The FLDS Life

When you are seeking to do the will of God in every area of your life, do you say "what’s wrong with this?" or do you say "what’s right with this?" Choosing the best good, and then seeking to do better, is what the FLDS ideals are. If you are seeking something else, you will eventually get that, but it won’t be nearly as rewarding.

The dress code-
In the FLDS The girls wear full length long sleeve dresses that reach the neckline, do not cut their hair (much), do not wear make-up, and wear long underwear. The boys keep their hair cut short, keep clean shaven, wear long sleeve shirts, full length pants, and wear long underwear. Blood red clothing is to be avoided to respect the Savior. (D&C 133:48) This dress code doesn't make you a good person, but it shows that you "want" to be a good person. The way you want to dress shows who you want to be, and not especially who you are. There are exceptions to the dress code if the need arises (i.e. when in hiding from persecution, or when your work necessitates it.) It is the heart, not especially the details that God sees; though mostly they will be the same thing.

Entertainment-
Entertainment is really education. It can be bad, good, better, or best. The ideal FLDS do not watch television, or go to movies, or listen to “rock” music. You will not be disfellowshipped for doing these things, unless you take on the habits of them. You can see a person’s attitude and the spirit they carry by the way they entertain themselves. All of us tend to take on the spirit of the things we are around, especially if we are around them by choice. God does not want us to be anything but happy, but you can see by what makes you happy the kind of person you are. Uncle Roy’s favorite pastime was reading the scriptures, and he said the more you do it, the better you will like it. We do what interests us the most. But true entertainment is to be a break, not to be our goal. Competition is like appetite, it can be beneficial, but it can also ruin. You do need enough to help yourself, but not so much that you starve someone else.

Education-
Within the FLDS the education of children is paramount. Reading writing and arithmatic are very important, but not the most important education in our lives. Much has been said about the lack of education in the FLDS, but I ask, what is the most important education? Isn’t it how to become like God? The education needed to help one benefit society in the best way possible, including math and science, is important, but not the most important. Everyone becomes a teacher, most especially mothers, and so education is very important for everyone. God is the greatest scientist and the smartest mathematician, He learned these thing somewhere and we want to be like Him. It is strange how many who leave the FLDS claim to the media to have a real short education. It seems that only those who leave have a seventh grade education or less. It is possible they didn't go further, but all education is self learned anyway; no matter how much our parents and teachers try to push us.

Besides, how many doctors do we need compared to farmers? How many lawyers do we need compared to plumbers? How many maids compared to nurses? All will get an education sometime, and the workplace is often the best place to learn a trade. I have always wondered why is it legal for a 16 year old to drive a 10,000 pound pickup truck on the highway, but they cannot legally run a power saw? I graduated from 12th grade at Alta Academy highschool, and then I went to work for someone who had dropped out. Go figure.