What does Mormon underwear look like and what is it for?
Flan: Mormons apparently wear some sort of magic underwear. I’ve asked a few about this, but they have been evasive. What does this underwear look like? Do men and women wear different kinds? What is the supposed benefit of wearing it? Is there anywhere non-Mormons can buy some? Love your column.
Dr Mike: Mormon underwear has long been a subject of fascination, both to curious non-believers, who seem intrigued at the very idea of holy lingerie, and to orthodox churchgoers, who argue that the Mormons’ firm belief in the ritual powers of their nether garments is proof that they have no claim to be a Christian sect.
The gear itself traditionally comprises a white cotton all-in-one called the ‘Garment of the Holy Priesthood and the New Name, which covers the whole body from the neck to the knees and is cut off at the arms like a T-shirt. It is notoriously hot and uncomfortable to wear, and in recent years more liberal Saints have substituted a more airy two-piece version of the Garment.
Anyway, the sacred undies are handed over at the Mormon equivalent of a confirmation service, which can only take place when the would-be initiate has reached the age of 19. After a series of ritual washings, which are believed to cleanse the new Mormon of sin, a temple worker holds the new Mormon’s Garment open wide at the neck, and the ‘patron’ steps into it (right leg first). It is then pulled up the sides, and first the right arm and then the left are slipped through the sleeves. After the initiate is presented with the Garment, they are required to wear it against the skin day and night, so the most devout female Mormons wear their bras over their Garment.
‘This garment,’ an official Church of the Later Day Saints website tells us, ‘serves three important purposes: it is a reminder of the sacred covenants made with the Lord in his holy house, a protective covering for the body, and a symbol of the modesty of dress and living that should characterize the lives of all the humble followers of Christ.’
It seems, however, that there is more to these ‘humble’ undies than meets the eye. Each undergarment has a number of ‘occult’ markings sewn into it; many commentators have suggested that these were created by early Mormons who were familiar with the rites of Freemasonry. The right breast features two adjoining buttons, rather like a backwards “L” which resemble the Masonic ‘square’, while the left breast is adorned with two more buttonholes in the shape of a ‘compass’ resembling a capital “V”. Sewn into the abdomen and knee area are further markings which look like ordinary button-holes.
Mormons believe their undergarments protect them from Satan, and that they are replicas of the garment given by God to Adam in the Garden of Eden. ‘Inasmuch as you do not defile [your Garment],’ they are assured, ‘but are true and faithful to your covenants, it will be a shield and a protection to you against the power of the Destroyer until you have finished your work here on Earth.’ Mormon folklore is full of stories of Saints’ miraculous escapes from danger, which are frequently attributed to the power of the holy threads. One well-known believer, Marriott hotels big noise Willard ‘Bill’ Marriott, often tells how his Garment prevented him from suffering hideous burns when he was caught in a boating accident. Given the stout quality of Mormon tailoring, this story is quite likely true.
The long-term future of the Garment seems to be uncertain. The underwear is so heavy and restrictive that many more liberal Mormons discard it at least on occasion; all-time great American Football quarterback Steve Young, of the San Francisco 49ers, has famously admitted to removing his Garment before he plays. He believes sweating on his sacred clothing would defile it.
That said, you’ll find it hard to lay your hands on a Garment. Each Mormon receives his or her own undies in a very sacred, very personal Temple ceremony, and, so far as we can tell, is very probably buried in them. You certainly can’t just pop down to your local Mormon outfitters and buy some.