fullofdoubtnow said,
He was privately counselled that he wouldn't be giving any talks, and instructed not to go in the fs, until he removed it.
I wish my Elders had said the same to me. That would have been the ticket I needed to stay active and not give a damn. 10 years ago when I first grew my beard, I had it documented by my doctor that I had psoriasis on my chin and around my eyebrows. Growing the beard helped keep the flareups to a minimum. They hated the beard, but didn't do much else to me. I was still allowed to give ministry school talks, but they told me I could not be appointed to anything.
4 years later, I quit going because I got tired of Elders constantly asking if I could shave off the beard. That and I started learning more about how they are just a boys club.