The Sacred Garment of Mormon Theology

Beehive Standard Weekly ^ | 02/23/2008 | Emerson Chase

[Alex Murphy]

Old Testament
High Priest Robes

At the Beehive Standard Weekly, our Internet analysis tools allow us to see what some people are searching for on search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and the like. Time and again, we see searches for "Mormon Underwear" coming up in our keywords section.

There appears to be some appetite for those who are curious as to the undergarment that some Mormon men and women wear.  Rather than the void being filled with some anti-Mormon lunatic or those who might only desire to ridicule, we thought it would be appropriate to give a discrete response to those who might be genuinely curious, but who don't want to read the bigoted slander that exists on the world wide web.

The Temple Garment: A Symbol of Progression in Spiritual Matters

It is true that some Mormons wear an undergarment unique to the Mormon faith. As a curious reader, you should know that the "garment" as Mormons refer to the article of clothing is sacred and in the Mormon faith is believed to be representative of the covenants God made with man since Adam and Eve. As such, those who mock or ridicule the garment are not only inconsiderate of the faith and beliefs of others, but strike at one of the most sacred items within the Mormon belief system.

In short, having a knowledge of the garment should help others recognize what the article of clothing is and how to interact with Mormons when the topic comes up in discussion.

In general, the garment is obtained through a process of obedience to commandments and knowledge of Mormon doctrine. Where the entrance to the Mormon faith is baptism by immersion in the name of "the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost," the garment is representative of a higher level of commitment to establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.

To understand how the garment fits into a person's spiritual progression, it would be helpful to start at the beginning and follow a standard course of a convert.

Let's first assume that a person decides that the Mormon faith is true and correct and they join the church. They would first be baptized and then they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is accomplished by going into a pool of water and then being fully immersed in the water by someone having authority from Christ to perform the ritual.

The next step is to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. In the Mormon faith, the Holy Ghost is believed to be a member of the Godhead and a personage of spirit that can enter into the physical soul of man to testify of truth. In other words, when the message of Christ is shared with another person, the Holy Ghost enters into the soul of that man or woman and there is a confirmation of the truth of the message by the workings of the Holy Ghost. It is a physical manifestation of truth. Every soul upon the earth is entitled to this physical manifestation of the Holy Ghost or special witness in order to help them find truth, or more specifically, to find the message that Christ is the Son of God and Redeemer of mankind.

After about a year after baptism and the receipt of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, adult men receive the priesthood so they can begin to minister in supporting roles in the church. The Mormon faith has a lay clergy, or rather, they do not have paid ministers or pastors. Women do not receive the priesthood in the Mormon faith, but are vital in their leadership and service in the church. After a full year, women have had many opportunities to serve and contribute to their congregations as well.

In each case, after a full year of activity in the church, the man or woman should have had many experiences to help confirm their faith and advance the work of Christ upon the earth. At this point, those who desire to enter the LDS Temples to make a higher level of commitment to Christ are typically given the opportunity -- especially married couples.

It is within the Mormon Temples that the most sacred covenants between mankind and God are made.

But Isn't Baptism Enough?

Many would ask at this point, why is anything other than baptism necessary for salvation? It is a valid question.

Baptism is for the individual and one of the most important steps in one's progression. In truth, baptism is the entrance to the Kingdom of God and is essential. It does not, however fully define God's realm. Higher covenants are reflective of the commitment one makes to a spouse, a person's family and to God.

Mormonism's first prophet and founder, Joseph Smith, taught that marriage is a sacred ordinance and covenant, just like baptism. When a man marries a woman, that union is just as important as the baptismal covenant because it allows a man and a woman to participate together in the Kingdom of God as servants with Christ. In Mormon theology, this marriage covenant is essential to one's eternal progression. Through marriage, men and women become part of the hierarchy and government of the Kingdom of God. They are primarily responsible for their children and families, but also share the responsibility to share the gospel and care for the entire human family.

