Come, Rejoice

Truth Eternal & Awake and Arise

Modesty In the Entertainment Industry

Why is Lindsey Stirling, who professes to be a hardcore Mormon, wearing such immodest costumes on Dancing with the Stars? I get that dancing is a lot of hard work, but you don't have to check the beliefs of your religion at the door just to appease the demands of those in the competition. It is VERY possible to dress modestly and still dance well and it's genuinely sad to see that she is choosing to not represent the standard of modesty that is one of the many beliefs that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has. 

If you're dancing and don't advertise yourself to being part of a religion or as having specific moral beliefs, wear whatever you want. However, Lindsey Stirling has clearly advertised herself and is being advertised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and yet, she is not demonstrating her commitment to her beliefs simply by the way is she dressing on television. Just because you are on television does not give you an excuse to abandon your beliefs. In fact, being in the public eye is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your beliefs and how strongly you are attached to them. 

Dressing modestly shows how much you value your body and want to protect it from the less than pure intentions of others. Even if the show asked Lindsey to dress this way, she could have stood by her beliefs and asked them to make her a more modest costume that would have coordinated with her partner's and allowed her to move around just as freely. Is the body suddenly not sacred anymore because one is on a television show?

This is not the first time that Lindsey Stirling has appeared in the public eye wearing a less than modest outfit and it just really makes me sad that she basically checked her religion at the door because Dancing With the Stars demanded it; they have enough money that they could have made her a modest costume had she asked for one. Why do Mormons need to change their standard of dress just because they are going to do something fancy according to the standards of the world? Modest outfits can be found or made easily whether or not you have a lot of money. 

Lindsey wore an outfit that didn't necessarily NEED to be worn; she chose it even though she could have asked for something that would cover her according to her standards and still help her to perform well on the floor. When you are well known, you need to remember that people look to you as an example and you need to set a proper one. When you have an opportunity to stand for your beliefs and show your commitment to them, you should do it or simply let them go. Now is the time to either stand firm in your beliefs or walk away from them; there isn't any room for any middle ground anymore and there never was. People need to either stand for their beliefs in both action and word or simply leave them behind. Words are not enough anymore; you need to act in a way that backs up what you say.

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865690210/Lindsey-Stirling-receives-seasons-high-score-on-Dancing-With-the-Stars-after-tough-breakup.html

United For the Love of God

"They who have a desire to hear, let them hear that they too may have access to the light of the Lord."

I am staying at the Royal Garden Inn in Salt Lake City until Tuesday and this weekend, a group of LDS people from France checked into the room next door to mine so they could go to General Conference. They are all very pleasant, but don't speak a word of English and yet, we are able to communicate pleasantries to each other and I absolutely love that.

Around 3:00 this afternoon, I happened to open the door for a breath of air and I saw one of the ladies from the room next door and outside in the cold, deeply frustrated that Conference wasn't being broadcast on the hotel televisions. The others in her group went to the Visitors Center, but she stayed behind.

I invited her into my room to watch the remainder of Conference on my laptop and she accepted. She spoke no English and I speak very, very little French, but she was happy to just watch Conference and listen to both the speakers and the choir. We did exchange some small talk and it turns out she is from Bordeaux, is married and was married in the temple, and has two children: a boy and a girl. It's amazing how well you can get to know a person even with a language barrier present if you simply listen and observe carefully.

We exchanged names and email addresses and the lovely lady's name turned out to be Nicole Lerbscher and she was the most wonderful person. She was so grateful to watch Conference even though she spoke no English, as she understood the Spirit of it and I could see it in her face as we sat side by side watching the last session.

I find it absolutely amazing that even though not everyone can understand one another's language, we can all come together with a unified love of the Lord and enjoy a beautiful event like General Conference. Language is clearly not a barrier when Saints come together to hear the inspiration that the Lord sends to the people of his word through his many mouthpieces.

This experience really instills in me a desire to socialize, help, and show love by serving those in other areas of the world (including France) who are also members of the Church, as even with all our differences, we are united by our faith and desire to learn of Christ and become more like Him.