I was happy to see the First Presidency’s letter this week where they asked temple workers and patrons to wear masks. But I have to admit that I’m really puzzled by the wording. They’re asking patrons and workers to wear masks? Why not require it? I mean, the Church owns the temples, after all. They can set the rules there. It’s not like with vaccination, where the Church really has no control, but which the First Presidency urged us to do just last month (and reiterated in this letter). Couldn’t they at least urge mask-wearing in the temple? Saying that people are asked to wear masks just sounds far weaker than I would have expected.
I worked in a couple of public libraries for a number of years, and in one, people were limited to checking out no more than five DVDs at a time. A sign next to the DVD section said something like “Please take no more than five DVDs.” Someone once asked me why the sign said “please,” because it made it sound like a request. We had the rule, so why not just say what it was? Anyway, I feel like the First Presidency statement brings up the same question. If it’s announcing a rule that people have to wear masks to go in the temple, the letter’s soft language is failing to communicate, because I’ve already seen people arguing online that they can go to the temple unmasked because this is only a request.
I think it’s stating a rule, but they just got carried away in softening their language. Here’s the full paragraph from the letter I’m taking the quote from.
As cases of COVID-19 increase in many areas, we want to do everything possible to allow temples to remain open. Therefore, effective immediately, all temple patrons and workers are asked to wear face masks at all times while in the temple. These safety protocols are temporary, based on COVID-19 conditions, and will be rescinded as soon as circumstances permit.
Here are reasons why I think the letter is making a rule:
- It says “effective immediately.” If they were only making a request, timing wouldn’t matter, as not everyone would be expected to comply anyway. When they’re making a new rule, though, they need to be explicit about when it starts, so saying when it becomes effective signals that it’s a rule.
- It refers to “all temple patrons and workers.” For a request, it make less sense to be so clear about who it applies to. For a rule, it makes perfect sense.
- It mentions “at all times while in the temple.” Again, if it were only a request, it wouldn’t make sense to be so explicit about how it covers all times.
- It refers to “safety protocols.” You don’t call a request a protocol. You call a rule a protocol.
I think it’s interesting to see just how many ways the language of the letter was softened compared to what it could have been:
- As I already mentioned it says that people are asked to wear masks. It could have said they’re urged to wear masks or required. It could have said that entry into the temple is prohibited for people who aren’t wearing masks.
- It uses the passive voice. It would have been stronger to say “We ask all temple patrons and workers to wear face masks . . .”
- For an extra helping of power, it could have explicitly reminded readers of who’s writing the letter. For comparison, a 2006 Q15 letter about gay marriage said, “We, as the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, have repeatedly set forth our position . . .”
- It reminds readers of the temporary nature of the rule, and that it will be rescinded as soon as possible. I would think this would go without saying because of course it’s temporary and of course it’s a bit of a hassle, so of course it will be changed back to normal as soon as it can be.
Another obvious question is why the First Presidency would soften their language so much. The answer is probably just as obvious. They clearly know that they’ve gotten lots of pushback on their urging to vaccinate and mask from Church members who are devoted Trumpists. I suspect they were hoping that by expressing this rule in gentler terms, they might get a less outraged response. But as I mentioned above, it seems like rather than reduce Trumpists’ outrage, they’ve just given them space to deny that mask-wearing is even required in temples.
This big difference between urging to vaccinate and mask to asking got me to wondering what type of language the First Presidency typically uses when they release a letter where they’re asking for some type of response from members. I searched the Deseret News for “first presidency letter” (without the quotes) and noted all the results where the First Presidency (or full Q15) had released a letter where they wanted members to do something. (I would have used the Church’s site, but their Newsroom archive only goes back to 2017.) I excluded articles about letters that were purely announcements (e.g., Conference is next month, VT/HT is now ministering, etc.). In the table below, I’ve listed 30 letters I found, with the key quote from each that makes a request, with the key word(s) in the request quote bolded. Sometimes the key words are direct requests, and other times they’re just statements of norms (e.g., something should not happen). Note that this is definitely an incomplete listing of letters, because the results go back to 1989 and I’m sure there have been more than 30 letters in 32 years that asked us to do something, but I’m hoping this at least gives a bit of a flavor of the type of language they typically use.
