Misconceptions about Mormons: Facial Hair

Last week, I was with a group of friends and family when one of them asked if it was true that Mormon men are not allowed to have beards or mustaches. A few jokes were made (of course; I mean, beards and mustaches are always ripe for a mocking), but then I said, “Ok, wait, just for the record, does everyone understand that that is NOT a real thing? There’s no actual ban on beards and mustaches for Mormon men?” And I actually heard a few say, “Oh, really?” Yes, really. Mormon men are not prohibited from wearing facial hair. (Neither are the women, if you want to be technical about it.)

So let’s talk about where this idea might have come from. It’s true that full-time missionaries and BYU/BYU-I students are prohibited from wearing facial hair as part of their dress codes. But the general population of the Church is simply asked to look neat, clean, and modest in appearance. Many men therefore avoid facial hair, believing that a clean-shaven look is…well…cleaner. (A belief I share, by the way. Facial hair is gross.) Plus, it seems like these days, often beards, goatees, mustaches, soul patches, etc are worn by those trying to make some sort of anti-conformist or rebellious statements, which also doesn’t fit with the idea of being neat or respectable in appearance. So, many of our men just avoid them.