Almost every sunday I drive by an LDS church (kinda hard not to living where the wife I do) but I have never went into one nor have I been tempted to. Anyway I see a lot of suits white shirts and ties,which made me wonder is there a mens dress code? Then I got my answer by reading a post on this board which said: white shirts and ties are the sign of the priesthood. I had to shake my head at this then thought to myself (no disrespect to the lord in whom I believe) imagine Jesus preaching to the people many of whom wore rags. I also thought and maybe I'm off the mark is this their way of discourageing the less fortunate and homeless not to attend their worship services?

I think the white shirt thing slipped into favor in the 90s, maybe earlier in some places.

I never wore white shirts to church, I left in the 80s.

The BOM has wonderful chapter on the Zoramites, their two sins.... everyone getting up in front of each other and saying the same thing. (Think fast meeting) and every one wearing the same thing. Alma condemns both practices, but in Mormonism, doctrine changes as sand before the wind.

I was in Utah in July and driving somewhere on Sunday morning. I passed a ton of kids and families walking to church--all the males in white shirts and ties, girls mostly in long dresses and everyone carrying scripture bags. It was truly freaky after being away from that for so long. I thought of how the best thread I've read here about TSCC being a cult simply deduced that the level of control an organization has over you is consistent with the level that organization rises on the cult meter. All I had to do was glance at those people to see the cult meter rise to the dangerous level.

I'd much rather drive around locally on a Sunday morning and see the people going to the AME churches. Now that is a place to see color--and I'm referring to the clothes.

White shirts and ties have been around forever in the Morg. Essentially, men are excepted to wear clothing representing Wall Street. Why? The Morg will claim that one wears one's best to worship the Lord. I think it really has to do with LD$ inc adopting clothing that represents power and success. Remember we're also dealing with cult behaviors which include controlling things like dress and personal expression.

I wonder what Jesus and his rag-tag group of fishermen followers would think of this? Can you imagine what Peter's clothes looked like, let alone smelled like?

The Boner.

Until maybe 40 years ago, all men wore white shirts, not just in church. I worked in a large corporation outside the morridor that required white shirts until the 90s.

It is just another manifestation of the leaders longing to return to 1950.

I don't remember what year it was, but I do remember the white beginning of the white shirt trend.

A profit, I don't recall which one, made some comments about how every ph male should wear a white shirt and tie to pass the sacrament. You would have thought it was a commandment.

The next Sunday all the men and boys had on new white shirts. The rule in the wards i've been in, is you must have on a white shirt to pass the sacrament.

I've heard more than one bishop say that he can tell when a man is about to go inactive by the color of his shirt. Whatever.

lol, it's true though. Men are expected to wear a white shirt and shave. No doubt about it, several times I've been asked by a stake pres or high councellor to shave. And I heard to white shirt BS lots and lots as a youth. not so much as an adult though.

It is like the military... one can just look down the line and see who is "out of place".

MEN control men control whoa men... judging - pecking order -

So, yes, it is a way to see who is ("using the 'Lord's' tithing improperly") Standing Out; "Being 'Different'"; "Can't Afford"; "Lacks 'Faith'"; Doesn't Care or isn't "committed" to the (foolness of THE™) gosBULL, etc.

M@t

I left in the '70s. At that time, dark suits and white shirts were common, but the church wasn't as uptight about it as they are now. Some men (including me) would wear pastel colored shirts, pinstripes or windowpane patterns, sometimes darker hues. There were sportcoat-slacks or sweater-slacks combinations. And there was the leisure suit/sleeveless suit thing for a while. I even wore a denim tie now and then. No one ever commented, except one buddy who thought my pale pink shirt was girly.

I've noticed that the rules are much more much relaxed in my single's wards recently. Most of the men wear a shirt and tie without the jacket. Jackets and trousers are not always black or navy, as there are lighter colors too. I have seen several off-white shirts and some completely non-white shirts. I have even seen men with blue, and even black, shirts bless and pass the sacrament. I don't know how widespread this leniency is however.

Men in white shirts, ties and suit jackets + Quads
Women in long skirts, tops with sleeves + Quads
Boys in white shirts, ties + Quads
Girls in skirts, tops with sleeves + Quads

All moving quickly, solemnly, unjoyfully to church as if they were late, late, late.

The only thing missing was a flag held by the top male and a drummer.

Like NormaRae when I saw this in the moridor I was taken back. And all I could think of was I felt like I was watching a rerun of videos I've seen of the polygs marching off to church in Short Creek.

This also has the advantage of making the male sheeple who wears a colored shirt feel like a rebel.

My experience attending the LDS Church Sunday meetings, from the 60's to late 90's. Some carried their scriptures, most, in my experience, did not.

Men were expected to wear what is commonly considered conservative, professional attire: suits, white shirts,conservative ties, dress shoes.

Women were expected to wear conservative dress attire: nice dresses, suits, (with sleeves), sweaters, skirts; long, or short (in the 60's they were very short), hose, heels. Women often followed trends in length of skirts. Men often took their suit jacket off.

Other meetings - women, RS evening meetings: casual attire, slacks for women, for instance, OK in the chapel for choir practice or other activities.

Proper sports attire for volleyball, baseball, basketball, etc.

In some areas I saw a lot of women in fur coats in the winter.

The white shirt rule for men was enforced when I was involved, as my otherwise TBM ex liked to wear colored dress shirts until the bishop offered to send him to DI for white shirts. Starting the Sunday after that comment, my ex started to conform as he really was TBM. He had several white shirts hanging in the closet at the time, so that's what he ended up wearing.

My old singles branch had a guy with long hair. Touching-his-shoulders long. He accepted the no-passing-the-sacrament rule for a while. Then one Sunday, he was doing it WITH his long hair. Our branch pres was a FANTASTIC man; he saw passed the hair to the person and determined the guy worthy. The dude was a hero in our branch. I think some of the TBM guys were jealous.

I blessed and passed with long hair and a beard. No one said anything in my home ward or single's.

I could never be sure if it was a RULE, or a heavy cultural norm. The lines blur greatly in TSCC.

They tend to be impressed by outward appearances.