The Honor Code at Brigham Young University has received a lot of attention over the past few years. It requires students who wish to attend the Mormon-owned university to adhere to very high standards of traditional morality. Students agree to dress modestly, to avoid pre-marital sex, to be honest, and to uphold other values common to morally conservative faiths.
While these standards often come naturally to Mormon students, who have been asked to live them their entire lives, they are sometimes a challenge for students who are not Mormons. Mormon is a nickname sometimes applied to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, Johnny Ragan, a high school outside linebacker, considered the honor code an important factor in his decision to commit to Brigham Young University. Although not a Mormon, he said that the honor code outlined how he wanted to live his life anyway and so it played an important role in his decision to choose the school. He and his mother visited the university together and felt comfortable with the standards, the academics, and the coaches.
While some team members, both Mormon and non-Mormon, have run afoul of the Honor Code, most find themselves grateful that it is actually enforced for all students, even celebrity ones. Many schools excuse the important athletes or give them minor penalties. Reno Mahe, who was suspended over an Honor Code violation in 1998 just after his freshman year, has said it was good for him because he learned that being a star athlete didn’t make him better than others. With so many professional athletes today finding themselves in trouble over moral and legal issues, it is valuable for a student to learn this lesson while they are still in school, before the fame and temptations of professional sports cause them to start thinking they are above the rules. Many students find the code allows them to focus on school without the distractions and pressures to be immoral and choose BYU for that sort of support.
Students considering BYU are informed of the honor code before ever committing to the school, so they are aware they are going to be expected to live in a way that for some is a change from their past. They also know the school uniformly enforces it for all students, regardless of importance. The honor code helps students develop self-discipline that can pay off in adult life and allows those who follow it to discover it is possible to have fun without being immoral.
Non-Mormon students are expected to live the honor code in every way Mormon students are except that they are not required to attend church. The staff is also expected to live by it. The BYU honor code website for the school states:
As a matter of personal commitment, faculty, administration, staff, and students of Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University—Hawaii, Brigham Young University—Idaho, and LDS Business College seek to demonstrate in daily living on and off campus those moral virtues encompassed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and will
Be honest
Live a chaste and virtuous life
Obey the law and all campus policies
Use clean language
Respect others
Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse
Participate regularly in church services
Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code”
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
