It might look like a plain, gray BYU t-shirt. But it is deceptively powerful. The power does not lie in the fabric, the stitching, or even the mighty cougar standing atop the BYU logo.
I have several BYU shirts. Blue ones, gray ones, and the seasonal football shirts with the cheesy slogans. Why? I am a proud alumnus of BYU. I had a great experience, and remember it fondly. (If anyone from alumni fundraising is reading this, I am just joking, I have no money, and I don’t believe in telephones.)
Sorry – back to the power. The power of my BYU shirts lies in the simple fact that they have within their cotton-poly strands the ability to alter my behavior. It is true. I’m not necessarily proud of it, but it is true. No, they are not magic, and they do not have the power to repel various stains and tears, but they help me be a better person.
How so?
Look at the shirt. What do you see? Brigham Young. The famous Mormon prophet. The American Moses. The Lion of the Lord. A colossal name known throughout the country as one of the great figures in US history. Two things come to the minds of most Americans when they read his name: 1) Lots of wives, and 2) Mormon.
When I wear my BYU shirt I am essentially declaring my religion. It is like wearing a sticker on my chest that says “I’m a Mormon.” I don’t own any other pieces of clothing that says anything about me as personal, or as important, as this.
Nobody looks at a Mickey Mouse shirt and assumes that the wearer was raised a Congregationalist, or looks at a Tiger Woods shirt and thinks “I’ll bet that guy is Buddhist.” Even a University of Utah t-shirt only promotes the possibility of Mormonism, but also the possibility that the wearer is all about not being Mormon.)
But generating an assumption of Mormonism is not power. The power lies in my behavior change…
Sometimes I struggle with patience, selfishness and kindness. I know for a fact that I am more patient with people I don’t know when I have my BYU shirt on. I am less likely to show anger, or to be sarcastic. I suddenly have all sorts of patience for the woman ahead of me in the grocery line who decides to pay with loose change from her purse after the checker is done ringing up the last of her groceries. (I digress…) I am even more likely to stop and help someone, or let someone cut ahead of me.
Yes, I’m flawed – but honest!
My improved behavior isn’t as much about how the person will perceive me personally, but how the person might define the Church by how I behave. I feel a sense of responsibility to present the Church in the best light that I can. The kicker is, I should feel like that all the time – no matter what I’m wearing. And I don’t even own a CTR ring.
Sometimes I find air travel very frustrating. Airports, airplanes, customs, TSA, etc. Often I will intentionally wear a BYU shirt to remind and motivate me to be patient and kind. I have had strangers in both Europe and Africa shout “Go Cougars!” when they see me. If the Cougar fans notice my shirt, so do others.
The goal:
Behave as if I had a BYU Shirt, or an “I’m a Mormon” sticker on my chest all the time. Or, better yet, get to the point where the image of Christ shines in my countenance. (Alma 5:19) That is the goal. And if my lowly BYU shirt helps me along the way, I’ll take it.
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I recently found your blog and I love it! This post totally reminded me of my dad! Years ago we got him a BYU license plate frame. He wasn’t so sure he wanted it (he’d rather have a University of Texas… his other alma mater) for the same reasons you described… having BYU on his car meant he had to be a good, courteous driver!
WATCH OUT!! BRANDICE HAS A BOM IN HER PURSE!!! AAAHHHH
hehehe
I felt the same way about my name tag on my mission but since I am not a U fan or BYU fan or CTR ring fan I guess I’ll just have to rely on my 4 kids as my Mormon badge. hahaha
Cheeseboy:
I was counting on it. That’s why I used the U of U as the “Anti-Shirt”.
(See 2 Nephi 2:11)
I’m Mormon and wouldn’t be caught dead in one. Not a chance. Never in a million years. I’d rather walk around town with no shirt on at all.
Sorry. But you knew that, right?
I’ll stick to wearing my CTR ring if I could find the darned thing.
No matter what your religion, I’ve always believed the best way to show others what you’re about and what your beliefs are about is to set a good example. And that’s certainly the best way to combat all the stereotypes.
Actually, not a bad idea, huh? Visual reminders of values and intents…
I like it.
Pearl
It’s interesting the things we project our inner gold onto; a t-shirt, a wedding ring, a photo or maybe even a church position. Maybe the “power” of the t-shirt actually lies within you, rather than in the poly-cotton blend? Reclaiming that projection, or inner gold, then becomes the challenge. Conveniently, these unassuming objects will patiently hold our gold for as long as we need them to. The goal: seeking both “the Christ” (within) and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I gotta get me some BYU shirts for me and all my family. I will insist they where nothing else for the entire school year. It’s BRILLIANT! We will all be on our best behavior. thanks for the idea. my kids will want to thank you later as well…
I am totally 100% that way.
I can just hear that little old lady saying, “…. and the cutest Mormon boy was so patient with me at the grocery store. What a sweet spirit!”
And hopefully she would have gotten out of there pretty quick before I (in my Ute shirt) punched you for making me wait in line behind you. Yes, the red may bring out the fighting tendencies (as in Go! Fight! Win!), but I will have to take your word for it, because I’m not about to don a BYU shirt just to test the theory.
Although I do carry a BOM in my purse…… Just sayin’.
I feel the same way about my BYU sweatshirt. Not so in my Michigan State sweatshirt…
A nice reminder to all of us. I need to find a shirt that will have the same effect on my DH (darling husband), I don’t think the BYU shirt will work since he did not go there; and a Navy shirt will probably have a reversed effect.