It’s no secret that tattoos have been under scrutiny by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for decades. But is that stigma changing?
In a Pew Research Center survey, approximately 85% of U.S. Latter-day Saints agreed that over the past 20 years, society has become more accepting of tattoos.
That begs the question: Are more Latter-day Saints actually getting them?
Maybe not.
Ryan Burge, a professor and religion analyst at Washington University in St. Louis, studied the data and noted that 20% of Latter-day Saints reported having at least one tattoo. Only Jewish adherents ranked lower at 17%.
Although 80% of the nation’s Latter-day Saints avoid tattoos, some observers believe that number is on the decline.
‘For the Strength of Youth’ changes
(Ethan Gregory Dodge) Ethan Gregory Dodge showcases his tattoo honoring his Latter-day Saint pioneer ancestor.
Freelance journalist Ethan Gregory Dodge, a tattoo devotee and an occasional Salt Lake Tribune contributor, pointed to several reasons for the increase in inking.
This shift may have started, Dodge suggested, with the 2022 update to the church’s “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet, which removed explicit language discouraging members from wearing tattoos.
Beyond religious practice, Dodge said, cultural shifts have also played a part.
“I suspect that somebody’s religion is going to play less and less a part of why they get tattooed or not,” Dodge said. “And it’s going to be more for personal reasons.”
Jacob Oman is one such Latter-day Saint.
The tattooed missionary
A former missionary and current student at church-owned Brigham Young University, Oman said he had been wanting a tattoo for years but was met with resistance from his Latter-day Saint family.
Oman grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia, near a thriving tattoo climate in Richmond. He had multiple friends who got their first tattoo at age 18 and was hoping to do the same but his parents weren’t on board.
After some time, Oman was able to persuade his parents to let him get his first tattoo but with some caveats: It needed to carry spiritual significance and be one that he wouldn’t regret having later in life.
Oman researched relentlessly and decided his first tattoo would be a firefly, representing his hometown and the Christian concept of grace.
(Jacob Oman) Latter-day Saint Jacob Oman shows his first tattoo located on his upper-left chest.
“In my home in Virginia, especially during the summers, the world just lights up with fireflies,” Oman said. “My dad would say that fireflies are one of the best examples of the grace of God. We assume God created the world and that means he also made fireflies. … They’re just beautiful.”
Sometime after getting his first tattoo, Oman served a church mission and had lots of conversations with other missionaries about his firefly and its significance. He felt that it was up to him, Oman explained, to help change anti-tattoo sentiments in Latter-day Saint culture.
Since then, Oman has gotten more tattoos and posted about them online. The reactions from members have been mixed, he said, but fellow BYU students have been more receptive.
“The church, for better or worse, moves very slowly,” Oman said. “Change in the church does not happen overnight.”
Inspired by her mom
(Kendall Guthrie) Latter-day Saint Kendall Guthrie got a tattoo after her mother did so.
Not every tattooed Latter-day Saint meets resistance from family. Kendall Guthrie, a Latter-day Saint living in Provo, said the inspiration for her tattoo came from her mother.
Guthrie grew up in Cleveland in a practicing Latter-day Saint family. She told herself she would never get a tattoo or a piercing but did a double take after her mom got one.
This act inspired Guthrie, a music lover, and she decided to get a tattoo that was meaningful to her: a stamp with a piano inside it.
(Kendall Guthrie) Latter-day Saint Kendall Guthrie shows her piano stamp tattoo.
“I just really liked the look of a stamp,” she said. “My mom is a pianist, and my mom is really special to me.”
Guthrie acknowledged that some fellow Latter-day Saints may judge her for having a tattoo, but she is happy with her decision.
“I have something on my body for the rest of my life, but I don’t think it’s harming my body,” Guthrie said. “I don’t think it diminishes it in any way.”
Despite the historical backlash against tattoos in the Latter-day Saint community, Oman expects the biggest change in the acceptance and sporting of tattoos to come from Generation Z Latter-day Saints, who will grow up under the church’s new guidance and the influence of social media.
As long as a tattoo is meant to be meaningful, he said, what’s the harm?
Note to readers • Dylan Eubank is a Report for America corps member covering faith in Utah County for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps to keep him writing stories.
Correction • Dec. 1, 2025, 10:20 a.m.: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Kendall Guthrie’s name.