What’s the scoop on this? Must Mormons wear special underwear all the time, or is it only worn when entering the chapel/temple?
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmormonwed.html
Mormons, Latter Day Saints as they prefer to be called, wear their garments all the time. For ladies it is worn closest to the skin. Garments first, bras and panty hose second. The garments for men are similar to boxer/briefs and a T-shirt. Ladies are also like boxer/briefs bottoms and a camisole type top. The garments have 4 special marks on them. A square and compass over each breast (think Masonic again). A mark like an unopened button hole over the belly button and the right knee. The meanings of the marks are explained at the endowment ceremony. After the washing and anointing is when the garments are put on and then the meaning explained. The history of the garment is when long underwear was worn all the time the marks were cut into the union suit underwear already being worn. They have evolved from the union suit, long sleeve, long leg, one piece to the two piece shorter garments that allow for long shorts to be worn. Some LDS tell stories of their ancestors never fully removing their garments. When bathing they would leave one ankle with the garments around them and put a clean pair on without ever being totally without garments. Yes, they may remove them for sports, swimming, bathing, consummating, etc. They are supposed to put a pair back on ASAP. They are supposed to keep them from harm. How do I know so much? I know for a fact that my ex-girlfriend, who went on a mission at 21, wore them daily. I saw the marks on them. Not from inappropriate behavior.
teke
You wear a camisole UNDER the bra??? EW!!! Chap city!!!
AS A FORMER GOVERNMENT AGENT AND SPECIALIST ON RELIGIONS AND RELIGIONS THREATENING TO SOCIAL STABILITY, I CAN SAY FOR FACT… THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES AND BELIEFS YOU REFER TO AS CALIGULAN ARE IN FACT, CORRECT. SO LETS BE HONEST HERE PEOPLE, ITS NOT ALL SWEET AND NICE, AND JUST SECRET HANDSHAKING. MOST “SECRET CEREMONIES” ARE KEPT SO FOR REASONS, REASONS I HAVE SEEN.
I HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO, THROUGH UNDERCOVER SURVEILLANCE, ABHORATIONS AGAINST HUMANITY, BY RELIGIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS, WHO ARE PROTECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT THEY WISH TO TOPPLE. I HAVE INFILTRATED AND INVESTIGATED MANY RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, LET ME BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT MOST OF AMERICAS ENEMIES, ARE WITHIN IT, AND THAT MOST OF THE MORAL AND SOCIAL DECAY WE QUESTION TODAY, IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY OUR OWN CITIZENS, AND THERE INABILITY TO SEE RELIGIONS AND CULTS AS WHAT THEY ARE. THE BEST POLICY IS THIS, IF YOUR NEW FOUND RELIGION DOESNT WANT YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS, SEEKS LARGE SUMS OF CONTRIBUTION TO SAVE YOUR SOUL, OR KEEPS ANY ASPECT SECRET FROM THE PUBLIC, AND HAS NO ROOTS FOUNDED BEFORE THE 19TH CENTURY, ITS PROBABLY NOT A RELIGION… BUT A CULT. MUCH AS SCIENTOLOGY AND MORMONISM HAVE BECOME, CULTS THAT ARE VERY DECEPTIVE IN THEIR MARKETING, BUT VERY STRICT AND DIRECT IN THEIR TRUE UNDERLYING GOALS AND BELIEFS, AND EARNINGS STATEMENTS. PEOPLE, IF YOU QUESTION EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIVES, AND THE LAW, WHY NOT RESEARCH YOUR RELIGIONS AS WELL, FIND OUT WHO FOUNDED IT, WHEN AND WHO THEY WERE… HINT HINT L RON HUBBARD AND JOSEPH SMITH WERENT THE MOST RESPECTED NOR HONEST FOLKS OF THEIR TIMES, IT SEEMS OUTCASTS AND PATTERNED LIARS WOULD BE MAJOR UNDERSTATMENTS. FURTHERMORE, IT TAKES A GREAT DEAL TO BE A RELIGION THAT ATTRACTS GOVERNMENT ATTENTION. AS WELL PUBLICIZED AND HISTORICALLY KNOWN, THE MORMONS AND SCIENTOLOGISTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WAYWARD OF THE GOVERNMENT, AND ALL LAWS THEY DIDNT MAKE, (SEE BREAK-INS OF THE 70’S BY SCIENTOLOGISTS, AND THE EJECTION OF MORMONS TO UTAH… IN 1800’S)
THINK MORE, FOLLOW BLINDLY LESS…
FORMER GOVERNMENT SPECIAL AGENT
MICHAEL
TO HAVE WORKED FOR THE GOVERNMENT WAS NO WORK AT ALL,TO REFORM AND REBUILD THE GOVERNMENT, THEREIN LIES THE CHALLENGE.
