The nurse with the long blond hair

 

The nurse with the long blond hair

While I was in the hospital after surgery a nurse came in to take care of my dressings and surgical sites. The hair was down past her waist and draped over my abdomen. As a doctor I was concerned about cross contamination. We would not have allowed that to take place in the Lander hospital. She would have had to wear a snood to keep her hair from draping onto the patient’s area.

I asked her how long it took her to grow the hair that long. She reached up and pulled the wig back to reveal some dark hair beneath. The blond, long hair was false. It was a wig.

She also had piercings and tattoos.

I cannot change what other people do with their bodies. My concern is for you, my grandchildren.

One day you will stand before the Lord and He will do what I call a stewardship interview. Among other things He may ask you this question. What have you done with the body that I gave you? Can you answer, I have respected it and not defiled it?

We are surrounded with the ways of the world. We can choose to be influenced by the people in the great and spacious building or give them no heed.

A number of years ago while I was serving as stake president some of the Aaronic priesthood holders were piercing their ears. The bishops were receiving complaints from members objecting to the young men administering or passing the sacrament. A few bishops were of the opinion that these young men should not bless or pass the sacrament with rings in their ears.

The prophet Joseph Smith said he taught correct principles and let the people govern themselves. One approach would be to interview each boy with earrings and present them with the bishop’s concerns and let them make their own decision.

At the next stake conference I gave a talk using the scriptures in Exodus. (Exodus 21:1-6) I explained that this was an analogy. If the slave wanted to stay with the master, that the master would take an awl and pierce the ear to the doorpost, and he would then be a slave for life. By piercing the ear for a male it would be a sign that he would be a slave to the worldly ways. Of course, the law of Moses was abolished with Christ and He instituted a higher and holier law.

A few years later a friend of our son came to live with us. He had pierced his ears and was wearing earrings. I do not believe we ever mentioned that to him, but after a while he removed them and later served an honorable mission.

When I was in medical school, we were taught to test ever person who had a tattoo for Syphilis. The reason being that many of those doing the procedure did not adequately sterilize the dyes or needles. They transmitted the disease from an infected individual to one who did not have the disease.

My cousin Joann has alopecia areata totalis. She has worn a wig for all of her adult life. There are valid reasons to wear false hair.

In order to place the x-rays properly for my radiation treatment they placed 4 tattoo dots on my chest to line up the machine. I don’t think anyone can see them. I can’t.

The point of this post is that we don’t alter our bodies to follow the ways or the fashions of the world.

I think it was President McKay who said that we need to have our own fashions and not those of the world.

 

My dear grandchildren, please consider your appearance and how you would like to appear before your Father in Heaven and His son Jesus Christ. 

 

Love,

 

Grandpa