Why I added sleeves to my prom dress

*I just want to explain that I am not trying to be preachy or self-righteous by writing this. I am simply explaining.*

As most of you know, I am a devout Mormon. I was raised in a home that teaches self respect and modesty. Prom dresses don't always scream modesty.. sometimes they scream quite the opposite. Most of my friends of different faiths wore strapless or sleeveless dresses with low cut chest lines. I am not trying to chastise them for their dresses, but merely explain why my dress looked a little different. I even have some LDS friends that wore these types of dresses, which further confuses my non-member friends. So here is why I added sleeves to my prom dress. 

The LDS church does not teach women to hide their bodies or cover up out of shame. It is quite the contrary. We are taught that our mortal bodies are the most precious gifts we receive. To show respect to God for our bodies, we wear modest clothing that is not too revealing. We try not to show excessive cleavage, shoulders, or wear short shorts and skirts. One thing I want to emphasize is that women aren't modest simply for men! Some people try to say that we should be modest so we don't tempt men. This argument always kinda ticked me off. In my opinion, it's a man's choice to be looking at a woman inappropriately. Jesus said if one of your eyes is offending you, cut it out. I think it is a good gesture to dress appropriately because some men may struggle with inappropriate thoughts and feelings, but that is not the sole reason to be modest. But I'm going off on a tangent and that's not the point. I am modest because the Lord has asked me to be. I am so grateful for the body I was given and I am proud of how beautiful it is. To show my gratitude, I will dress modestly. It is also a way to show to others that you are a disciple of Christ. Mainly, being modest invites the Spirit to dwell within you. 

Something that has always confused me about a portion of the Mormon culture is the idea that you can select occasions to be modest. Some girls wear modest clothes all the time but wear a very revealing bathing suit to the pool. The most popular occasions to ditch your standards seem to be homecoming and prom. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet states, "Never lower your standards of dress. Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest." 

I bought my beautiful dress when I was in England this summer. The dress was absolutely stunning without sleeves (all it had was thin spaghetti straps). I was really worried that we would ruin it by trying to add sleeves. I repeatedly put it on for almost a full year without the sleeves on. It looked beautiful on me and I felt beautiful in it. But it just wasn't me. I didn't even necessarily feel uncomfortable in it (probably because I only ever put it on in the privacy of my own room). But I had been raised to dress modestly, regardless of the occasion. I'm not sure if my parents would've let me wear it without the sleeves, but I didn't even ask. At the end of the day, it was my decision to make. I decided that I wanted to be modest. I wanted my kids to look back at my senior prom pictures and see that I was modest. I wanted to feel like myself and keep the standards close to my heart on a night when not everyone around me would be making good choices. 

It was so simple to add the sleeves on. Actually, you can ask my mom if it was simple... It looked simple to me. It only took a few sittings to get them just right. 

I felt beautiful and confident all night. I never worried that too much was showing or that something was gonna pop out. I had a wonderful night and I will always look back at those pictures with fondness.

(The sleeves are light to match the dress and I realize that they don't show up extremely well in all the pictures.. which would make this entire post pointless... haha.... it's the thought that counts right?)

I just want to say again that I am not writing this to be preachy or self-righteous or to chastise or scold anyone! I just want to encourage my fellow ladies to be modest all the time to show respect to yourselves and to God. I promise that if you are modest, you will be blessed with the confidence and happiness that you all deserve.

Mom.

Elizabeth. Lizzy. Lizzy Bizzy Woman. Crackhead. Ya Big Freak. We call you so many different names and titles. But there is one title I think you should be proudest of: Mom. 

You sacrificed your free time, career and independence. You gave up your young, fit, perfect body for 4 round, pregnant bellies. You gave away your sanity and gained patience. You gave up the glories of the world for a thankless job. So I'm here to say thank you. Thank you for raising me in a loving household that taught me kindness and goodness. Thank you for dragging me to church even when I didn't have a testimony of my own. Thank you for always holding my hand when I got my blood drawn. Thank you for continuing to give me my shots of medication even though I told you, "every time you stab a needle in my arm, it's like you stab my heart." Thank you for cutting the crust off my sandwiches for years. Thank you for getting up every morning to wake me up (multiple times) for seminary. Thank you for sitting in the study, listening to me pound out notes on the piano for hours. Thank you for encouraging me to keep singing even though I didn't get the solo or part I wanted. Thank you to listening to my songwriting when I only knew four chords on the guitar. Thank you for sitting in the passenger seat when I was a fifteen year old who didn't know how to gradually brake. Thank you for letting me come to you every time I cried, so that I never had to cry alone. Thank you for coming up to my room in the middle of the night, when I told you I was too tired and sad to get out of bed, tickling my back until I fell asleep. Thank you for closing your iPad, taking your reading glasses off, and opening your arms every time I walked in with puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. Thank you for loving me unconditionally when I didn't know how to love myself. Thank you for showing me that I had worth and value no matter what. Thank you for teaching me that I had a loving Savior and Father in Heaven. Thank you for making our home a heaven on earth. Thank you for giving up your past life to give me life. Thank you for raising 4 souls who love their parents and siblings dearly. No thanks I give you will ever be enough. I love you so much. You are my best friend. Happy Mother's Day.