So where baptism is relevant to one's personal salvation, the covenants in the temple represent one's commitments to others, first to God, then one's spouse, then children, then the other Children of God upon the face of the earth. That commitment, along with a showing of obedience, qualifies a person to participate at a higher level within the gospel.

On a side note, some would argue that one cannot be saved by works and Mormons would not argue against this point. They would, however, state that without works their faith would be dead and as such the covenants they make to work in the Kingdom of God upon the earth simply illustrates their level of faith. Mormons believe that you are saved by "grace" after all you can do.

A Symbol of Commitment to Others

Mormon marriages are performed in the holy temples. Before a man or woman marry each other, they enter into covenants with God to honor the pledges to be made in the marriage. These covenants state that they will respect the marriage covenant into which they will be entering as well as follow the commandments of Christ.

During the process of taking on these covenants, men and women are clothed in garments which represent these higher covenants and commitments. In essence, the garment reflects the promise to each other and to God to obey God's laws for their own benefit, for the benefit of their marriage and ultimately for their families.

Those married in the temple are significantly more likely to stay married than those married outside of the LDS temples. At one time, the divorce rate was only ten percent, though this figure has been increasing in recent years.

Eternal marriage also allows the woman to participate in the priesthood covenants of her husband without directly receiving the priesthood. In a similar fashion, by example, a queen shares the royal privilege of the king, who may have the authority to reign in a kingdom. Through marriage and the sharing of the covenants made in the temple, woman are entitled to the same blessings as their husbands, nothing more and nothing less. The men, however, by receiving the priesthood directly are responsible for the administrative affairs and church governance.

Now, let's return to the discussion of the garment.

The Mormon Garment is not worn in such a manner as to display the covenants made by the individual to the world. Where a pastor or preacher might wear a white collar or robe to indicate authority and covenants to God, Mormons are very personal in their commitments and wear the garment under their clothing. In short, it is a statement that the covenants established are between that person and God and the opinions of others don't count. There is no show-and-tell because the covenants are sacred, and because of their personal nature, secret. It is somewhat like medical records or financial information. It is not something that is considered appropriate for public disclosure. As they say, it is what you do when people are not watching that really matters.

The Garment and Society

It is inevitable with millions of Mormons in the United States, that everyone will at some point encounter a Mormon wearing the garment. Between locker rooms, gyms, public pools, dressing rooms, hospitals and the like, it is almost unavoidable. This is especially true in the military where general housing of troops will most certainly reveal the differences in under-attire during the course of a day.

So how does one react when it is clear that the person dressing next to you is wearing the garment? First, the Mormon man or woman is already aware that they stick out like a neon light in a mine shaft, so bringing additional attention to that fact doesn't really help matters. In truth, Mormon men and women probably won't think much about it if you don't say anything. Just don't stare. Mormons get enough of that already. Go on about your business as if they were wearing BVDs or Fruit of the Looms.

If for any reason you needed to handle the garment, such as in an emergency at a hospital, understand that the garment should not touch the floor. If ever you come into possession of a garment, you should place the garment into a plastic sack and give it to a loved one or church leader, even if it is soiled.  There is a proper procedure for destroying the garment that should be respected. The garment is not like "underwear" to Mormons. They reverence the garement like a soldier would respect the American flag. To see the garment treated like Fruit-of-the-Loom briefs would be offensive to Mormons.

In terms of when the garment is to be worn, Mormons are counseled by their leaders to wear the garment as often as possible; however, there are times and places where it would be inappropriate. For instance, in a football game or at a gym, where a great deal of activity would be exerted by its bearer (the garment is not suitable for athletics). Likewise, a stage performance where the bearer might subject the garment to ridicule or scorn would also be inappropriate. Despite the exceptions, the garment is intended to be worn while sleeping or lounging about the home, during work - even construction type jobs, and play, such as going to the park or easy hikes.

