As members of the Church, what can I do to encourage my husband to give up the notion of wearing earrings?

Question

Dear Gramps,

I am a convert to the church of 5 years. My husband has been in the church almost 3 years. We have three sons under the age of ten and one due in November. I am far from perfect but try each day to do better and be a good example for my family and those in my life. My husband wants to get his ear re-pierced. He used to have three earrings when we met 12 years ago. I thought that phase was over and was shocked that he wanted to have ear rings again. I thought once you knew the Savior and had been to the temple you would not want to do anything to desecrate the temple of the Lord. Anyway, I tried to show him the reasons why one should try to strive to be as Christ-like as possible. I also reminded him what the Prophet has recently said regarding the subject. He feels that when the prophet says that they discourage earrings for men that that is just a suggestion and not a salvation issue. He says that there is nowhere in the scriptures that says not to have a pierced ear. This situation is tearing us apart. Can you help?

Cristina

Answer

Dear Cristina,

It is true that there is nowhere in the scriptures that says that one should not have pierced ears. There is also nowhere in the scriptures that says that one should not drink strychnine. The Lord expects us to apply a little common sense to our lives, and not try to wrest the scriptures to justify miscreant action. The word of the Lord is given to us today by His living prophet. That prophet has counseled the men not to try to adorn their bodies with such trappings as earrings, and to the women he has counseled that one earring in each ear is sufficient.

Your husband asks if wearing an earring is a salvation issue? Of course it is not, but the attitude that directs one to fly in the face of the counsel of the prophet certainly is. We are not judged just by our actions. We are judged also by our words and our thoughts. A prophet whose words are recorded in the scriptures has given this counsel–

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. (Mosiah 4:30)

If your husband says that nowhere in the scriptures does it say anything about pierced ears, how would he respond to this scripture—

And behold, and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth–

 

And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as moved upon by the Holy Ghost.

 

And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation (D&C 68:2-4)

If wearing an earring were the only area in your husband’s life that was in any way out of order, he would undoubtedly be quick to overcome such foolish temptations and align himself with the spirit of obedience. Since he apparently chooses not to do that, I would suspect that there may be some deeper issues at hand.Such actions, in the words of Henry Drummond,

“are as an intermittent fever which bespeaks unintermittent disease within, the occasional bubble escaping to the surface which betrays some rottenness underneath” (Henry Drummond, The Greatest Thing In the World, p. 37).

Gramps