A Question for Mormons

Factual Questions
1

I hope I don’t anger Mormons by asking this - I mean no offense. But I have to know if this could be true.

When I was delivering for Pizza the Hut while going to Engineering School, there was this brother and sister team that worked nights as waiters in the restaurant. They both were normal seeming people entirely, except that they always wore long sleeved shirts and turlenecks under their Pizza Hut uniforms.

One day, the sister of the team was not wearing these all-covering garments, and I noticed she had a strange tattoo that seemed to start at the base of her neck, and I also noticed that the upper parts of her arms was also decorated with parts of what appeared to be a very large tattoo. Since I didn’t know her that well, I asked one of her friends from school about it, and she said “oh, her tattoo is incredible! She has a full body tattoo of a dragon that covers her from her upper thighs to her neck” (they had gym together). Then, another girl added “yeah, she has the same tattoo as her Mom, her sister, and her grandma. All the women in the family have it. It’s part off their religion.”

I casually asked friends of the brother if he had tattoos also, and no-one knew. They just knew that in the hottest of Summer, he would wear long-sleeved shirts and jeans, never revealing any part of the torso.

Note that the girl was only 16 at the time.

So one very slow day, the topic came up amongst the front staff as to what religion everyone was. Both she and her brother said they were “traditional Mormons”, and no, they could not talk about their religion, please change the subject. A smart-ass friend of mine said “well, how do you get converts if you don’t talk about it”, and her reply was “we don’t want converts”. Hmmm.

So I’ve wondered since that day: was there any truth at all to a branch of Mormonism that requires or encourages full-body tattoos of dragons be placed on their women? Or were they really part of a secret, evil cult masquerading as Mormons?

2

Interesting story. I’ve never heard that one before.

There, however, is an outfit those LDS who’ve received Temple Endowments wear and that outfit’s called “Temple Garments.” They both would have to be a minimum of 18 years old to receive those endowments, though.

I’m thinking your friends are either yanking your chain about what’s beneath the garments or are yanking your chain about someone who does have a full body tattoo being LDS and the religion requires such a mark.

The religion doesn’t. Hope this helps.

3

Hmmm. I’m 45 years old and I’ve been a Mormon all my life and I’ve heard a lot of weird stories about what Mormons supposedly believe and do but I’ve never heard this one before.

Of course there is no official part of the Mormon Church that requires, suggests or condones the full-body tattoo you mention. In fact, although there is no official policy against them, tattoos of any kind are discouraged.

One possible basis for this story is that adult members of the Mormon Church are usually expected to wear “temple garments”, a particularly modest set of underclothing (There was a pretty good explanation (for non-Mormons) of these in a recent Mailbag column) which do cover the body from the neck to the knees. This practice does tend to make Mormons stand out in weather where many people wear minimal clothing. (There are circumstances when not wearing temple garments is permitted, hot weather is not generally one of them – so Mormons will frequently appear overdressed on hot days.) The garments, however, are worn for reasons of obedience and modesty, not to cover tattoos.

We do wear hats, though, to hide our horns.

(I hate to have to add this but some people are willing to believe anything – I was just kidding about the hats.)

4

Well, the clothes they wore seemed like nothing special - typical teenager clothing. They were only odd in that they wore heavy clothes in very hot and humid temperatures.

And I DID verify that at least the sister had a large tattoo of some sort, although I could not see enough of it to tell if it was a “full body tattoo of a dragon” as was reported.

Sounds like there was something else going on. Cult is the most likely scenario.

Too bad it’s probably not a Mormon custom. If you think about it, it sounds like it would be really cool! (thinking maybe they were part of a secret society of Mormon-Shao Lin Assassins) :slight_smile:

5

Don’t hide your horns, be proud of what you are. :smiley:

6

So Pluto, if there’s no policy against them, why are tattoos discouraged?

7

They are viewed as a desecration of the body.

I know many people have an opposite view – that they adorn or celebrate the body – but that’s not the way most Mormons would see it, and it’s consistent with other Mormon teachings regarding reverence for the “temple of the spirit”.

And, as I said, there is no official policy. You wouldn’t be considered a lesser member or be denied any opportunities because you had a tattoo. I suppose, in an extreme case (e.g., if your tattoo were obscene or profane) you would be asked to cover it at church, to avoid distracting or offending others.