Clarification needed here for a neverMo. Please forgive my ignorance.

My sister and her husband are very TBM. Their daughter is home from college for the summer, and just posted pics on Facebook of her newly dyed hair. It's neon green! Is that "ok" in terms of being temple worthy and all?

This is a family that will go out of their way to visit every temple anywhere near their path, when on vacation or traveling. They "collect" temples the way other people might brag about how many Hard Rock Cafés they've visited, for example. Her mom and dad's "likes" are conspicuously missing from these new pictures.

Also, two years ago her prom dress "needed" to have sleeves seen on it. In the "green" pictures her top has spaghetti straps.

It seems like some changes are afoot. We're wondering how to process them.

We love reading and learning here--thanks for any insight you can offer.

Sounds like your niece is expressing her individuality, and good for her! A lot of young people like to color their hair in crazy colors and wear unusual styles.

Hope her parents are cool with it, these years should be fun ones for young adults.

NeverMo Question Wrote:
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> ...her prom dress "needed" to
> have sleeves seen on it...

That should be "sewn" on it. Sorry, spellcheck...

Sounds like the indoctrination didn't stick so well.

One of my nieces' engagement photos have her still wearing a little girl dress. Puffy short sleeves, sash tied at the waist, right below the knee. She's so much like me, my heart hurts for her.

Glad your niece can think for herself and glad she's having some fun.

This was in the 90s when piercings and coloured hair were becoming more mainstream. I pierced my own bellybutton as did an LDS friend. I also wore belly shirts and shorter shorts, but spaghetti straps were off limits, lol. Another friend dyed bright red streaks in her hair and pierced her nose. The bishop told her how ugly it looked and I retorted, "Well I think it looks awesome!" and we walked away. I remember at a dance in 1997, a couple of punk/goth kids came in and the guy had a leather jacket with studs and safety pin letters that said"LDS" lol. I think they were asked to leave, which was lame.

IDT these looks are encouraged and are usually outright discouraged, but there will always be those who refuse to bow to the cult conformity and find something else to which to conform and explore identity. Too bad the cult squashes that in most of their youth. It's an absolutely necessary stage to go through in achieving autonomy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2015 06:28PM by Itzpapalotl.

Ok, I get it that she's expressing her individuality, and I think it's great. But what I was hoping to learn is if this green hair dye would be a show-stopper for going to the temple. I mean, I know it's probably awkward and/or embarrassing for her parents, but I'm curious if it will result in her losing her temple recommend.

They can hand them out or take them back as they choose.

In all honesty, I don't think your niece cares what her parents or the Mormon church thinks about appearance anymore. More power to her!

My brother (as white and delighsome as could be) arrived home from college one summer with an afro hair style. When he returned, the dean of the school told him to wise up, stop partying, or leave at the end of the semester. He didn't finish his master's degree.

The church is such a bunch of tight asses. I find it hard to believe that I was a member for all of those many, many years. Like appearance is such an indicator of whats in your heart and soul. Boy, I am so unMormon now. Remember, judge not lest ye be judged.

I'm curious also.

For sure there have been HUGE numbers of 'dye jobs' covering up the gray, that have attended the temple, but these would be the conservative colors, like brown, black, etc.

Have there been bright dye jobs, one color or streaked, who have been allowed in the temple?

Anyone seen this? I cannot quite see a bride in a WHITE dress with bright PURPLE hair kneeling at a Mormon temple altar being blessed for time and all eternity.

But......I would love to be proven wrong.

Heh, I would love to see her go into the temple with that green hair. She could tell them it was color coordinating with the apron.

Being temple worthy has to do with being morally worthy, and of course paying tithing. As long as she passes the interview with the bishop that's all that's needed to go to the temple. She could not be kept out due to the color of her hair.

That being said, it would not surprise me at all if her bishop suggested that she change it to a more suitable color before going to the temple. But that would be totally voluntary on her part.

Also, most young women don't go to the temple unless they're going on a mission or getting married.

I know of no temple restrictions based on hair coloring.

BTW, who thinks Thomas S. Monson's hair is it's natural color?

Anyone?

they used to allow an old lady that was in my last ward before I went off to college serve as a temple worker with bright purple Koolaid hair.

she was a great lady, salt of the earth

Ok, thanks for all the feedback. So, in this, as with all things, there is no concrete answer...

I just wondered if she was doing something to deliberately self-sabatage her ability to go to the temple. Anyway, they've been in Washington DC on vacation for more than a week, and so far no temple pictures! By now there would normally be some. So perhaps it's a good thing anyway.

So, all it takes to get into the temple is a bishop-sanctioned recommend? What if someone shows up at the temple with a recommend, but is clearly "unworthy?" For example, what if a young lady shows up with bare arms?

Oh, and hair coloring for men. That's a funny one--my brother-in-law obviously colors his hair--all of his own brothers are silver/gray, but his hair remains dark brown (except for the roots if he goes too long between his own dye jobs).

I'd think that anyone who is brainwashed enough to be temple-worthy would probably be dressed appropriately when she showed up to the temple in the first place.

But even so, let's say it's 100 degrees outside and someone shows up in a modest, wide-strap tank top.

You're still allowed in, I would imagine. Because you don't wear street clothes when you go through the temple. Your first stop is the locker room, where you change into (what looks like to me) a lot of white taffeta drapery.

So yes, all you need is a recommend(ation) from a bishop or stake president (if you're a priesthood holder).

Now, let's take that a step further and pretend that a tattooed biker repented and joined the church and has a full sleeve of visible tattoos. That person would probably show up in a long-sleeved shirt out of respect for the mormon dress standard.

It's not like it's such a cool, exciting experience that unworthy people are trying to scam their way in. People who go to mormon temples WANT to be there.