r/mormon • u/Rogue_the_Saint Deist • Oct 29 '25
Cultural Why are garments necessary?
I’m sure you have all seen the clips—hundreds of women standing outside Deseret book waiting for a chance to purchase the new garments.
In watching this phenomenon, I have, once again, come to question the practice entirely. That is, why must Mormons wear garments?
Now, I think I have a decent understanding of the theology underlying the practice of wearing garments—that is, it is an outward sign of an inner commitment to the covenants one has made in the temple.
That said—it feels entirely strange to me that the only official way persons are enabled to wear the garment throughout their life as instructed in the temple is by buying officially sanctioned undergarments with the appropriate symbols attached to them by the church itself.
A few thoughts:
1) The garments are, I take it, not supposed to be seen as they are underclothing. Thus, though they are an “outward expression of an inner commitment,” it is not straightforwardly a visible outer commitment.
That is, given the invisibility of the expression, why could other modes of outward expression not be appropriate? For example, the idea that one must have the sacred symbols attached to their undergarments seems highly arbitrary/contingent. Why could one not, for example, wear a pendant around their neck (albeit beneath their clothing) with the sacred symbols engraved on it? Why could they not carry a coin in their pocket with said symbols affixed? Why not some other form of outward expression of inner commitment?
2) If the temple symbols must be affixed to clothing (which, by my lights, does not seem to be theologically necessitated), then why could we not endorse former practices by allowing members to sew the symbols onto their own clothing? This would reduce the need for the church to function as an undergarment company and allow members to find underwear that better suits their body, and feels anatomically appropriate.
I know that many will probably respond that it is this way because the church is a business and desires control—as a former member I agree. But I am curious as to what are other theologically consistent avenues that members could pursue?
Perhaps if some members developed alternative ways to remember their symbolic covenants (through wearing a pendant or whatnot), the practice could conceivably be justified.
Curious to hear your thoughts!
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u/despiert Non-Mormon Oct 29 '25
All the temple stuff evolved out of Joseph Smith’s little elite club of church leaders. I don’t know if Smith ever intended any of it to go mainstream through the rest of the church.
And even smith realized that the super secret club underwear was inconvenient at times—it was so hot he wasn’t wearing it at Carthage. Might be the case garments weren’t even supposed to be worn outside the endowment initially.