| Date | Topic | Quote |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 Nov | ward budgets | We ask all Latter-day Saints to observe the designated fast and to contribute to the Church a generous fast offering |
| 1990 Dec | mission payments equalized | We ask that bishops be sensitive to the financial circumstances of those who presently are contributing less than $350 per month for the maintenance of a missionary, and who will be unable to increase their contributions. Other members of the ward may be urged to contribute to assist in these circumstances. |
| 1991 Sep | Satanic cults | These [occult-related] things should not be pursued as games, be topics in Church meetings, or be delved into in private, personal conversations. |
| 2002 Feb | food storage | Priesthood and Relief Society leaders should teach the importance of home storage and securing a financial reserve. |
| 2003 Dec | Rexburg ID temple | Members who desire to contribute financially toward the construction of the temple may be invited to do so as their circumstances permit. |
| 2004 Jan | guns at church | . . . public notice that firearms are prohibited in the church’s houses of worship, including temples, meetinghouses, the Assembly Hall, the Salt Lake Tabernacle and the Conference Center. |
| 2004 Jul | voting | In this election year, we urge Church members to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then vote for those they believe will most nearly carry out their ideas of good government. . . . Church facilities, directories, and mailing lists are not to be used for political purposes. . . . Candidates for public office should not imply that their candidacy is endorsed by the Church or its leaders, and Church members should avoid statements or conduct that may be interpreted as Church endorsement of any political party, political platform, or candidate. In addition, members who hold public office should not give the impression they represent the Church as they work for solutions to social problems. |
| 2006 May | gay marriage | We, as the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, have repeatedly set forth our position that the marriage of a man and a woman is the only acceptable marriage relationship. . . . We urge our members to express themselves on this urgent matter to their elected representatives in the Senate. |
| 2008 Mar | affinity fraud | We are also concerned that there are those who use relationships of trust to promote risky or even fraudulent investment and business schemes. |
| 2008 Jun | Prop 8 | We ask that you do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman. |
| 2008 Sep | voting | . . . we urge you to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then to vote for and actively support those you believe will most nearly carry out your ideas of good government |
| 2012 Feb | temple work for Holocaust victims | Without exception, Church members must not submit for proxy temple ordinances any names from unauthorized groups, such as celebrities and Jewish Holocaust victims. If members do so, they may forfeit their New FamilySearch privileges. Other corrective action may also be taken. |
| 2013 Jun | paying for missions | With the recent change in missionary age of service, the number of missionaries serving has increased dramatically . . . Many of these new missionaries come from modest circumstances. To help maintain this missionary force, we encourage members, as they are able, to contribute regularly and generously to the General Missionary Fund of the church. |
| 2014 Feb | political caucuses | We encourage our members to participate as an exercise of their civic responsibility and privileges |
| 2015 Jun | gay marriage | We encourage all to consider these teachings in the context of the Plan of Salvation and our Heavenly Father’s purposes in creating the earth and providing for our mortal birth and experience here as His children |
| 2015 Oct | refugees | Many Church members have inquired how they can provide additional assistance. Members may contribute to the Church Humanitarian Fund using the Tithing and Other Offerings donations slip. We also invite Church units, families, and individuals to participate in local refugee relief projects, where practical. |
| 2016 Oct | marijuana, physician-assisted suicide | We urge Church members to let their voices be heard in opposition to the legalization of recreational marijuana. . . . We urge Church members to let their voices be heard in opposition to the measures that would legalize physician-assisted suicide. |
| 2016 Nov | new US president | We invite Americans everywhere, whatever their political persuasion, to join us in praying for the president-elect, his new administration and for elected leaders across the nation and the world |
| 2017 Aug | church events calendar | We encourage your careful attention to this schedule . . . These events are an important part of the Church’s efforts to instruct and edify members worldwide. |
| 2017 Sep | Hurricane Harvey cleanup | Within the next few days or weeks, volunteers to assist in the massive cleanup effort will be needed, but with rescue efforts still underway, that time has not yet arrived. If you wish to participate, please do not call local church leaders in Texas and Louisiana or travel to the affected areas right now. |
| 2018 Mar | adult can sit in on bishop’s interviews | To ensure the safety and protection of children, youth and adults, we ask that all priesthood and auxiliary leaders become familiar with existing church policies and guidelines on preventing and responding to abuse . . . |
| 2019 Mar | seminary | We encourage all youth to fully participate in seminary as they seek to increase their love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and deepen their conversion to the restored gospel. |
| 2020 Mar | church during COVID | . . . bishops should counsel with their stake presidents to determine how to make the sacrament available to members at least once a month. |
| 2020 Apr | COVID relief efforts | We invite our members to participate in these and other relief projects in their areas and communities as opportunities arise and as local government directives and personal circumstances allow. |
| 2020 Sep | return to church | Beginning in November stake conferences may be held virtually or with careful social distancing. |
| 2020 Oct | voting | We urge Latter-day Saints to be active citizens by registering, exercising their right to vote, and engaging in civic affairs. |
| 2021 Jan | Jan 6 attack on US capitol | We condemn violence and lawless behavior, including the recent violence in Washington, D.C., and any suggestion of further violence. . . . We urge all people to remember the precious and fragile nature of freedom and peace. |
| 2021 Jan | COVID vaccination | As appropriate opportunities become available, the church urges its members, employees and missionaries to be good global citizens and help quell the pandemic by safeguarding themselves and others through immunization. |
| 2021 Aug | masks, COVID vaccination | We urge individuals to be vaccinated. . . . To limit exposure to these viruses, we urge the use of face masks in public meetings whenever social distancing is not possible |
| 2021 Sep | wearing masks in temples | . . . effective immediately, all temple patrons and workers are asked to wear face masks at all times while in the temple. |
So what do you think? Was the letter making a request or stating a rule?