Some may wonder if the garement interferes with normal marital relations. It would be unusual for Mormon couples to wear the garment during intimate encounters.

Ultimately, when to wear the garment is a personal decision, though it is clear that the leadership of the Church would prefer it be worn most of the time, both day and night.

The Mormon Mafia

Mormons have a little secret. It is the way Mormons identify other temple-worthy Mormons. Non-Mormons can identify Mormons the same way, or at least the worthy Mormons who have entered into the temple covenants. The temple garment usually has a t-shirt like appearance under one's shirt. For men, this is not a tell-tale sign as many men wear t-shirts underneath their dress shirts and even casual shirts; however, for women, it is a little more obvious. For women, the garment is often trimmed in lace.

To see if a person you know is Mormon, man or woman, look for an undergarment "line" stopping at or about the knee. If you see such a line, you are probably talking to a temple-worthy Mormon.

Young women in the Mormon faith who want to know if a Mormon man is worthy to marry them in the temple will often let their hands "accidentally" rest on the man's knee to see if they can feel the garment below. If it is not present, the dating might take a quick step back as the man has not yet established his worthiness to marry in the temple -- an all important step in Mormon culture. Men don't have the same advantage. In Mormon culture, men receive their garment shortly after receiving the ministering priesthood, before they go on two year missions for the church. This is at about the age of nineteen. Women normally receive their garment immediately before being married. As such, Mormon men have no excuse to touch the knees of their dates.

Of course, peer pressure can cause unworthy persons to go through the temple simply for the appearance of worthiness, so the garment is only a single step in determining another person's dedication to the faith. A person inquiring into the worthiness of a Mormon would typically consider other factors such as whether a person is from a family of actively attending members, whether the person has gone on a mission (both men and women can go on missions), what position of responsibility the member has held in the volunteer oriented church, whether they regularly read the scriptures or pray frequently, etc. Of course, with great scrutiny can also come great deception, so Mormons look upon these conditions as guide posts, not facts of worthiness and dedication.

Some call this screening activity the basis of a "Mormon Mafia" a humorous reference to a secret society of harmeless do-gooders. It is the functional equivalent of the Little Rascals Club Super Secret Code Word. It might get you in the club house, but after you are in, it is all cheese and crackers.

Of course, like any major movement, just because a person claims to be a Mormon and wears the garment doesn't mean that they are honorable or trustworthy. In fact, Mormons and Non-Mormons alike should be very cautious of those who are engaging in irregular behavior who are wearing the garment. If they can't live up to the covenant of their God and spouse, to what degree should they be fully trusted?

This, of course, is an oversimplification. Some men struggle with alcohol or tobacco addiction who have made the commitment to live at a higher level and are having a tough time staying away from old habits. Such addictive behavior is hardly a commentary on trustworthiness, but rather human frailty and imperfection; however, seeing a man or woman in a strip club is an entirely different matter as the covenants Mormons make deal directly with sexual purity. Sexual promiscuity is considered a major sin in the Mormon faith.

Seeing a person wearing garments should be a sign of trustworthiness, but it is not a guarantee. In other words, Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware).

Culture Lesson

To Non-Mormons the garment should never be used as a ego lesson to demean another person. For instance, in an argument, a person who would use the garment as a means to prove a point or win a battle of words is shallow and base. For instance, let's assume that you have had a disagreement with a general contractor who you know is Mormon and is wearing the garment. To say to him in heated discussion "I can't believe you would wear your holy garment and then lie to me to my face," is a pretty low blow. A difference of opinion or even a human frailty is common to all men -- including Mormons.

The garment and what it represents is between that man or woman and their God. Trying to use that to your advantage in a dispute or argument is a classless act. Even Mormons in the most heated disputes would not sink that low. Don't use your knowledge of the garment as a way to get leverage over Mormons. That would simply be improper. It doesn't mean that you can't challenge the person to do the "right thing." That works much better on Mormons as they are typically grilled by spiritual leaders to conduct themselves honorably in business and their personal lives.

