Mormon garments

Temple garments are sacred and have special meaning to Latter-day Saints.

Garmentsare undergarments worn by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a symbol of sacred covenants made with God. They are correctly called in this dispensation the garment of the holy priesthood.

In Latter-day Saint culture the term garments has been adapted to mean these special undergarments. People who are outside Latter-day Saint culture routinely talk about the garment industry, but in that case the word garment is rarely used to refer to everyday clothing.

For most people who wear it, the garment takes the place of regular underwear. (For this reason, some people refer to the garment as Mormon undergarments or as Mormon underwear. Most Latter-day Saints shy away from such terms, preferring the simpler term garment, instead, and do not attach the erroneous name "Mormon" to it.)

The garment is directly related to temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The garment is put on by the individual and then worn as part of a special ceremony called the temple endowment. "As part of the temple endowment, we have been given a sacred physical reminder of those covenants—a symbol of the Savior Himself."[1] It is here that faithful members first receive the garment after individual instruction on how it should be worn and cared for. During the ceremony additional special clothing is worn for ceremonial purposes, but this ceremonial clothing is worn only inside a temple. The garment, on the other hand, is worn at all times (day and night) by members after receiving it in the temple as a constant reminder of the promises they have made to God. Endowed members of the Church have several sets of garments and change them daily or more frequently as needed, as one would with other underwear. They are not worn only when considered proper for the activity. Naturally, bathing and swimming necessitate their removal, or surgery or hospitalization, but they may also be removed for other strenuous activities such as football, basketball, or other vigorous exercise as deemed appropriate by the wearer.

Religious Clothing

The practice of wearing religious clothing began with Adam and Eve. The Bible states, "unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21) when they discovered their nakedness. Latter-day Saints 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 members of the Church receive the garment—as part of the religious instruction contained within the temple endowment.

Latter-day Saints 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. Jews also wear the tzitzit, an undergarment with fringes tied in 613 knots symbolic of the laws of Moses. The Latter-day Saint garment is symbolic in much the same way. Similarly, in some religions a minister or priest will 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. Many world religions require their members to wear certain clothes either all the time or temporarily (for example during religious services or during special ceremonies such as marriage).

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.

Meaning and Purpose

For temple-going members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the garment serves much the same purpose as religious clothing throughout history—it privately sets them apart from the world and signifies a covenant between the wearer and God. There is no professional clergy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 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.

If you look at a pair of garments, they look much like other, modestly cut underclothing. They are made from a variety of lightweight fabrics (to suit the comfort of the wearer and various climates), and most garments are white. (There are some special colored garments that can be worn by members of the armed services, but for the vast majority of Latter-day Saints, garments are always white.) The white color symbolizes purity and the length and cut of the garment helps assure modesty in dress and appearance. Latter-day Saints purchase garments from special distribution centers and own many pairs, as people outside the faith own many pairs of underwear.

The meaning attached to the garment by devout members of the Church transcends the fabric and design used to create the garment. It is sacred to the wearer not for what it is, but for what it represents. It reminds the wearer of the continuing need for repentance and obedience to God, the need to honor binding covenants voluntarily made in the temple, and the need to cherish and share truth and virtue in our daily living. By so doing, the garment helps the wearer to focus his or her life on Jesus Christ and to thereby lay claim on the blessings promised to those who do so.

Statement from the First Presidency

The garment of the holy priesthood reminds us of the veil in the temple, and that veil is symbolic of Jesus Christ. When you put on your garment, you put on a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ.

Wearing it is an outward expression of your inner commitment to follow Him. The garment is also a reminder of your temple covenants. You should wear the garment day and night throughout your life. When it must be removed for activities that cannot reasonably be done while wearing the garment, seek to restore it as soon as possible. As you keep your covenants, including the sacred privilege to wear the garment as instructed in the initiatory ordinances, you will have greater access to the Savior’s mercy, protection, strength, and power.[2]

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has added: "When we put on the garment, we are, as the First Presidency has taught, putting on a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ. That being the case, why would we ever look for an excuse to take that symbol off? Why would we deprive ourselves of the promise of power, protection, and mercy the garment represents? On the contrary, whenever we do have to temporarily remove the garment, we should be eager to put it back on, as soon as possible, because we remember both the promises and the perils that give meaning to our covenants. Above all, we remember the cross and empty tomb of Christ.

"Some might say, 'I have other ways to remember Jesus.' And I would respond, that’s wonderful. The more the better. Let’s all think of as many ways as we can to keep our commitment to 'always remember him.' But in so doing, it would be disingenuous to intentionally neglect the reminder the Lord Himself gave to the endowed, the garment of the holy priesthood.

Redesign of Temple Garments

in October 2024, a Church news release said that the First Presidency has authorized redesigned temple garments for members in hot, humid areas of the world. “The First Presidency has authorized changes in the garment to bless those members and others who might benefit from the changes. Beyond this, the Church does not comment on temple matters considered to be sacred.”

The global rollout of the redesigned options will continue through the end of 2025. The open sleeve, half slip, and full slip redesigns are already featured on the member's online store acccount, indicating their availability in the fourth quarter of 2025.

External Links

• Frequently asked questions about Mormonism
• Temples - Lightplanet
• Mormon Temples and Secrecy
• 5 Tips to Better Understand Temple Symbols
• “The Temple Garment: ‘An Outward Expression of an Inward Commitment,’ ” by Carlos E. Asay from the Liahona Magazine, Sept. 1999, 33