Mormon Missionary Gals Can Now Wear Pants Instead of Skirts

“Sister Missionaries” in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints no longer have to wear skirts while on mission. They can now, thanks to a decree of the Mormon church, wear pants. In particular, they can wear dress slacks, specifically.

Sister Missionaries serve in 407 missions around the world, and up until now, were strictly prohibited from wearing anything but free-flowing skirts or dresses.

The decision was passed down by the First Presidency and is primarily motivated by “safety concerns,” according to Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and chairman of the Missionary Executive Council.

Elder Uchtdorf said, “Adjustment to the missionary dress and grooming standards have changed over time since the beginning of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in 1830 and will continue to do so in the future. As we adapt these standards, we are always careful to consider the dignity of the missionary calling to represent Jesus Christ, the safety, security, and health of our beloved missionaries, and the cultural sensitivities of the places where they serve.”

Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women general president and a member of the Missionary Executive Council, claimed the safety issues were insect-spread illnesses.

“There are a lot of vector-borne diseases because of mosquitoes and ticks and fleas,” said Sister Cordon. “This helps the sisters to prevent any of those bites or at least minimizes them.”

Mormon women still have to wear skirts or dresses at temple and during Sunday worship services, mission leadership and zone conferences, and baptismal services