Voyeurs Not Welcome

There are those who want to find out every little detail about the Mormon garment for mere voyeuristic curiosity. There is not a single website on the Internet sponsored or endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ that exists that describes the garment in detail. The reason, of course, is that the garment and what it represents is sacred to Mormons. Of course, that won't stop thousands from satisfying their carnal desire to take a peak at unofficial, and often times slanderous, websites that demean and poke fun at the religious beliefs of Mormons. For those seeking such religious pornography, the information is there for the taking, though you might consider taking a shower after reading some of the articles.

The temple garment is unique to the Mormon faith and even within the faith. Children do not know the meaning of the garment until they go through the temple as adults. It is a rite of passage and in a perfect world, should be an expression of worthiness. The garment is rarely discussed, even in church settings among those who wear it. Those who are not familiar with the concepts underlying the garment should refrain from discussing it in detail out of respect for those who have made the commitments and hold the garment sacred.

One of the basic tenants of the Mormon faith is to respect and show tolerance for others and their beliefs. Mormons only ask the same in return.

[ansel12]

“He’s been the one who appears to be the most faith-friendly and family-friendly candidate,” he says. “That’s a big thing.”

---

That seemed to be the number one reason for the Romney supporters, they often followed their posts about Romney not being divorced and attending services regularly with photos of his “wonderful”family.

It makes sense that many of those obsessed with Romney having reproduced and not being divorced would follow Obama.

[ansel12]

[greyfoxx39]

From the beehivestandardweekly.com , which appears to be an LDS leaning site: Shunned Mormons Could Serve Up the West for Obama

[Elsie]

You’re so cute when you’re obsessed!

Beats being POzessed!

[Elsie]

For some reason, the anti Mormons just can’t stop themselves from making fun of us and telling lies about our heart-felt beliefs.

True; but us pro-Jesus people can't stop showing, from your own organizations writings, things are are claimed to no longer be in force; but no evidence is forthcoming to show that to be true.

[Elsie]

What do you have against the Reformed Church of Latter Day Saints (i.e. Community of Christ).

They hold title to lands that our leaders abandoned when they fled west.

Oh what WE could do with this property now!

--MormonDude(Who says you can't go home again?)

[Choose Ye This Day]

Did you mean 27,000?

BYU has way more than 7000 students.

[Elsie]

 I just don’t like it when people say I’m going to hell because I don’t believe the way they do . . . which is apparently what you are saying.

 

Nope; it's what the Book says.

 

If Joseph Smith had any knowledge of the warnings in the Bible, he would NEVER have listened to the two impersonators that deceived him.

---

---

 

 

 

 

Romans 6:17
   But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

 

 Romans 15:4
   For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

 

 Romans 16:17
   I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

 

1 Corinthians 4:17
   For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

 

1 Corinthians 11:1-2
 1.  Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
 2.  I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings,  just as I passed them on to you.

 

Ephesians 4:14
   Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:15
   So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings  we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:6
   In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching  you received from us.

 

1 Timothy 1:3-4
 3.  As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer
 4.  nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith.

 

1 Timothy 2:7
   And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

 

1 Timothy 4:6
   If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

 

 2 Timothy 1:13
  What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

 

2 Timothy 2:2
  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

Hebrews 13:8-9
 8.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
 9.  Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.

 

2 John 1:10
   If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

 

Titus 2:1
  You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

[Rameumptom]

EZEKIEL CHAPTER 44:9 ¶ Thus saith the Lord God; No stranger, auncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.

15 ¶ But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall ccome near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God: 16 They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 17 ¶ And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with blinen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen bbreeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat. 19 And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.

