Will we accept Christ, as He is, when He arrives? Or have we become a culture that would crucify the very God we worship? …again.
I think there will be many in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who will reject Him. Will I be among them? I certainly hope not. His culture and way of doing things will almost certainly vary from our present cultural way of doing things. He stands outside of time. He created this earth. In mortality, He grew up Jewish in an ancient middle eastern culture. If you think that didn’t affect Him, I invite you to compare His tone from the Old and New testaments. As our leader, we will certainly need to adapt to His way. I’m betting He'll make those changes slowly, so it won’t be such a shock to those with a crystalized mindset, but who knows. We might be asked to make stark changes quickly.
Why do I feel so many will reject Him? Because we are living a double standard within our church culture that reflects the culture of the Jewish sectarian movement in Christ’s time of the Sadducees and Pharisees. I know, that’s a big claim, but hear me out.
I grew up in the heart of Happy Valley, the “Bubble”. (Utah county) I don’t know of a more centralized hub for “Mormon” culture. Although I’ve never attended BYU, (The epitome of Mormon culture) I have lived near the University and have been affected by the militant rules they enforce. I’ve sometimes had to go to the BYU library to do research for work. I’ve known many people who’ve attended there. These outlandish rules largely shape the culture of the entire church organization. Rules that originate in culture. That over the years have become a driving force for what makes us Mormons weird. Is that a good weird or a bad weird? I'd say that depends on the motivation behind each rule. Let’s jump right to the one I personally find as one of the weirdest. Facial hair. I know many people who have attended BYU that have had to adhere to the militant rules. Going to the BYU library regularly with facial hair got me angry comments and weird looks. One intern I worked with was attending BYU and his facial hair grew so fast each day that if he had to take a test at the end of the day in the testing center, they’d refuse him entrance because his 5 o’clock shadow was “unacceptable”.
It’s weird cultural things like this that drive normal people away from the church.
And this cultural oddity is enforced heavily within the church. Such that even employees of the church are not allowed to have facial hair, either. The only exceptions are for medical reasons, which requires something as serious as a letter from a doctor.
To me, this reflects similar practices from the Jewish sectarian movement of Christ’s time of the Sadducees and Pharisees. Made up rules that if we’re being honest, were designed to elevate "devout" worshippers from normal worshippers.
How does the very God we serve and worship feel about this type of worship? I’ll let you decide that, but let me remind you that it was the Sadducees and Pharisees that ultimately had Him murdered. He was rejected by them because He didn’t reflect and accept their man-made-up rules. Let me emphasize this, rules that originated with man, not God.
What happened in our culture that made us feel this way about facial hair? Dirty hippies? Biker gangs? Criminals? People associated with drugs and mischief typically had facial hair. Perhaps some doing so from a rebellious stance. Nonetheless, the cultural disposition against facial hair persists.
Let me pose a question:
How can the way someone looks or dresses affect their spirituality?
Perhaps it could be argued that outward portrayal is a reflection of our inner world. But I’d argue that some of the most Christlike and giving people I know are rough and tumbly looking bikers, sport facial hair and tattoos. I ride motorcycles and sometimes go on charity rides with people like this. Even though I openly don’t have tattoos and am open with them about my faithful temple attendance. I feel more accepted and less judged by these, salt of the Earth people, than I do when I go to the temple sporting a longer beard. I can’t help but draw parallels to the people Christ hung out with while He was here.
Conformity is not something I personally feel God adopts. When we arrive on the other side of the veil after we pass from this life, how will the way we looked or dressed be judged? If we really believe that the ordinances we perform for the deceased in the temple matter, we must accept that these people had a culture and way of dressing, grooming, and living that may be drastically different from our own. Even within our own society there are many cultural things we will be forced to accept. For example, there will be devout polygamists on the other side that will be walking and worshipping alongside us. These were foundational pioneers of our Church. I’d even argue that they will be celebrated, almost to the point of worship.
I’m not saying I would personally be okay with polygamy, I am just trying to make a point. We shouldn’t judge cultures other than our own so harshly. Strictly comparing them to our own present culture in such a black and white way as to judge those differences as good or evil. Looking at the heart of each individual, you will likely find more fault in our own cookie-cutter molded culture than others.
It’s an odd double standard. For example, if a Caucasian person enters the temple with a beard or tattoo, they are silently judged by a select few. However, if a Polynesian enters wearing their lava-lava, sporting tribal tattoos, those differences are largely celebrated by those same individuals who might reject the Caucasian version of the same.
Is there a dress code in God's kingdom? Do we have to look a certain way, dress a certain way, act a certain way? Or does He know and see us for who we really are. Understand that once we lay down this mortal frame, we will all be physically equal. That we won't be judged by how we looked or dressed but we'll be judged by how we loved, how we served, how much we endured.
I fear for those who judge others so harshly. I'm under the impression that God won't judge us so much as we'll be judging ourselves. With the same harshness with which they judge others, they'll judge themselves. Where Christ would patiently, lovingly welcome them into His loving arms. They will shun away from Him, feeling themselves unworthy. Denying themselves the power of the atonement to cleanse them from their sins and allow them peace and tranquility through his grace.
We were commanded to love our neighbors. There were no caveats, asterisks or fine print. Just Love.
Not only love them if they look, feel and act like we do. To love everyone indiscriminately. Because how can we look at a person's outward appearance at this moment in time and know what kind of eternal being they are destined to be?
Why would God make us, give us an ability to grow a beard and be disappointed that we have one. Were we not created in His image? Isn't nearly every depiction we have of Him... with a beard?!
How disappointed will those souls be who expect God to fit into a cookie cutter mold that culture shaped.
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