This is wonderful. It could not be more clear from your chart that the Church knows how to make things mandatory when that is the intent. The requirements come from direct revelation. The urging or asking comes when it is the idea of the first presidency as men, not as conduits of revelation.
It could not be more clear? That’s a very interesting conclusion, Ivy, and I’m guessing the result of some motivated reasoning.
This is an interesting list. Clearly, the Church has used terms stronger than “ask” (“prohibited” in the case of guns and “must not” in the case of submitting names of Holocaust victims to the temple). It also feels to me like “should not” is stronger than “ask.” However, “should” without the “not” feels weaker. Perhaps “workers and patrons should not forgo wearing a mask at any time within the temple” would have better made the point. But on the whole, “ask” feels stronger than “urge” and much stronger than “encourage” or “invite.” Many of the “urges” above were to do things the leadership surely knew most members would not do (write to their Senators, carefully study the issues). And they knew when they issued this letter that “urging” them to get vaccinated and wear masks at church was not producing the desired results. So I have to interpret “ask” in this context as being stronger than “urge.”
I would be interested in what instructions they have given to temple presidents concerning enforcement. That would go farther toward determining whether or not it is truly a rule. If it were up to me, I would (1) release any worker who refused to comply, and (2) have the recommend desk remind unmasked patrons of the request and refer them to the temple president if they still refuse, where they would have to directly answer the question “Why are are you refusing this request from the prophet?” Here I’m channeling a visiting cop at a neighborhood watch meeting I attended in which she encouraged us to report any suspicious activity. Since Virginia had recently become an open-carry state, someone asked if openly carrying could still be deemed “suspicious.” The answer was “yes.” The cops couldn’t arrest him for simply carrying, but they could draw down on him, plant his face in the asphalt, pat him down, and generally make him regret his choice to openly carry. (For the record, the implicit assumption was that anybody openly carrying would be white, since the law was passed entirely with the support of white legislators.)
Great thoughts, Last Lemming. To me, “ask” sounds weaker than “urge,” but I can see your point about the surrounding context of what the likely compliance rate was going to be without the FP letter. I also agree that if we could see what the Church is telling the temple presidents, that would really answer the question.
Listen, when a man like your colonel suggests something, it’s an order.
(Feeling a little bit snarky today)
The church has spent the last fifty years alienating liberals (and many moderates) by condemning gays, feminists, and intellectuals, by arguing against a woman’s right to choose, by walking in parallel with the John Birch society, etc etc etc. They can’t afford to alienate the right wing as well by urging compliance to public health measures. If they do, there won’t be anyone left to sit in the pews.
I think it is supposed to be a rule, but they are to chicken to make it one. It is up to local temple presidents to determine how to handle it.
Good comparison, Commander Shears.
Well snarked, Rockwell! I’m sure you’re right, that now it falls to the temple presidents to see how hard-nosed they want to be about it.
The First Presidency measures it’s words in official statements very carefully. They likely had legal counsel on this one. They absolutely know how to make something a requirement when they choose to do so.
The Presidency was apparently advised to soften the language here so as not to offend the litigious younger generation. A generation that would not hesitate to file suit over the slightest mask-related mishap.
Our temple presidency released several workers who were grumbling (in the temple) about masks and vaccinations and criticizing the First Presidency for their statement three weeks ago. My friends in the temple were overjoyed.
Wow, Old Man. That’s very encouraging!
Is this the beginning of church-sponsored loss of agency?
Is this the beginning of church-sponsored loss of agency?
Take a look at the very first example from Ziff’s list:
Why is that not an equally plausible “beginning of church-sponsored loss of agency”?
It’s not like there aren’t already a whole bunch of other rules and requirements to get in
Wilkes, that’s an amazing question. Bill and Last Lemming already pointed this out, but have you never noticed that the Church has reams of other commandments and requests? Seriously? Mask-wearing is the very first thing you’ve ever noticed the Church asking or telling you to do? The mind boggles.