Are Masks of the Devil?

Masquerade!

Paper faces on parade.

Masquerade!

Hide your face, so the world will never find you!

Masquerade!

Every face a different shade.

Masquerade!

Look around -

there's another

mask behind you!

True is false.

Who is who?

Declares the catchy song Masquerade of  Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. These words would also be appropriately voiced in a persuasive whisper.

Mask wearing in Masquerade has its tradition in second millennium Venice, Italy in the pre-lent celebration of Carnival (Carne vale- free of meat), where they were used to hide the wearers identity. The exact origin of the implementation of masks is not clear but it became so popular that in 1268 and ordinance was passed prohibiting masked men from throwing scented eggs at women. The masquerade and its promiscuous “anything goes” attitude reached its peak in the 18th century but still lives on today in various celebrations around the world.

Masks have other origins besides the Masquerade and are common to our culture, from Batman and Zorro to the Phantom himself. 

Indeed a ball will be held this Saturday, here at BYU-I, a Masquerade Ball, and masks are on sale by the school, in the Kimball building. This  appears to be a contradiction in practice and has left many people wondering. This past Saturday the 44th ward had a Halloween costume party. It was a gay old time. I dressed up as a 1770’s revolutionary and my date as 1970’s hippie- we were protesters. We carved a pumpkin- a gruesome one even, with a machete through its side, my machete- but no masks. And everybody knew that no masks were allowed, for it is an implicit norm inside our LDS culture. 

A few hours of research with our school librarian yielded many results in the blogosphere but nothing in the ways of official Church policy.

Also, From time to time I've seen a prohibition on Masks at LDS halloween activities. Is this an entirely practical and mundane safety precaution? Or is there some old religious Taboo on masks going on here? 

For costume restrictions clearly state what they are in all fliers/posters/handouts/announcements: No masks, blood, guts, gore, etc. 

I would like to add that usually masks are not a good option. Masks have a way of making people feel anonymous and people might do any number of things when they feel anonymous than they would do otherwise which is why they are not allowed at church parties or even at school parties in our area. 

In Utah our kids got to wear their costumes to school (no masks), but in Oregon they don’t get to. 

All of these citations taken from the mormon blogosphere refer to this implicit idea that masks are bad, and that the Church says masks are bad. But are they? Gospelink had no link. LDS.org offered no comments. And even the authoritative Mormon Doctrine was found to be doctrine-less in regards to masks. Not even Halloween. 

From where does this negative view of masks come from exactly? It should be remembered that masks are not only associated with Masquerade, but also with Halloween, and many religious practices of Africa. 

To conclude I will depart leaving only questions.

Are you going to wear a mask this Halloween? If not why not?

If we frown upon masks because they hide our identity should we not frown upon other like practices such as acting and costume dressing? or make-up and excessive facial hair? and should we demand that Mickey Mouse remove his “mask” before he takes a picture with our kids at Disney World? Our should we outlaw Disney World altogether because Disney was a pagan?

Socrates would have acting or imitation outlawed altogether for “lest from enjoying the imitation, they come to enjoy the reality” of it (Republic, 395c). 

Am I going to wear a mask at the Masquerade Ball? Of course. The President said I could.