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Temple garment

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In some denominations of Mormonism, the temple garment (or the Garment of the Holy Priesthood or informally, the garment or garments) is a set of sacred underclothing worn by adult male and female Latter Day Saints who have taken part in a ritual ceremony, known as washing and anointing ordinance, usually in a temple as part of the Endowment ceremony. In modern times, the temple garment is worn primarily by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), headquarted in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

The garment is thought to symbolize the "coats of skins" which Jehovah (Yahweh) made for Adam and Eve before casting them out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:21). It is worn, in part, to remind adherents that they have made special oaths and covenants to God. Members of the LDS Church today are commonly clothed in the garments, together with outer temple clothing, for burial. The garment and the covenants made in conjunction with it are believed to be a spiritual "shield and protection" against the powers of evil (and sometimes against physical harm, according to some Latter-day Saints).

Latter-day Saint views as to the garment's sacredness

The LDS members use their garments as a standard for what attire they wear. The top garment covers the shoulders and has a cap-sleeve, extending two to three inches down the arm. The neckline of the garment rests just below the collar bone, covering women's cleavage. The bottom garment extends to just above the knee. LDS members use these measurements as guides to modest dress standards.

To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple garment represents the sacred and personal aspects of their relationship with God. For this reason, Church members do not discuss the garment in a casual or disrespectful manner.

In a Church publication entitled Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple, the story is told of a church leader who answered questions from a group of US Navy Chaplains representing various faiths. The chaplains asked about distinctive practices of the LDS Church. One chaplain asked about the special underwear that LDS sailors wear. The church leader responded by asking the chaplain if he wore clerical clothing as he performed his duties as an ordained minister. The chaplain responded that he did. The church leader surmised that this action probably held some significance, as it set the priest apart from the unordained members of the congregation. The following paragraphs are quoted from that work:

"He then told them: You should be able to understand at least one of our reasons why Latter-day Saints have a deep spiritual commitment concerning the garment. A major difference between your churches and ours is that we do not have a professional clergy, as you do. The congregations are all presided over by local leaders. They are men called from all walks of life. Yet they are ordained to the priesthood. They hold offices in the priesthood. They are set apart to presiding positions as presidents, counselors, and leaders in various categories. The women, too, share in that responsibility and in those obligations. The man who heads our congregation on Sunday as the bishop may go to work on Monday as a postal clerk, as an office worker, a farmer, a doctor; or he may be an air force pilot or a naval officer. By our standard he is as much an ordained minister as you are by your standard. He is recognized as such by most governments. We draw something of the same benefits from this special clothing as you would draw from your clerical vestments. The difference is that we wear ours under our clothing instead of outside, for we are employed in various occupations in addition to our service in the Church. These sacred things we do not wish to parade before the world."

He then explained that there are some deeper spiritual meanings as well, connecting the practice of wearing this garment with covenants that are made in the temple. "We wouldn’t find it necessary to discuss these—not that they are secret," he repeated, "but because they are sacred."

Construction and symbolism of the garment

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Originally, the temple garment was a one-piece garment resembling a mid-19th century "union suit". It was made of unbleached cotton, and held together with ties. The garment had four symbolic marks that were cut into the cloth as part of the original Nauvoo Endowment ceremony: a reverse-L-shaped symbol on the right breast, a V-shaped symbol on the left breast, and horizontal marks at the navel and over the right knee. These cuts were later replaced by embroidered symbols. A 1936 change in the LDS version of the Endowment ceremony added a brief explanation of the symbolism of these marks written by LDS leader David O. McKay. According to McKay, the reverse-L-shaped symbol on the right breast is the "mark of the square", and represents "exactness and honor" in keeping the commandments and covenants of God. The V-shaped symbol on the left breast, according to McKay, is the "mark of the compass", and symbolizes "an undeviating course leading to eternal life; a constant reminder that desires, appetites, and passions are to be kept within the bounds the Lord has set; and that all truth may be circumscribed into one great whole." The horizontal "navel mark," according to McKay, represents "the need of constant nourishment to body and spirit," and the horizontal "knee mark" suggests "that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the Christ."

Over the years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has somewhat modernized the original pattern. In 1893, the church expressed an official preference for the color white. In 1923, a letter from Heber J. Grant to Stake and Temple Presidents, state that after careful and prayerful consideration it was unanimously decided by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve of the LDS Church, that the following modifications would be permitted to the garments:

  1. Sleeve to elbow.
  2. Leg just below knee.
  3. Buttons instead of strings.
  4. Collar eliminated.
  5. Crotch closed. Other changes were made after 1923 which shortened the sleeves and legs more and eliminated buttons.

The most recent change took place in 1979, when the Church offered a two-piece garment. While most often white, the garment is currently also made in the color green for regulation military use. Today, garments may be purchased at a church-subsidized cost at a location near each temple or at special distribution centers. One must show the clerk a current temple recommend as part of the transaction. Garments can also now be purchased online from the Church's Distribution Center by members who have to provide the date of their birth, the date of their Endowment ceremony and their membership record number.

Unauthorized sale and use

Church leaders have publicly discussed the above principles and beliefs since the mid-1840s, however, because of the sacredness surrounding temple rites and the garment to many Latter-day Saints, some outspoken people have utilized it as a source of humor and parody. Due to the considerable number of temple garments in existence, there have been several cases where people (including some ex-Mormons) have distributed photographs of models wearing temple garments in a manner contrary to accepted LDS practice.

For example, a model wearing a temple garment was published in a popular adult magazine during the 1940s and in another adult periodical in the 1960s. Garments are featured in a book about undergarments published in the 1990s, and also in various anti-Mormon books during the 1980s. In 2004, photos which hinted at people engaged in sexual acts dressed as Mormon missionaries wearing garments were showcased in a Salt Lake area art display, which incited considerable protest by college students who were returned missionaries. The four photos in question were moved to a room apart from the public display. They were subsequently stolen.

With the advent of the Internet, there are additional sites that publish photographs of garments for educational, parody or other use. A more recent controversy surrounds the open sales of temple garments on the eBay auction web site multiple times since 2000. Typically the garments are removed for a violation of eBay policy unrelated to its religious context. Several other internet sites claim to sell garments, but these are usually just normal underwear.

During the October 2003 General Conference of the Church, some anti-Mormon demonstrators outside the LDS Conference Center wore garments around their necks and defaced them in ways that were offensive to Mormons in attendance. A scuffle broke out between a protestor and two members of the church. To avoid a repeat of the conflict, the municipality of Salt Lake City planned stronger enforcement of fighting words and hate speech laws for the April 2004 Conference in Salt Lake City with new protest buffer zones.

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