dark trousers -- but only in favour of Bermuda shorts.

For, unlike their peers elsewhere, young Mormon missionaries to Bermuda now have permission from their mother church to wear shorts to follow local custom.

The move came after overheated church workers on the Island complained to church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, that trousers were not suitable for a beach paradise's climate.

The Mormons -- members of what is properly known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- spend up to six months as missionaries around the world.

Requests by dozens of the 19 to 26-year-old volunteers over the years led then-Mission President John Bailey in New York to ask church officials in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a ruling.

And the Church's Missionary Office granted permission to alter the standard uniform in 1996.

But young Mormons in Bermuda have drawn the line at their knees -- they have opted for sober dark blue and grey shorts over the bright yellows, pinks and reds favoured by Bermuda's business community.

This week The Royal Gazette spoke to two young missionaries, Elder Stephen Muse and Elder Scott Richards about the change in policy.

"Before I came here two months ago,'' Mr. Richards said, "all I knew about Bermuda was that I could wear shorts!'' Mr. Richards, 21, explained that except for South Pacific, the 60,000 Mormon missionaries around the world must wear the standard uniform of dark pants, white shirt, tie, and name tag.

Stephen Muse, also 21, added: "In Samoa and Hawaii they can wear the lava lava -- a sarong type wrap worn by men there.'' "The cultural significance here of Bermuda shorts was explained to Salt Lake and they made the modification.'' The elders said visiting church members often remarked at their shorts and usually wanted photographs.

Mr. Muse, from Newbury Park, California, said: "My mother is really bugging me to send her a photograph of me in my shorts.'' "After I sent my mother a photo, she sent me a letter saying `nice outfit,'' Mr. Richards, of Alpine, Utah, interjected.

The missionaries said they and their colleagues have two purposes while in communities in the US and around the world.

Mr. Muse said: "Our first purpose is to serve. We give help to anyone that might need it. Anything. In fact, Elder Richards has a blister on his hand from using a machete to cut a hedge!'' The second purpose of the mission is to teach people about Jesus Christ.

"We share the six discussion sessions which are the basic beliefs about the church,'' he added.

Mr. Richards explained the church believe in God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ, set out in the Articles of Faith.

Joseph Smith founded the church on April 6, 1830 in Fayette, New York, and it now has more than ten million members world wide.

There are now more church members around the world than in the congregation's US home.

The church is led by Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley in Salt Lake City, where the followers of Joseph Smith settled after a trek across north America.

Mr. Muse volunteered for his missionary stint in New York and Bermuda after one year at community college in California, and at present wants to pursue a business degree.

Mr. Richards is studying manufacturing technology at college in Idaho, and added he was raised in Chicago, Illinois.

He said: "We receive a warm welcome here in Bermuda and we learn a lot. I have friends all over the world, Russia, Australia, Mexico, and they all know about the Bermuda shorts.''