There are other references as well. (IE the priests of Aaron as well as in Revelations)

Apocraphyl books have quite a lot more extensive information on the particulars of the historical and cultural use in early Christianity (pre and post Apostolic.)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***After Joseph Smith was lynched along with his brother Hyrum... ***

They died in a gunfight at the jail. Both were armed to the teeth.

[andysandmikesmom]

OK Elsie, now you are posting my all time favorite comic strip....that whole back and forth between Bucky and Satchel, concerning Satchel’s boat and Bucky’s determination to destroy it, had me smirking with each days adventure...

Of course, the little nuggets of wisdom that come out of that comic strip, are great to contemplate...

But I sure do enjoy that sassy Bucky, and that dim Satchel, and their ever expanding adventures...

[Elsie]

What would you do without the Mormon church to hate?

 

 

"Man's got to know his limitations."
-- Harry Callahan

[Elsie]

Yeah; but he’s no publisher!

[Rameumptom]

>>They died in a gunfight at the jail. Both were armed to the teeth.

He did go out the good old American way, shooting, just as any conservative FReeper would. Though one six shooter (3 shots of which misfired)and a few walking sticks to smack the rifle barrells away vs. an armed mob of 200 would probably pass the definition of martyr.

mar·tyr (märtr) n. 1. One who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles. 2. One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.

From Wiki

Before a trial could be held, a mob of about 200 armed men, their faces painted black with wet gunpowder, stormed the jail in the late afternoon of 27 June 1844.

The mob fired shots through the door and attempted to push the door open to fire into the room. Hyrum Smith was shot in the face, just to the left of his nose. He cried out, "I am a dead man!" and collapsed. His body received five additional gunshot wounds.

Smith, Taylor, and Richards attempted to defend themselves. Taylor and Richards attempted to use walking sticks in order to deflect the guns as they were thrust inside the cell, from behind the door. Smith used a small pepper-box pistol that Cyrus Wheelock had given him when Wheelock had visited the jail earlier that day. Three of the six barrels misfired. Taylor later stated he had been informed that two assailants had died[7] of wounds received from the pistol; however, witnesses identified three injured men who survived and were later indicted for the murder of Joseph Smith.[8]

[andysandmikesmom]

LOL....yeah, that punchline in todays strip was great...normally I wait for the hubby to return with our daily paper, but he was going to be gone for a while so I thought I would just check out, ‘Get Fuzzy’, today, online...

After we read each days paper, the hubby cuts out each days ‘Get Fuzzy’ comic strip for me, to add my collection...

I just get quite a kick out of those two, Bucky, and Satchel...

I have not been reading that strip that long, so I am sure, that I have missed out on quite a bit from the past...I started reading ‘Get Fuzzy’ about the time, Bucky decided to become a ‘desk accessory’....that whole theme that went on for days, had me roaring, recalling how stupid Bucky looked, taped to that phone, with a spoon, and whatever else he could dig up, taped to his furry body...and then SPLAT...he was so heavy, he just fell right off that desk...Bucky, the ‘desk accessory’, smashed on the floor...

[greyfoxx39]

No stranger, auncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary,.......The priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok,........They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins;.....they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.....

There are other references as well. (IE the priests of Aaron as well as in Revelations)

Is this supposed to be a reference to the temple garments? If so, where does it say women will be required to wear them as is the requirement of the LDS church?

[Loud Mime]

Yes. And they’re white.

[andysandmikesmom]

I looked at those pictures of the Temple undergarments, following your links, CC, they have raised some questions with me, and I was wondering if anyone, Mormon, or ex-Mormon could supply an answer...

For many years I worked in nursing homes...and I had the chance to meet and care for many aged seniors, from many and various religions...often, since many seniors did not get a lot of visitors, the seniors enjoyed talking to nursing home staff members about many aspects of their lives...and often the subject of their particular faith or religion would come up...

Now, understand, that in the nursing home situation, with very aged seniors, much of their care, involves very private and intimate details...we dress them in the morning, for their day, we undress them in the evening, and get them ready for bed, we shower them, we take care of any toileting accidents they might have...

