No Coincidences
President of Brigham Young University
September 12, 2023
While many institutions of higher learning have codes of conduct that prescribe standards of acceptable behavior, I love the distinctive nature of our Honor Code, beginning with its name. It is an honor code because we believe that its principles and expectations foster an environment marked by “honor, integrity, morality, and consideration of others.”
The Honor Code’s updated dress and grooming principles and expectations are grounded in core principles. We each agree to
1. Represent the Savior Jesus Christ, the Church, and the Church Educational System
2. Preserve an inspiring environment, without distraction or disruption, where covenants are kept in a spirit of unity so the Holy Ghost can teach truth
3. Promote modesty, cleanliness, neatness, and restraint in dress and grooming
4. Maintain an elevated standard distinctive to educational institutions of the Church of Jesus Christ18
It is so empowering for each of us when dress and grooming guidelines are rooted in enduring principles. We are confident that an understanding of and commitment to those principles will certainly follow—even if it takes some time for that understanding and commitment to take hold.
Let me restate something today that I shared with our employees two weeks ago:
As your president, I commit to uphold these principles. I am today asking you to commit to uphold these principles for yourselves. It is a privilege to represent the Savior, His Church, and its educational system. . . . The impact of our efforts is magnified when we invite the Holy Ghost to be part of our learning environment. As President Russell M. Nelson has prophetically declared, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”19
My invitation today is this: Will you join me?
Will you embrace these principles in your own life?
It is clear to me that the changes to the dress and grooming principles on this campus represent an elevated approach, not a reduced standard. What a wonderful thing to be at BYU during this amazing season! However, if we are to be principle based, then we have to be open to conversations about the principles. Our campus unity will be magnified as we personally commit to those principles and make individual choices with respect to dress, grooming, and honor. This will require effort from each of us. We will need to speak with civility and listen with soft hearts. I invite everyone on this campus—employees and students alike—to be part of those conversations and to make adjustments as needed.
Comments