Women of Latter-day Saints rejoice. They can now wear pants during their missions, not just to avoid mosquitoes

The leaders of Latter-day Saints finally reduce the flow of missionaries of faith.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that it has relaxed the dress code and now authorized missionary "sisters." 407 of its missions worldwide are abandoning their dresses and wearing trousers – at their own discretion -.

The change, motivated primarily by security concerns and endorsed by the First Presidency of the Utah-based faith, was: Encountered by a group of Latter-day Saint women in the world.

"I say HALLELUJAH and ABOUT TIME", Kayla Bach, back from a mission in Santiago de Chile, told the Salt Lake Tribune on Facebook. "Pants are the way to go for women missionaries."

Apostle Dieter F. Uchtdorf, chairman of the church's missionary executive board, pointed out that the guidelines for the keeping and washing of missionaries had changed over the course of history Latter-day Saints.

We adapt these standards, "he said Thursday in a press release. We always carefully consider the dignity of the missionary's call to represent Jesus Christ, the safety and health of our beloved missionaries, as well as the cultural sensitivity of the places where they serve.

Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women President and Missionary Executive Council Member, New Dress Rules Minimize Women's Risk of Vector-borne Diseases from Mosquitoes, Ticks and Fleas . "The missionary sisters are extraordinary people," said Cordon in his statement. "We want to make sure that they are protected."

The changes will also make it easier for bicycle missionaries.

"I was a missionary to Norway and it would have been very useful to wear pants," Jane Haugsoen told The Tribune on Facebook, "certainly a lot easier than five pairs of stockings to stay warm. "

Missionaries can wear pants all year round at their discretion, but must wear dresses and skirts to attend temples of the last days and Sunday services, as well as to lead and hold missions. baptismal lectures and baptisms.

Neylan McBaine, founder of the Mormon Women Project, said the changes are significant because they reflect a heightened sensitivity to the experiences of women in the church, rather than "exclusively from the perspective of the "Male experience".

the comfort and practicality of the woman before this perceived traditional appearance, which I think is a very positive development, "she said. "I also think that it has bigger implications for the church to show that we can adapt to the sense of modesty and propriety of various cultures."

The church has Firstly, the Mission Sisters were able to wear trousers in June 2016 – but only during the rainy seasons in areas affected by mosquito-borne viral diseases, such as Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya. This area included 230 missions, or about half of the church's missions.

About a year later, the church – which is probably the largest employer in Utah – has lightened the dress code of its employees by including women's pants as well as skirts and dresses traditional. .

McBaine hopes that the last change is part of a trajectory that ultimately affects what is considered appropriate to enter the temple.

"The encouragement of the temple is encouraged," she says, "and must be part of everyday life. experience for people, especially for women who run their children or who come from work or school, I hope that it really helps us understand that a woman does not No need to do everything possible to dress to make the temple part of her normal life.

When Marie Cornwall, a former sociologist at Brigham Young University and an expert on feminist studies, went on a mission in 1975, she said it would have been a "rather strange" announcement at someone's door. wearing pants. But change now means that the church "keeps pace with time".

"It's important for the brand," she said. "Given the conservative teachings on the family and all that, I think the church has an important message to make reference to the freedom women have to choose themselves as many clothes as possible. 39; it's a pants or a skirt, that's what seems most obvious. "

Tribune Reporter, Peggy Fletcher Stack, contributed to this story.