Question:
Are there really Mormon
Nudists?
Answer:
Yes, there are Mormon nudists/naturists.
Most LDS members that have skinny-dipped in mixed company at one time or
another do not call themselves nudists or naturists however. Most assume
that social nudity must in some way conflict with Gospel principles, and
are reluctant to ever admit participating in it to any degree. Those who
have actually taken the time to study it out for themselves find that it
is NOT contrary to Gospel beliefs - though they still may not call themselves
nudists or naturists.
Question:
How many active nudists
are also active Mormons?
Answer:
Actually, they're quite
numerous. The Hartman/Fithian surveys1
showed 2% of nudists in America claimed to be Mormon. Though that data
is at least three decades old, it is important to note that it was higher
than the total percentage of Mormons in the general populace at that time.
Question:
Where do you find other
LDS members that have an interest in naturism?
Answer:
The easiest place to find
them is in Utah (of course.) At the Utah hot springs that I used to frequent
before moving to Los Angeles, many of the visitors were (obviously) Mormon.
Some of them were what you would call "members in good standing" which
became apparent after conversing with them for a while. Unfortunately,
hot springs are unpredictable in that they are occasionally frequented
by some more "liberal" elements. The best way to meet ANY people that share
very specific interests with you is on the web. This web site is a good
starting place - particularly the Connections
page.
Question:
Are there LDS naturist groups,
clubs or organized activities that we can participate in?
Answer:
At this time (12/26/1999),
I know of no organized groups or activities that are specifically for LDS
members. Informal groups may exist, but none have come to my attention.
As LDS members it's difficult to juggle our limited time with all our Church
callings, family activities, Priesthood responsibilities, Temple trips,
and STILL be able to enjoy some fun in the sun. I currently have no plans
to formalize a full-fledged naturist group. The Connections
page will continue to bring those who are willing and available together
for some informal activities. I invite the participation of anyone who
might be interested.
Question:
How can you be a nudist
and respect your Temple garments at the same time?
Answer:
As members of the Church,
our commitment to our Temple covenants comes before any other interest
- or at least it should. Our garments play an important part in those covenants.
As such, Mormon nudists will be more frequently covered than non-Mormon
nudists. We are naked any time that it makes sense NOT to be wearing our
Temple garments. Swimming is an indisputable time to NOT wear garments,
and therefore skinny-dipping is the central naturist activity for our family
(and also the impetus for the name of this web site.) Many Church members
participate in various athletic activities without their garments (Church
basketball, for example) - it would seem equally appropriate to do so in
a naturist environment. As members of the Church it is vital that we NOT
look for extra opportunities to be separated from our garments. If you
don't like to swim or play sports, then your naturist leanings may remain
purely mental (or spiritual.) It's an attitude more than an action anyway,
and it need not be manifest in any particular activity.
Question:
I know there are no scriptures
or specific doctrine against it, but public nudity is just plain wrong
- isn't it?
Answer:
Yes and no - depending on
the context. Unfortunately it's rare for most of us to see public nudity
promoted in a truly wholesome way. There are so many examples of the wrong
kind of public nudity that it's hard for some people to imagine that any
good can come of it. And it takes time, patience, and gentle persuasion
to help open someone's eyes about it. Most nudists try extra hard to make
a distinction between sexual and non-sexual nudity. As LDS nudists we must
always deplore any nudity that is immoral - and advocate only nudity that
is chaste and uplifting. The perception of nudity as a neutral or positive
state of being is a matter of education and practice. The more of the good
forms of nudity that we practice, the less that the bad forms will dominate.
Question:
Isn't public nudity illegal?
Answer:
Yes and no - depending where
you go. The law is currently that nudity on public land is NOT illegal
- as long as no one files a complaint. This is generally applicable to
forests, streams, beaches, and any other place where people would have
to go out of their way to discover you naked. Some places have imposed
their own specific rulings for particular places and sites. In most cases
the law punishes verifiable lewd behavior, and not simple nudity. There
are places where simple nudity is technically illegal (in the same way
that going 1 mph over the speed limit is technically illegal) - but in
practice it is virtually unenforceable. Often the local law enforcement
has made public statements declaring that they will ONLY enforce against
lewd behavior. In court, that usually holds up. Private resorts are always
legal, and are very good at screening. LDS nudists need to be conscious
of the legality of their nudity, and never act in open violation of the
law. You are better off practicing social nudity at home or at private
resorts until you know for certain the legal status and current acceptability
factor at any public place.
Question:
Why get together with other
LDS members?