Please toggle your Caps Lock key. Thank you.
FORMERAGENT wrote:
The LDS church encourages people to ask questions and find out for themselves whether it teaches correct doctrine or not.
Ever hear of the law of tithing? Check out the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. If you’re going to accuse the LDS religion of “seek[ing] large sums of contribution,” you have to accuse the Bible as preaching the same doctrine.
I won’t argue with you about Scientology, but when did you come to the conclusion that the 19th Century was the deadline for religions to spring up? That’s quite arbitrary, don’t you think?
“What I tell you three times is true.”
Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark
FORMERAGENT says: << OR KEEPS ANY ASPECT SECRET FROM THE PUBLIC, AND HAS NO ROOTS FOUNDED BEFORE THE 19TH CENTURY, ITS PROBABLY NOT A RELIGION… BUT A CULT. >>
You might want to check out what the loyal
Straight Dope Science Advisory Staff (in the person of Eutychus) had to say about: What’s the difference between a church and a cult?
I don’t think the 19th Century came into play at all.
BTW, in fairness, FORMERAGENT does say that his criterion is that the “roots” are founded before the 19th Century. I think that most LDS would say that their “roots” are the Judeo-Christian tradition, founded when the Israelites assembled at Mount Sinai.
I’m not sure that’s completely so. There is, after all, the considerable mythology of the *Book of Mormon[/i} to be considered.
But, as I have remarked before, I personally feel that the fact that the BoM is a manifest 19th-century forgery pretty much exhausts my interest.
John W. Kennedy
“Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.”
– Charles Williams
Well, heck, by that reckoning, the book of Deuteronomy was probably a forgery too. (It was “discovered” hidden behind the throne of some Isrealite king who came along long after King David.)
I was never a Mormon, but I was once a member of the REORGANIZED Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (I probably still am, on paper, as I’ve never actually formally told them to remove me from the rolls).
In one class I attended on the subject, the term “The Great Apostasy” was used to describe the 19th and 20th Centuries, when many new sects were founded or splintered off from other sects. I don’t know if this is common parlance or not, but the basic concept is probably related to the arbitrary dividing line of the 19th century given above.
However, the RLDS at least, and presumably the Mormons also, do not regard themselves as a part of this, but rather a reestablishment of the One True Church started by Christ Himself.
By the way, while I was never a particularly devout member, as far as I know the RLDS does not have any doctrine similar to the concept of the “garment”. In general, they’re more like a mainstream Christian denomination than the LDS is, though they do use the Book of Mormon as scripture.
Oh goody, this sounds like fun!
From Eutychus and the SDSTAFF article:
Like maybe Jesus?
Pretty much any christian denomination.
Preoccupation with saving people. Who could that apply to?
Christian churches are good at this one.
Again, I can think of many christians here.
Does the Pope count? RC church sounds suspicious.
Okay, that one can pass.
Depends on the extremes required. Doesn’t the Bible encourage christians to congregate only with other christians?
That one also passes.
I think it’s really not very helpful to argue over “cult vs. religion”. One person’s cult is another’s religion. Instead, emphasize the practices or characteristics that are unhealthy or otherwise dangerous, and let the labels fend for themselves.
Actually, we don’t know that. 2 Kings says that a book was discovered in the reign of King Josiah. The usual modern interpretation is that it is referring to Deuteronomy. But even if it were known to be true, that would not necessarily prove that it was a composition of King Josiah’s time. Linguistic concerns may do so – I am ignorant on that point – but even that can be shown to be the case, that does not prove that there was no authentic tradition underlying it.
Joseph Smith, on the other hand, leaves himself no way out. He says in so many words that he was given the text of the Book of Mormon by an angel, and that he was also given miraculous glasses to translate it with. If, therefore, the Book of Mormon is a forgery (which it provably is), then the entire structure falls to pieces.
John W. Kennedy
“Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.”
– Charles Williams
And exactly how does this relate to the garments (“holy underwear”), JK?