Modesty in dressing is a Latter-day Saint standard that shows God how much women respect their bodies as temples of God. Although there are no specifics on how many inches above the knees is acceptable, women of the church sometimes have a preconceived standard on what length is long enough. This can cause misleading judgments or distorted perceptions about someone. How do we avoid this?
Look past her clothing and get to know her
When people judge someone right off the bat because of outward appearance, they miss the opportunity to really get to know them and limit the chance to form a friendship. For a moment, look past her clothing and see her as one of the daughters of Heavenly Father—one who has the same divine nature and royal destiny as you, one whom the Father loves just as much as He loves you, one who rallied with you in the grand council in heaven to fight for the freedom to choose, and a fellow traveller in this mortal journey who is just as eager to return home to Heavenly Father as you are.
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Young Single Adults of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Just because a woman dresses differently than most LDS women does not mean she’s immodest.
Women wear skirts of different lengths and sizes—some like to wear them a little longer or a little shorter, some want it fit, flared or pleated. Some skirts cover the kneecaps while some don’t. The point is, that’s not something for anyone to judge. The Lord did not state how many inches is long enough to be called modest, so we should not label or judge anyone. The Lord warns, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
Teach others the Lord’s standards on modesty
Millions and millions of women around the world have not heard that their bodies are temples of God and do not have a clue about modesty. Some indigenous tribes do not even consider topless women to be immodest. The saying, “ignorance to the law excuses no one” does not apply to these women. These circumstances call for the women of the Church to be walking examples of the Lord’s standards on modesty and to spread what they know to people they come to associate with.
People have differing opinions on modesty. Find out how LDS women view modesty in dressing here.
Cheers for this article!
Modesty is more than a dress code but a way of life. The kind of life the Lord would have us live.
Thanks Ram. The Lord’s standard on modesty is very important but the Lord also commands us to love one another, which as you said, the kind of life the Lord wants us to live.
So that means. There is no real standard in the church. We can wear whatever we want.
Then what would this mean: “Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back.” For the Strenght of Youth
Hi Wilmor. The modesty standards that can be found in the Strength of Youth pamphlet is indeed the Lord’s standard on modesty. The main goal of this article is to encourage everyone to follow Christ’s example to love our neighbors as ourselves. This way, we do not close our hearts or doors to anyone who does not have the same standards as ours. This will give us the opportunity to share what we believe.