The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sometimes confused with the FLDS, a small polygamist group that split from the Church in the 1800s. People who’ve seen recent news coverage of the FLDS often believe these women, in their pretty pastel pioneer clothing and lovely upswept hairstyles are the people often called Mormons or LDS, but who belong to the original Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is no actual connection between the two churches. Because they left so early in the Church’s history, the two groups have grown to be very different.
In reality, there are probably Mormon women from the original church all around you and you may not even know it. Mormon women dress in styles of their own choosing. There are standards of modesty, but not as strict as those practiced by the FLDS. If you were to visit a group of LDS women, you would find some in long, fashionable dresses, but others would have dresses to their knees. Some would be in jeans, and others in knee-length shorts. In other words, they choose their own style of clothing from the stores in their areas or they make their own. They would have whatever hair style they wanted—according to modern fashion. LDS women may have careers, they may be in school, or they may be home full-time.
Teenage girls are going to school, playing sports, and spending time with friends, as well as participating in meaningful church and community events. They date according to the guidelines of the Church, which are designed to keep them morally safe and prevent early marriage. But they do date, most beginning to do so at the age of 16, and dates are typical for the society in which they live.
On this site, we will provide you with more information on how LDS women and girls live their lives.
LDS Women in the Church–Find out about the role of women in church functions and leadership.
LDS Women in the Home–Learn how modern LDS women live their homelives.
The Lives of LDS Teenage Girls
Polygamy in the 1800s-Find out how women in polygamists families lived when it was initially practiced, and how it differs from the practices of the FLDS.
LDS Marriages –How LDS marriages work today.
On the Church’s websites, you can learn even more about the lives of LDS women and girls:
The Relief Society, official auxiliary for adult women
The Latter-day Saint Woman, part A
The Latter-day Saint Woman, part B
Watch a play about Relief Society’s early days