Rome Forum - January 2015

Rome Forum - January 2015

In Act 1, Scene 3 of the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, Polonius is giving advise to his son prior to going out into the world.

Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.    
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

There are many bits of fatherly advise that can help us all as missionaries, but I would like to concentrate on just one today.  Appearance.  How do you look today?  Have you looked in a mirror? Have you evaluated what message you are sending by your appearance?  Your clothing and overall appearance sends a message to everyone who sees you. 

If you are wearing a black robe, what is the message?  I am a judge.  A  white, sterile lab coat says I am a doctor.  A uniform indicates the person wearing it is a policeman or military person who has authority.  Plaid pants and a sweater or short-sleeved shirt says I’m a golfer.  A clean, freshly pressed suit with a white shirt and tie or modest, but stylish, dress says I am a professional, I deserve respect, and I have something to offer.  Whether you are dressed as a business person, a lawyer, or in your case, a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, the way you dress says right away that you are special and that you deserve to be heard.

Studies show if you are dressed like a million dollars, you are much more likely to earn a million dollars.  If you dress smartly and appropriately, you really will do 5 % better on an exam. Your chance of getting a job increases significantly if you dress appropriately and professionally.

As a missionary, what message do you send if your shoes are scuffed, your hair is too long or cut in a style designed to draw attention?  If the knot in your tie is loose and the button is undone, or if you are wearing flip flops or strange-colored nail polish, or your skirt is too short, what message does that send?  How does how you look affect the message of Jesus Christ that you are sharing?

Some people may not care how you look or what you say, but even they will subconsciously have less esteem and respect for you and other missionaries when you do not portray the image our prophet and church leaders have asked us to portray.  It is partly because of the way we look that people often say “There is something different about you.”

As we begin a new year, let us each evaluate our appearance and the message we send by the way we look.  Let’s not justify some of the seemingly small violations of the missionary dress code.  Let’s make our appearance be part of our commitment to be 100% obedient.

To view the missionary dress guidelines established by the church, you may go on-line to the lds.org site at  https://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/dress-grooming     

We encourage you to “bee the best you can bee” and “look the best you can look”.

Vi vogliamo bene,

Presidente and Sorella Waddoups