More on white shirts and "the unwritten order of things

[LA Ute]

Our stake president gave a talk in stake general priesthood meeting about the "unwritten order of things," which is the title of a talk Elder Packer gave in 1996. The idea is that there are certain things that are simply done in the Church, but which are not written down anywhere. I can see what Elder Packer is saying, but personally, that type of thinking makes me a little nervous. That's a subject for another time.

The president said that one unwritten rule was that when we are functioning in a priesthood callnig we should wear white shirts. He didn't say we had to (except when passing the sacrament), but he said it was just something you do. For adults, so is wearing a suit jacket, blazer, or sport coat, or the equivalent.

I sighed (inwardly) and obeyed. At that time I was a high councilor, so anytime I was at church I was functioning in a priesthood capacity, I guess. So I always wore a white shirt. Those were the only times I wore white shirts (except when going to the temple) because I really prefer colors and stripes. Nothing loud, nothing offensive, just not white. Since then I've been a Young Men president and during that time I wore a white shirt to church, but certainly not to Mutual. (I even got the OK from my bishop to wear non-white shirts to Mutual.) Now I'm in the bishopric. I am sure that many members of my ward do not think I even own anything but white shirts.

I think this is a little over-done, and my stake president has now taken every example from Elder Packer's talk and made it into a strong suggestion, which means it is practically a rule. But I've decided to be philosophical. It's like long hair in my youth: It is not going to kill me to have shorter har or wear a white shirt, and once the "suggestion" has been made by a priesthood leader I don't want to create conflict by defying that.