As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, modesty is a principle that has been taught to me from a young age. I know it is a contentious topic among some groups, but, to me, modesty is an essential characteristic of followers of Christ. 1 Timothy 4:12 is a place where the mandate is given to followers of Christ to be modest. “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Modesty is best understood when we take in its entire meaning. To be modest means "having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's merits, importance, etc..," "free from ostentation or extravagance," "having or showing regard for the decencies of behavior, speech, dress, etc...," and "limited or moderate in amount, extent, etc..." [dictionary.com]. Clothing, speech, and behavior are all ways that we communicate to others. We choose how we present ourselves and everyone is left to interpret our message.
I had a memorable juxtaposition of modesty in relation to dress while volunteering at the Provo City Center Temple open house. We had frequent interactions with the owner of Nuskin who was a major player in the renovations/rebuilding of the Provo tabernacle into the temple, who also happened to be my husband's mission president. We know he is wealthy and has good connections, but if we had not known him, looking on his outward appearance would not have told us much. I can't tell by looking at him if his suit was expensive or not, but that is what modesty is.
In stark contrast I saw another man who had a very stylized suit. It looked current and fashionable and he had sunglasses that matched once he returned to the outdoors. I could tell by looking at him that he had money and connections (who knows if he actually did). I saw it as a lesson to myself that I personally did not want to dress that way. I, in any case, do not wish to make him a bad example or call him a sinner as he could be showing his respect to the House of the Lord by wearing the best that he owned. I just wish to note the lesson that Gd taught me in that instance, modesty is moderation in dress, talk, and behavior.
Most of the time modesty ends up in a discussion about what is and isn’t modest. My Church has clear standards that are clearly posted for anyone to read, you can check that out on lds.org if you want to know more about that. I, however, wish to avoid discussing what is and isn’t modest and instead focus on the principle.
When you are modest, people will notice you as a person with a dignified personality. When you are dressed immodestly, people notice what else you are trying to emphasize-whether it is sexuality, wealth, parts of your body, extremes, anything. You choose everyday what you will communicate to the world through your clothes, actions, and words. I choose to dress in a way that accentuates my personality that reflects the dignity of someone with religious convictions. What do you choose to dress as?
Modesty is best understood when we take in its entire meaning. To be modest means "having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's merits, importance, etc..," "free from ostentation or extravagance," "having or showing regard for the decencies of behavior, speech, dress, etc...," and "limited or moderate in amount, extent, etc..." [dictionary.com]. Clothing, speech, and behavior are all ways that we communicate to others. We choose how we present ourselves and everyone is left to interpret our message.
I had a memorable juxtaposition of modesty in relation to dress while volunteering at the Provo City Center Temple open house. We had frequent interactions with the owner of Nuskin who was a major player in the renovations/rebuilding of the Provo tabernacle into the temple, who also happened to be my husband's mission president. We know he is wealthy and has good connections, but if we had not known him, looking on his outward appearance would not have told us much. I can't tell by looking at him if his suit was expensive or not, but that is what modesty is.
In stark contrast I saw another man who had a very stylized suit. It looked current and fashionable and he had sunglasses that matched once he returned to the outdoors. I could tell by looking at him that he had money and connections (who knows if he actually did). I saw it as a lesson to myself that I personally did not want to dress that way. I, in any case, do not wish to make him a bad example or call him a sinner as he could be showing his respect to the House of the Lord by wearing the best that he owned. I just wish to note the lesson that Gd taught me in that instance, modesty is moderation in dress, talk, and behavior.
Most of the time modesty ends up in a discussion about what is and isn’t modest. My Church has clear standards that are clearly posted for anyone to read, you can check that out on lds.org if you want to know more about that. I, however, wish to avoid discussing what is and isn’t modest and instead focus on the principle.
When you are modest, people will notice you as a person with a dignified personality. When you are dressed immodestly, people notice what else you are trying to emphasize-whether it is sexuality, wealth, parts of your body, extremes, anything. You choose everyday what you will communicate to the world through your clothes, actions, and words. I choose to dress in a way that accentuates my personality that reflects the dignity of someone with religious convictions. What do you choose to dress as?
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