“Modesty,” Topics and Questions (2025)
Overview
Modesty
Modesty is an attitude of decency and humility in our language, behavior, dress, and grooming. If we are modest, we don’t try to bring too much attention to ourselves. Rather, we seek to glorify God.
Language and Behavior
Our language and behavior can be expressions of our character. We can express ourselves through clean, positive, kind, and uplifting language. This is also true of how we address our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. One of the Ten Commandments is that we not take the Lord’s name in vain.
We are also blessed as we try to behave in ways that lift and bless those around us. Our efforts to be modest in what we say and do can lead to more guidance and comfort from the Holy Ghost.
Dress and Grooming
Our appearance, including the clothing that we wear, can also be an expression of who we are. It sends messages about us, and it can influence the way we act. Being well groomed and modestly dressed can help us invite the companionship of the Spirit.
The Apostle Paul taught the early Saints that “your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you” and invited them to “glorify God in your body, and in your spirit.” Latter-day prophets have also counseled us to dress modestly to honor our bodies as God’s sacred creation. We can choose to be modest because we know that our body is a temple and we want to show respect and love for it and for our Father who gave it to us.
We also learn from For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices that “Heavenly Father wants us to see each other for who we really are: not just physical bodies but His beloved children with a divine destiny.” Dressing modestly, which includes avoiding styles that emphasize or draw inappropriate attention to our physical body, can help us see ourselves as children of God and focus on things that are eternally important.
The Choice to Be Modest
We can follow the promptings of the Spirit to help us be modest throughout our lives. If we are unsure about whether our language and behavior is modest, we might ask ourselves, “What sign will I be sending to God if I say these words or participate in these activities?” We might ask ourselves a similar question about our dress or grooming: “What sign am I sending to God by my dress or appearance?” Our honest answers to these questions may lead us to make important changes in our lives.
We will be blessed as we let moral cleanliness and love for God guide our choices.