Answer:
We can all benefit from
the fellowshipping of other members who have (one way or another) found
that they enjoy skinny-dipping. If done with discretion and in moderation,
social nudity can be very rewarding, and highly beneficial. Getting together
as members will help assure that the Gospel never takes a back seat to
naturism in our lives. LDS nudists know that there is more value in naturism
for their children than for themselves. By meeting with other active members,
we give our children a safe opportunity to associate in the nude with other
children.
Question:
Are Christian Naturists
an anomalous group - acting ignorantly or in open defiance to their own
doctrine against nudity?
Answer:
The existence of Christian
Naturism (and LDS naturism for that matter) is not anomalous, merely exceptional.
A complete understanding of the principles of naturism and a complete understanding
of most religious beliefs usually yields more good to the cause of naturism.
The few that have taken the time to explore BOTH religion and naturist
ideals are indeed exceptions. Religious doctrines of the world are generally
ignorant of naturism (so far) - but naturism doesn't present any real conflicts
with fundamental Christian beliefs when both are held to the light. Social
nudity doesn't refute the Gospel, but it does challenge tradition.
LDS members should never pursue naturism until they understand it enough
to know that they are not in discord with the Gospel.
Question:
Does "Body-Acceptance" place
the flesh above the Spirit?
Answer:
LDS members believe that
all humans were literally created in the image of God, possessing a physical
body after the pattern of His own. More than most religions, we acknowledge
the divine nature of our bodies. No one mortal body should be deemed more
or less perfect (or divinely patterned) than that of another person. Physical
perfection is not an aspect of our trial on Earth - ALL bodies are mortal
and imperfect. Regardless of their conditions or abilities, our bodies
are adequate to the task and purpose that our Heavenly Father intends for
us. Body-acceptance asserts that fact. Despising our own flesh does not
elevate our spirit. Denying the DESIRES of the flesh allows us to be more
spiritually minded. Body-acceptance also helps us overcome our natural
tendency to covet the physical attributes of another person, or to elevate
a person merely because of their physical features. It is based on the
idea that the worth of a person's soul is not derived from the body that
they were dealt (or have even worked to attain.) Accepting the body we
are given, respecting its functions and properties, caring for it wisely
(Word of Wisdom, etc.), displaying it only in humility, comporting ourselves
with modest behavior - by doing all of this, we become MORE spiritually
minded, not less. It's also important to mention that Body-acceptance should
never be a euphemism for physical neglect, as that would also come into
conflict with the Word of Wisdom.
Question:
The church has given very
clear council on modesty of dress - wouldn't nudism be in conflict with
that admonition?
Answer:
Modesty in clothing is very
important, and so is modesty while nude. Modesty in nudist environments
is manifest in modest behavior. Ultimately modest behavior is a far more
important manifestation of modesty than simply covering the body. In a
nudist environment there is no clothed façade. When unclothed, a
person can't appear to be a modest person just by covering up. Instead
they prove their modesty by comporting themselves in a modest manner. Our
modesty should be more than just a simple piece of cloth anyway. It is
a spiritual strength, not a physical one.
Question:
Do you mean that as long
as we act modestly, we can be perfectly modest wearing immodest clothing
(such as brief or bikini swimwear, short skirts or shorts, halter tops,
plunging necklines, back-less dresses, muscle t-shirts, etc.)?
Answer:
Not where those types of
clothing are PERCEIVED as being immodest. If our culture perceives
a particular fashion or type of clothing to be immodest, then to wear that
in OUR culture would be immodest. There are places, times, or cultures
in which a particular type of clothing is socially acceptable - and therefore
modest - and others where it is not. For LDS members, modest clothing
covers the Temple garment. Youth and members who plan on attending
the Temple one day should become accustomed to wearing clothing that would
cover their garments.
Question:
But if nudists feel modest
regardless of their clothing, do they wear "immodest" or "skimpy" clothing
when they aren't nude?
Answer:
No. When dressed (as
when nude), it goes against nudist philosophy (and basic principles of
modesty) to attract immoral sexual attention to the body or knowingly give
offense to others. Immodest clothing is NEVER acceptable for this reason.
Nudists believe that nudity IS modest, as it esteems all parts of the body
equally - without prejudice or embellishment towards any particular part.
Swimming nude is arguably MORE modest than in swimsuits, (where such is
accepted), as it doesn't highlight, accentuate, draw attention to, exaggerate,
or exhibit a particular part of the body. Swimsuits and skimpy clothing
create "hot zones" - calling attention to the "forbidden fruits" of the
body. Modesty in clothing is about diffusing these hot zones of attention.