And when I began taking care of a couple of seniors, that I knew were from the LDS church, it concerned me, knowing just from scant information, that many LDS members wore temple undergarments, and I wanted to inform myself about this, before taking care of LDS seniors, in the most private needs...

However, when I asked them about the temple undergarments, they all said that they could not tell me anything, since I was not of the LDS faith...so of course, I just let it go...aged seniors come into the nursing home, with their own clothing, and of course, that includes their underwear..with these LDS seniors that I took care of, I noticed nothing different about their underwear, nothing greatly different from any other seniors in the nursing home...

So I just assumed one of two things...either their underwear was not greatly diffent from everyone else’s, or that they did not bring their LDS underwear to the nursing home...

Looking at these pictures, of the LDS underwear I see that my second assumption would have been the correct one, because the LDS seniors that I took care of, did not have underwear that looked like anything in those pictures...apparently an assumption, that the LDS seniors that I was caring for, either did not wear temple underwear, or that they wore it, but not to the nursing home, would be correct...

Which leads to my question...are LDS members required to wear temple underwear or it is a matter of voluntarily wearing the underwear?...and if you have all of your life, worn the temple underwear, and then you wind up having to be in the hospital, or in the nursing home situation, I was describing, I was curious as to how LDS members deal with this...if the have been wearing their LDS underwear for their entire lives, but now must go into a hospital or nursing home situation, and dont want non LDS people to see their underwear, do they just leave it at home, and secondly , if they have to leave it at home, and cannot wear anymore for their time either in the hospital, or nursing home, does this place a particular hardship on them, as evidentally wearing the underwear was meaningful to them, and I am curious about how hardships are dealt with, if they come, regarding the inability to now wear the temple underwear..

Some may think this a silly inquiry, or a nosey one, but I think it is an important one...when we take care of aged seniors, in the nursing home, we do attend to their physical needs, that is why many of them are there in the first place, they need a lot of assistance with their activities of daily living...however, we also do want to be able to deal with their more non-physical needs, we want to be able to deal well with their frame of mind, while in the nursing home..it is difficult for many seniors to be in a nursing home anyway, away from home and loved ones, and perhaps many of them will be in the nursing home for the rest of their lives...

So, I am hopeful that some LDS member can inform me about this...it think it is important, as more and more people are living longer and longer, and many are going to live their last days, weeks, months or years in a nursing home, and frankly, dealing with the matter of temple underwear, and whether one can or cannot wear those garments in the situations I have described, and are there mental hardships, that result from that, would be quite informative..

Thanks for anyone who does not believe this to be an idle, and silly questioning, and who respond...

[colorcountry]

To begin to answer your question, I will tell you that not all members of the LDS Church are considered “worthy” enough to attend the Temple. I think it is estimated that only 20% of active LDS members have been through the Temple, and so they are not required to wear the reminder of the covenants that take place there.

There are also many members who live great distances from the nearest Temple, and therefor have never partaken of the ceremony that would require them to wear the under garment.

It is considered a privilege to wear the garment. It isn’t a duty, and so if those in your care were denied the opportunity to don the garment, it would bring them a certain amount of discomfort and sadness. Many LDS believe there are protective powers in the wearing of the garment.

Even members who do not, or cannot wear the garment would not be likely to talk about their meaning. It is considered sacred within Mormonism.

[greyfoxx39]

Personal experience I went through recently with my Mother. She was in a nursing home, hundreds of miles from me, wearing her garments 24/7...

My SIL was doing her personal laundry, including the garments. Mother refused to wear reguar underwear beneath the garments. She became incontinent, and of course that presented a problem with the laundry. We had to INSIST that Mother call the Relief Society President to receive permission to remove the bottom half of the garment or wear it OVER the diapers.

She took the instruction to "wear it next to your skin" very literally.