Popular LDS Model Spencer Burhoe Still Lives In Church Standards Despite His Career

Researched By: Romrik Joshua Flores, Moroni Channel
Bonifacio Global City Taguig Philippines

A professional Latter-day Saint Model who lives in New York City, Spencer Burhoe, shares his thoughts and advice for the young people of the church who are interested in the entertainment industry. Spencer served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan. He rejected an offer from Prada in order to serve a mission, according to LDS.net.

He has worked for popular brands like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, and many magazine photo shoots and fashion shows. Even though he hits big in the modeling industry he still lives by the standards of the church.

“I go to church, and … I hold myself to a high standard of living in terms of morality,” he said.

While living in New York, Burhoe has seen members who decided to move to New York hoping to make it in the entertainment industry but despite their membership in the church they still choose to lower their standards to try to fit in in the industry, he told the KSL News.

“I have found, though, that that’s not necessary to compromise your standards in order to be successful or to fit in, because you don’t have to. You can just be in the world or in wherever you are and you don’t have to really do the things that everybody else does, and people will often look up to you and actually like end up admiring like your willingness to stick to your standards,” he said.

According to KSL News Burhoe has been giving firesides to youths in Utah. He talks about being in the world, but not of the world. His favorite scripture verse can be found in Moroni 7:33.

Moroni 7:33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.

When asked how he balances religion and a career as a professional model, Burhoe responded to LDS.net.

“I don’t feel like you have to balance so much. Yes, the fashion industry is a very mysterious industry to a lot of people who aren’t in it, and especially for those with conservative beliefs. The fashion industry is very open about a lot of things. It’s not an industry that values values, but in terms of myself, I have my standards and I live my standards. When people asked me this, at first, I was always taken aback, because it seemed like people were questioning my testimony.

“In any industry there’s a balance in terms of how you balance your work life, your family life, and your spiritual life. Especially in today’s society – it’s hard to bring any sort of religious beliefs into the work place. It’s not approved of; it’s not allowed today. I go to work, I do my job, and I still live my standards. When I’m on-set and off-set; it doesn’t matter.”