From the Church

Modesty is about more than just clothing

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There’s a lot of focus on being modest on the outside. But what about being modest on the inside?

Many of us grew up learning about modesty in church. And it’s clear why—modesty is an important gospel principle that can help us govern our own thoughts and actions as well as how we present ourselves. In learning how to internalize and live this and related gospel principles, we can become more like our Savior.

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Growing up, we may have been taught that modesty is only about our outward appearance. Teachings about modesty may have focused solely on clothing that is too revealing or other aspects of our self-presentation that could be extreme, such as piercings, tattoos, hairstyles, or general grooming. But modesty is not only about clothes or what’s on the outside—it also includes what’s on the inside.

Modesty is defined as “an attitude of humility and decency in dress, grooming, language, and behavior. If you are modest, you do not draw undue attention to yourself. Instead, you seek to ‘glorify God in your body, and in your spirit’ (1 Corinthians 6:20; see also verse 19).”

If we understand and live by this more complete definition, with an attitude of seeking to glorify God, modesty becomes something we can use to measure all of our actions against—not just what we choose to wear.

► You may also like: Modesty: What Church leaders have actually said

Read the full article on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

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