How the Beard Debate at Church Can Help Us Understand Paul's Teachings on Unity

Keywords

division, charity, judgment

Abstract

Paul wrote to the early Christian ward of Corinth to address significant controversy in their ward community. Sadly, the root of the problems is found everywhere among humans: Division.

Division is created when we lack charity.

I’ve heard some sad stories about how we lack charity, judge each other, and create controversy.

A friend of mine is a professor at BYU. To help her students get to know her better, she typically shares a family photo at the beginning of the semester. In the photo is her husband, who has a beard.

Not long ago, several students approached the professor and asked what it was like to be a member of the church working at BYU who has a husband who is less than faithful.

The students assumed that a bearded man must not be faithful.

It's not an uncommon misconception in our culture. So often we judge people based on first impressions without coming to see them as Christ sees them.

Original Publication Citation

If I Have a Beard Can I Be Saved?, August 25, 2019. (Republished on LDS Living August 29, 2019. #4 article.)

Document Type

Other

Publication Date

2019

Publisher

LDS Living

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Marketing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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