Not that it matters to me what you do either way but how does “keeping myself clean shaven because it represents a separation for me from the ways of the world.” when much of the world conforms to that look? In fact some of the most despicable people in the world today, in politics and in business conform to the look you consider somehow more special. For me that conformity is more about looking like the 1950s business man that the church likes to project than it does a separation from the world. It looks exactly like the worldly look to me. I’m not suggesting you need or should have facial hair or not. Only that there is also a commandment that we learn to govern ourselves outside of just blindly following which many in the church have come to do. I appreciate the desire to “look like the church leaders” and I respect that position as long as it’s for the right reasons. Too many people do it so thy don’t have to think for themselves and force cultural things to control others rather than to just worry about themselves.

To a degree yes I agree with you, we are also told to not mark our skin, nor over indulge in adornment and costly apparel in the scriptures. Some people seem to think that means its ok to wear tea-shirts and denim dresses to church even if they can afford to dress better. I do find it amusing how men are expected to conform to a uniform where even wearing the wrong style of suit or ties will get you criticized but women are not. en without suits or who dress too casually are considered “projects” that need to be worked on in some wards but women can get away with almost anything and no one seems to care much about it. Double standard?

Where I live he would never have been asked. I think our Temple workers in our area are asked to shave, but I know of at least one man who does not to cover a skin problem he has. But as I said I’ve seen lots of leaders with facial hair in recent years, it really is just the preference of the local leader more than it is a rule. And I’ll argue that it’s more about conformity than serving any purpose. And I don’t sport a mustache or a beard but I do have a small goatee that covers a constant and permanent skin rash.

That was not the point at all. And I think you know that.

I get that it’s not your personal choice to have a beard, etc. but since HF and Jesus Christ both appeared to Joseph Smith sporting beards, that tells me beards are not “of the world.” Case closed. In some cultures, men with no facial hair are considered effeminate. It’s a cultural and not a religious practice.

I know an LDS you, who when asked if he would go on a mission when asked by his boss replied, he didn’t plan to. Then the boss said he’d fire him and did. I would say to your husband that the Church is true, but he needs to stand his ground agains cultural Mormons and keep his beard. People, even leaders who bring cultural bias into the Church, need to have their practices pointed out as not being part of Church doctrine when appropriate.