CHAD - I grew up under the impression from my parents that LDS kids/people do not wear Halloween masks. Is this part of church policy? Should we avoid wearing masks for trick-or-treating through a neighborhood? Are masks off limits entirely? If so, are there any written references to this idea?

JOEL - This is what you might call one of those unwritten policies, that members(or anyone else) might want to follow for a few good reasons.

1. There is a safety issue in that masks can often impair ones vision, which can lead to accidents.

2. When there is a group of people together, including both kids and adults, it's best to know and be able to identify who everyone is so there is no problem with strangers.

3. And some masks can be pretty gruesome depicting satanic or violent characters, which is not really in keeping with the idea that we are supposed to be children of God and want avoid even the very appearance of evil. (1 Thes. 5: 22).