This is usually accomplished by covering up more - but nudists believe
that it can also happen by removing all clothing (in an appropriate environment,
of course.) Once removed (without lascivious behavior), the exaggerated
focus on the breasts and genitals is gone. When naked, there are no more
hot zones - just bodies, with all their parts esteemed equally. The "forbidden"
zones are still forbidden from touch - but there is no great mystery made
of them. They are simply part of a complete body. The nudist attitude
is usually "all or nothing" where clothes are concerned. Wearing skimpy
clothing is not thinking like a nudist (especially a conservative one.)
Question:
So you mean that swimming
naked is more modest than swimming with swimsuits on?
Answer:
Yes. Women's one-piece bathing
suits are currently considered to be modest swimming attire. But what does
that say for our standards? Are we saying that something scandalous and
illegal 100 years ago is perfectly acceptable for LDS members today? So
what's the next step? Bikinis? Not likely. The most modest way to swim
is either all covered up, or not covered at all. Otherwise we are calling
attention to the breasts and genitals - which is not appropriate for LDS
members. As swimming attire becomes smaller and smaller (following the
world's ever-declining standards), swimming nude is the only honest, reliable
standard. Swimsuits are an invention of the Victorian era. They are NOT
divinely inspired.
Question:
Doesn't being naked in mixed-company
create lustful thoughts?
Answer:
Not unless you persistently
choose to think lustful thoughts. The mere sight of people without clothes
provides no stimulus of its own. You must be predisposed to thinking impure
thoughts for there to be any lust involved.
Lust is more dependent on
our hearts than on our eyes. It is possible to lust after someone in your
heart even when they are completely clothed, just as you can relate to
a person platonically even when they are naked. Most people are just not
used to thinking in those terms. In a naturist environment, you quickly
take it for granted.
Question:
Doesn't being naked in close-company
provide an excessive opportunity for temptation?
Answer:
Social nudity - in groups,
and especially in families - offers little in the way of possible temptation.
In any event, the integrity of the persons involved is your assurance that
there will be no temptation. Any person that would find himself tempted
or thinking unclean thoughts in such a case has a problem that clothing
would not solve - and should be avoided even in a swimsuit.
Question:
Do you share your naturist
views with members of your Ward and Stake?
Answer:
Although I have disclosed
my views on nudity to many people, (including LDS members), I have not
disclosed it to members of my Ward. I feel that to do so is to invite undue
criticism and gossip. It's impossible to explain naturism adequately to
everyone simultaneously - in a manner that all may understand there is
no transgression involved. When one person knows, the others find out by
word of mouth - and most would not know how to explain it properly.
Your closest neighbors tend
to be your greatest critics. There are even Biblical examples of this:
"A
prophet is not without honor, save in his own country." (Matthew 13:57)
People who think they know you well enough are inclined to openly correct
you when they feel you are wrong. Telling them about your social nudity
can often be a sure-fire way to invite misunderstandings of the worst kind.
Question:
Whom do you share your naturist
ideas with?
Answer:
I promote the idea of sharing
naturism with other LDS members - because they are they kind of people
that you would want your kids to associate with. However I feel it's better
to find LDS members anonymously, via the internet - except when possible
to do so directly. In time, social nudity will not be a big "taboo"
issue, and everyone can be more open about it.
Question:
How can I make anonymous
contacts?
Answer:
Use a free, Web-Based E-mail
service to send/receive E-mail, and a web-based service for Usenet postings.
I use Hotmail (www.hotmail.com),
and Deja News (www.dejanews.com)
for these purposes. They are convenient and very easy to use.
Question:
How can I get in touch with
other LDS Skinny-dippers through this site?
Answer:
See the Connections
page of this site. Otherwise, you may also e-mail me (Alan Palmer) at ldssdc@hotmail.com.
I will do my best to reply within 24 hours. Your privacy will be respected
completely.
Question:
Is LDSSDC an organization
or club with membership? What are your rules?
Answer:
There is no organization
or club - just various people who can contact and communicate with each
other if they wish. The only organization we have in common is the
Church, in most cases. As for rules, the usual naturist ettiquette
applies (sit on a towel, don't stare or encroach on personal space, etc.)
We assume that people will comport themselves in a manner appropriate for
Latter-Day Saints.
___________
1. William
E. Hartman, Ph.D., and Marilyn Fithian, from their research in "Nudist
Society."
For additional questions and/or comments, send e-mail to me, Alan Palmer, at ldssdc@hotmail.com. Give me a day to respond.