta Maharaj
I converted to the LDS church at the age of 19, so was unfamiliar with their traditions. Shortly after my baptism I went to a Sunday night fireside being held at someone's home for young adults - wearing nice pants. OMG. You would have thought I walked in wearing a bikini. I was taken aside and privately informed my attire was inappropriate.
(edit on - it's funny, I wrote this response before reading what everyone else posted, and just saw that skippy used the exact same description I did! LOL!! I swear, skippy, I didn't copy!!!)
We hate to seem like we don’t trust every nut with a story, but there’s evidence we can point to, and dance while shouting taunting phrases.
We were having a ward fast for a family in our ward whose mother had just died and whose daughter was in a coma in the hospital after a car accident.
After the fast we were meeting in the chapel to have a ward prayer to break the fast.
It was a blustery wintery morning in Utah with about a foot of snow. I didn't have a car at the time so bundled up three of my children, put them in a wagon and trudged the two blocks to the ward building. I wore jeans and my snow boots, right along with mittens and a scarf!
After the prayer as I was heading home the Bishop reprimanded me for not wearing appropriate dress. I apologized and mentioned that I was pulling a wagon through a foot of snow. He said I should have brought a dress to change into since the prayer was being held in the chapel.
Well, OK then... ;-)
~dancer~
"The search for reality is the most dangerous of all undertakings for it destroys the world in which you live." Nisargadatta Maharaj
I think things have changed since those days. Just as we are no longer required to wear floor length dresses with long sleeves, wearing a divided skirt to church (even in my ward!) isn't going to cause the world to come to a screeching halt.
Tell you what. I'll put this to the test today. Y'all know I live in a very conservative ward. I'll wear a divided skirt to church and then return and report on the outcome.
Funny, ...strange..., stories. I can see a woman wearing a dress to a church function as being appropriate attire, but lets not get all 5 B.C. Jew about it. Its a recommendation, not a stonable offence.
Return and report Harmony. ALthough I'm guessing those in your ward will just say, "Oh, its her..." : )
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. - Plato
Yeah the split skirt thing was at the temple several years ago... I think you are right things are changing... slowly but changing nontheless.
I wore a very nice pant suit to church today and no one blinked an eye. Well, maybe they did but at least no one said anything! (smile)
~dancer~
I had a meeting with the 2nd ward's bishop this morning (I'm in 1st ward); he didn't blink an eye. I doubt anyone even noticed. No one mentioned it anyway. I think that's one of those cultural things that is changing ever so slowly.