For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, modesty is not being humble about a compliment. Modesty is how we talk about dressing appropriately. I've wondered why we call dressing appropriately, modesty. Here's a definition from google: the quality or state of being unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities. That's the modesty I talked about first. If you take off the last part and say that modesty is the quality or state of being unassuming or moderate, then modestly applies to being humble and how we dress.

We came to earth to receive a body and to gain experience. We cherish our bodies and want to respect them. We want others to see our qualities as a person and not our flaunted bodies. Our bodies are a temple or house for our spirits. Together our body and spirit make up who we are. When we dress to show off our body, then we are not being unassuming or moderate and we draw attention to our body and not our whole self. Yet, we are not a religion who wear coverings or only dresses. Also like the saying, you are what you eat, you are also what you wear. The way you dress determines the way you act. If you're in exercise clothes, you're probably not going to sit tall with your legs crossed like you would while wearing a dress at church. If you're wearing a revealing dress you may act in a way to try to show off what the dress reveals, more seductive, or you may be uncomfortable and self conscious and more worried about how you look than about how you act.

A great resource for a standard of dressing modestly is the "Dress and Appearance" section of the For Strength of Youth pamphlet. It says, "Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change."

Like every other standard in the church, members are free to choose and make their own decisions. These guidelines are not to be restrictive but to encourage every person to see themselves as a child of God who has potential beyond the sexuality of their bodies.

So this summer as you pick out that new swim suit or pair of shorts or summer shirt, think about what that piece of clothing will say about you as you wear it. Then have fun this summer in the beautiful body God gave you.

For a while Joseph Smith was the only living person in modern times to see the gold plates which he translated into The Book of Mormon.  Even when Oliver Cowdery and Emma Smith acted as his scribes, the gold plates were hidden by a drape. But then to Joseph's joy, the Lord told him that three witnesses would see the plates. An angel showed the plates to Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. Their testimony is found in the introduction section of The Book of Mormon as The Testimony of Three Witnesses. Later Joseph Smith was allowed to show the plates to eight more witnesses.

Unlike Joseph Smith and the eleven other witnesses, I have never seen the gold plates. But I know they are real because I have read The Book of Mormon, and I have prayed sincerely to know if this book is from God and if it is true. I have received not a visual witness but a witness in my heart. Think about the love you have for a child. Can you see it?  Or the trust you have for your spouse. Can you touch trust? Or the peace you feel when you pray to God. Is it tangible? Love, trust, and peace are real even if we can't see them. And so is a testimony of The Book of Mormon. I remember deeper than a visual memory, the times when I've shared my witness of The Book of Mormon. I remember the anxiety I felt as I gave the book to a friend of mine, my fear that she would reject it. I told her that I was giving it to her because I wanted to give her something that was precious to me. She told me she knew how special it was to me and that is why she was honored to receive it. I remember the look of love in her eyes. I don't know if she'll read it, but I do know that in that moment, she knew that I treasure The Book of Mormon.

When I student taught in second grade, my mentor teacher told me she thought every young adult should serve out of the country for a while to learn about other countries and how to be selfless. What a great idea. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have a program for our 18 and 19 year-old young adults. It's called serving a mission. Not all serve out of the United States, but all have the opportunity to learn and grow and serve and teach others about Jesus Christ and our church. Here's some details.

Men can serve when they are 18. Women when they are 19. Men serve for two years, women for 18 months. Neither men or women have to go at 18 or 19. They can wait a while and go when they are ready.

Our missionaries pay to go on missions. The missionary can save up the money and/or the family pays. Right now the cost is $400/month. In the United States every missionary family contributes that same amount. That money is used all over the world to pay for missionary rent, food, and other necessities. The initial cost to acquire the clothing, necessary doctor visits and shots, and other necessities to begin a mission is about $1500-2000.

There are several steps before becoming a missionary. A young person must be worthy: have no moral or other transgressions that haven't been taken care of by visiting with a bishop and repenting; have a testimony of Jesus Christ, the restored gospel, and Joseph Smith; receive endowments in the temple; and complete the necessary paperwork. The missionary must be healthy, pass medical and dental exams, and participate in an interview with the bishop and stake president. Once those steps are finished, the paperwork is submitted and the missionary waits at least two weeks for the call. A committee meets in Salt Lake to determine the location each missionary will serve. This is done with faith, study, and inspiration. Then the family and prospective missionary wait for the call. And wait. In our area, the call usually comes on a Thursday. The letter arrives in a big white envelope and reads, "You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the [name of mission]. You should report to the [name of Missionary Training Center--depending on location] on [report date--this can be in one month, two, three, four...]. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the [Spanish] language (if applicable)..." Then the family rejoices and the mom cries.

Missionaries serve away from their families. They can e-mail once a week. They can call on Mother's Day and Christmas and now many can skype on those days. The family does not travel to visit the missionary or text the missionary. The family does write e-mails, send packages and letters, and pray a lot for the missionary. Some families "pick up" the missionary at the end of the mission.

So why do families send missionaries to serve and why does a missionary sacrifice to serve? First, because of our testimony of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel. Second, because it is a commandment for young men and a suggestion for young women. Third, because while serving, missionaries grown in countless ways. Their testimonies increase, they develop more self discipline, learn to live with and get along with many different companions, develop in responsibility, learn to love and serve the people in their mission, and learn to submit to the Savior in order to survive and thrive on their mission.

Look for missionaries in your area and when you see them, smile and wave. They'll share the gospel with you if you want, but even if you're not interested know that they are our sons, our daughters that we are sharing with the world.