Posted by:
subeamnotlogedin
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Date: May 01, 2019 09:20AM
President Dallin H. Oaks addressed the BYU student body when he was first appointed as the university’s president. Among other topics, he talked with the students about appearance—specifically facial hair.
“I am weary of having young people tell me how most of our Church leaders in earlier times wore beards and long hair, which shows that these are not inherently evil,” President Oaks said in 1971.
“In the minds of most people at this time, the beard and long hair are associated with protest, revolution, and rebellion against authority. They are also symbols of the hippie and drug culture. . . . In addition, unkemptness--which is often (though not always) associated with beards and long hair—is a mark of indifference toward the best in life.”
President Oaks noted that he wouldn’t be surprised if the beard policy changed in the future. The address was given more than 40 years ago, and the policy at BYU has become slightly more lenient—allowing beards for medical, theatrical, or religious purposes.
http://www.ldsliving.com/Beards-What-the-Church-Has-Actually-Said/s/89654