Posted on 11/30/2011 5:18:31 AM PST by Saundra Duffy
Known to some is the fact that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or Mormon Church) wear a special kind of underwear in connection with their religion. This is true of most faithful adult members of the Church. (Mormon children are generally dressed the same as any other children.) The special underwear is called a "garment" by Mormons, and it is directly related to Mormon temples.
Garments are a symbolic gesture of the promises that Mormons have made to God. The garment is always worn under other clothing, next to the skin. In fact, for most people who wear it, the garment takes the place of regular underwear. Mormons begin wearing it during their first visit to the temple, wherein they receive individual instruction on how the garment should be worn and cared for, and furthermore, they undergo a sacred ceremony called the temple endowment. Solely during this ritual, additional special clothing is put on; by contrast, the garment or special underwear is worn at all times, both day and night, from then on. It serves as a constant reminder of the covenants made during the temple endowment.
Mormons believe in being "in the world, but not of it," and the garment helps in privately yet consistently setting temple-going Mormons apart from the world. A particularly sharp contrast is felt in today's society, where morals and modesty have deteriorated to a most horrific degree. Many moviemakers and clothing manufacturers, for example, design their respective products to reveal so much of the human body that virtually nothing is left to the imagination. Mormons, on the other hand, are encouraged through the modest length and cut of their temple-got garments to always dress appropriately. Devout Mormons further understand that in only a very few instances might the garment be removed, such as for swimming, using the bathroom, or being intimate in marriage. The reasons for keeping the garment on far outweigh the reasons for taking it off.
The special Mormon underwear consists of a top and bottom piece, and it is made from a variety of lightweight fabrics. There are some special colored temple garments that can be worn by members of the armed services, but for the vast majority of Mormons, garments are always white. This symbolizes physical and spiritual purity. It fosters a mindset of continual obedience to the Lord, which is crucial in keeping the covenants entered into in the temple. Through such obedience, a person can find physical and spiritual protection. The Lord God is enabled to grant promised blessings, fulfilling His side of the temple covenants. Thus, the garment is sacred to the wearer not for what it is, but for what it represents. The garment helps the wearer to focus his or her life on Jesus Christ and to thereby lay claim to the blessings promised to those who do so.
Mormons are not unique in the wearing of special clothing for religious purposes. Perhaps the most well-known example is the yarmulke, which is worn at special times by many Jewish men or at all times by devout orthodox Jews. Similarly, in some religions a minister or priest might wear a special collar that has religious significance, or nuns may wear special clothing that signifies the religious order to which they belong. In all cases the special clothing reflects the religious conviction of the wearer.
There is a historical precedent for wearing religious clothing. Mormons emphasize the fact that Adam and Eve wore clothing that was made for them by God before they left the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:21 states that "unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them." Mormons believe that such clothing was provided as part of the religious instruction given to Adam and Eve by God. This is the same context in which Mormons receive the garment: as part of the religious instruction contained within the temple endowment.
Other religious figures throughout history have also worn special clothing as they performed their religious duties. For instance, Moses was commanded by the Lord (as recorded in Exodus 28:1-3) to place holy garments and priestly vestments upon Aaron and others in preparation for officiating in the tabernacle.
There is no professional clergy in the Mormon Church, so in some ways the garment serves as a symbol of the lay clergy, where both men and women share in the responsibilities and blessings of the priesthood, particularly in the temple.
For more information visit Mormon Underwear.
I just object to the Masonic symbols on it.
“You, girlfriend, need to crack open some books and study your religion.”
I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I am not ignorant of His Infinite Atonement for me and for all mankind. I love Him.
Even atheists are curious about the after life...
“I just object to the Masonic symbols on it.”
You can object to anything you want to object to. It’s OK with me. Thank you for not trying to hurt my feelings in so doing. Take care.
It would be impossible to flatter our Heavenly Father. Anyway, I appreciated your post. I hope you will not be offended if you made me smile.
I have a friend of mine who married a Mormon. Neither of them wore clothing when they slept. Not all Mormons are real strict about bedclothes.
Of course in VN no one wore underwear. At least outside the wire...
I, like you, fail to understand the near pathological obsession some here on FR have with Mormon underwear. It concerns me deeply. Not the underwear, the posters....
I’m not trying to be a god of my own planet unlike the Mormons. Why? Because God says that there is only one God in this universe and that humanity can not, repeat, can not have any others. This also excludes any human being from being God or trying to be a god. This is called ethical monotheism.
I can make fun of that all day, every day for the rest of my life.
So how does that magic underwear help in the self-deification process of worshiping one’s self? Will that magic underwear help me with my celestial marriage and family? What level will it take me to? What colors does it come in? Do the colors have specific meanings?
Will it help me to become a super hero?
Curious how you know what your friend’s wife wears to bed?
“I somehow missed the one where Jesus says that a prophet named Joe will come along and his word is to take precedence over mine...”
Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, not Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. Just to clarify your misconceptions.
A special undergarment is one of the five symbols of the Sikh religion.
I have Buff’s... but I didn’t know that putting a feather in your left shoe is highly recommended ! ROTFL
—The Mother of God was preserved from all sin and died a Virgin and was assumed into Heaven.—
Hey, it’s an Apocrypha thang!
My friend told me. He was not too shy about telling people details of his sex life. Unlike me. Not that I asked him about it, he cheerfully volunteered that info. You’d have to know him...not a lot of secrets kept with that guy.
;0)
It wasn’t a misconception. It was a joke. Let’s see just how much respect you truly have for Jesus.
Question 1. According to Jesus, how does one obtain salvation?
Question 2. According to Joseph Smith, how does one obtain salvation?
5 bucks says you won’t give a straight answer to either question.
If you REALLY believe that you are doing God's will, why do you care what man thinks?
When I was in flight school on my way to Vietnam the mishies told me that garmies protected the wearer from fire (we already wore Nomex flight suits). I said that surviving as an intact torso with my extremities burned to a crisp really didn’t appeal to me.
Your Mormon apologetics are beginning to sound rather Islamic in their intensity. OBTW, I’m Catholic, you know, a member of the “great and abominable Whore of Babylon church” according to the D&C.
Merry Smithmas!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.