All my life I have associated modesty with clothing, but a recent experience taught me more about the importance of modesty as about much more than hem lines and neck lines.

Over Labor Day weekend my family and I took a trip to a public beach that we had visited only once before. It is a gorgeous sheltered cove with clear water and a wide white sanded beach. With my children in tow, we hiked down the bluff and scanned the beach for a perfect place to set down our blanket. As my husband and I neared the waters edge, we started to take notice of the people around us. Several couples had brought picnic lunches and were smiling and chatting nearby, but at the far end of the beach there was a suspicious group of sunbathers.

With furrowed brows and squinting eyes, I had the unfortunate experience of taking in an eyeful of nudity. I called out to my husband, “Are those people naked?!!?” He confirmed my fears and we quickly rounded up our kids and shuttled them back up the steep grade we had just descended. On our way back up the hill, just 20 feet from us was a sunbather whom I had missed on the way down, laying fully nude in our path. AAAAH! We had no warning. No way for escape. We were able to distract our children’s eyes with songs and stories, but it was a very close call.

When I reached the car, I was upset. There were no signs labeling this a nude beach. It was a public, state-run beach. Since I was a vacationer, I had no idea that this beach might have a certain reputation for nudity. It was a cold, windy day at the beach. Most people were wearing sweatshirts and jeans. Why on earth would these people need to be naked? The entire situation felt overt and blatantly immodest in spirit as well as form. Not because I’m a prude who fears the human body, but because of a lack of modesty, my rights and my children’s rights to a peaceful day at a public beach were infringed.

Because of this experience, modesty took on a broader meaning for me than just choosing whether or not to wear a low cut blouse or a mini skirt. In my mind, modesty had always been inseparably tied to self-respect. But now, I can also see how choosing to be modest shows my respect for others.

In the For The Strength of Youth pamphlet, a guide for spiritual living for Mormon youth, it reads:

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? … The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Your body is God’s sacred creation. Respect it as a gift from God, and do not defile it in any way. Through your dress and appearance, you can show the Lord that you know how precious your body is. You can show that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Prophets of God have always counseled His children to dress modestly. The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and can exercise a good influence on those around you.

Never lower your dress standards for any occasion. Doing so sends the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval and that modesty is important only when it is convenient.

Immodest clothing includes short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and other revealing attire. Young women should wear clothing that covers the shoulder and avoid clothing that is low-cut in the front or the back or revealing in any other manner. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. All should avoid extremes in clothing, appearance, and hairstyle. Always be neat and clean and avoid being sloppy or inappropriately casual in dress, grooming, and manners. Ask yourself, “Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord’s presence?”

When I’m dressed modestly I feel comfortable. I feel like people are seeing me, the real me. They can focus on my smile or my humor instead of what I am or am not wearing. Modesty gives me confidence in myself and allows me to show respect to those around me. For me, modesty is about respect for myself, for others and for God.

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I am a youth Sunday School Teacher for children ages 13 and 14. I love teaching Sunday School, it is by far my favorite calling in the church. And 13-year-olds are my favorite age to teach, so I’m in “calling heaven” right now.

In a recent class, I asked each member of my class if there was a time when they knew that God was real and He loved them. I started with the girls, because they looked like they were actually paying attention. Some answered that they felt God’s love while reading the scriptures or after praying intently. The girls gave very good answers. When I looked over to the two boys in my class they were tipping their chairs backward and pushing on the accordion-style wall that separated us from the classroom behind us. One was chomping gum loudly and the other was itching to play with his cell phone. (I don’t allow use of any electronic devices in class.) But when I got to these boys, their chairs settled down and I repeated the question. I addressed them by name and asked: “When did you know that God lives and loves you?”

Almost in unison they replied, “The day I was given the Aaronic Priesthood.”

They took my breath away. My eyes misted up. I had not anticipated such an honest and heartfelt answer from the chair-tipping, gum-chomping dynamic duo.

At age 12, young men in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood spoken of in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. This is a preparatory priesthood, designed to prepare boys to be spiritually mature men. The Aaronic Priesthood gives young men opportunities for temporal and spiritual service. At age 12, they are ordained to the office of Deacon. At 14, to the office of Teacher, and at 16 to the office of Priest. Duties of the Aaronic Priesthood include preparing and passing the sacrament, collecting fast offerings, being a home teacher. Priests also have the authority to baptize.

One diligent young man bore his testimony recently at church. He is twelve and is in middle school. I’ll do my best to capture what he said.

“When I was little, I wondered why I had to wait until I was 12 to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. But now I understand why. When I turned 12 I realized that I was at a crossroads. I went to middle school and found that there were so many more choices. Kids are not as good in middle school as they are in grade school. People at school say words that make me shudder. (Referring to profanity.) I realized that I was in a fork in the road. I needed to make the right choices. I needed to live up to the responsibilities of the Priesthood.”

All the Kleenexes came out then. There was a free flow of tears from the Bishop’s stand to the last pew. This young man spelled out for our ward the importance of the Aaronic Priesthood in that critical time of life for young men.

The experience reminded me of some favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon. The context is a father teaching his young son to be and do good.

O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth: yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God. Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. Alma 37:35 – 37

There is no pomp or ceremony that surrounds ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood for these Young Men. Just a simple ordinance where the hands of those who have authority are placed on a young man’s head and a prayer is spoken that confers the priesthood and sets the young man apart for service unto God and his fellow man.

I believe in the youth of this world, that they can make good choices amongst the sea of filth that surrounds them. Just like my 12-year-old exemplar taught to my congregation in his testimony recently, there is no better time than at the crossroads of childhood, to choose God over the profane.

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