· Resources, News And Information For Ex-Mormons And Mormons
· News, Testimonials, Humor and More
· Established and reporting since 2004.
|
|
|
If you are new to The Mormon Curtain there are things you should know. |
 |
Mormon Garments (Underwear) And New Names
|
When Mormons go through the Endowment ceremony in the Mormon temples, they are given a set of "underwear" known as "garments". These garments
must be worn by Mormons for life and no other underwear can be worn. Mormon women must wear their bras over their garments and some mormons
even believe that one must wear the garments during sexual intercourse so the child will be born "under the covenant".
Mormons believe that the holy garment will protect them from fire, bullets, knives and other assaults if the person wearing the garments have
kept all of their "temple covenants". During the washing and anointing ceremony the Mormon is told the garment "represents the
garment given to Adam when he was found naked in the garden of Eden." The person is told that the garment "will be a shield and
a protection to you against the power of the destroyer until you have finished your work here on earth." In general, Mormons view the
garment as a symbolic and spiritual shield against the powers of Satan. Some LDS believe that the garment provides them with
"supernatural powers" of physical protection. Bill Marriott, prominent Mormon and owner of Marriott Hotels International stated in
an interview with Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes that he believed his garments protected him from being burned during a boating accident.
From LDS-Mormon:
"The Garment of Holy Priesthood (Garment, Regulation Garment, Temple Garment) is distinguished as the only article of Temple
clothing members are expected to wear outside the Temple confines. It represents the garment given to Adam when he was found naked in the
garden of Eden. It is an undergarment with religious significance and has four symbols known as the "Marks of the Holy Priesthood" sewn into
it. Over the left breast is "the mark of the compass"; over the right breast is "the mark of the square"; over the navel is a mark, and another
appears over the right knee (the latter two are one-inch horizontal lines). These marks remind the wearer of the covenants assumed in
the temple ritual. There are currently a variety of Church-approved Garment styles available for wear (manufactured by the LDS-owned
Beehive Clothing Mills). Garments are currently available in one-piece (ankle-length, long sleeve; ankle-length, short sleeve; button
front; knee-length, short sleeve) and two-piece styles, some of which are available in square back, V-back, crew neck, maternity
and nursing varieties. They may be made of cotton, polyester, nylon, nylon-mesh, rayon and/or rayon-nylon (Bemberg) fabrics. Early
Garments were reportedly made of unbleached muslin and/or cotton."
Garments must be purchased for a price from the Mormon Church. No other outside party can manufacture these garments.
When a pair of holy garments becomes "worn out", the owner of the garment must take a pair of scissors and cut out the embroidered symbols on the
breast, navel and knees. These symbols must then be burned by fire as they are treated as "holy relics". The worn out garment can then be disposed
of by throwing the garment into the trash.
Deceased Mormons will be buried in their temple garments. Dressing the corpse is done by the ward's Relief Society President if the
mortician is not an endowed member, so as not to reveal anything.
THE GARMENT OF THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD:
After showing his Temple Recommend to a worker stationed near the entrance inside the building, the patron
repairs to the men’s dressing area, where he is assigned a private locker (dividers and a door ensure privacy). After disrobing
he covers himself with a "Shield"—a white poncho-like linen covering with a hole in the top for his head and open sides (held
shut while walking). Covered in the Shield, he carries one pair of Temple Garments (one-piece style) to the Washing and
Anointing area, and waits on a bench until directed by a temple worker to enter one of the Washing and Anointing booths
through a veiled partition. The booths are simply small cubicles made up of suspended lined veils.
When called for, the initiate enters the booth and hands his Garments to a worker who places them on a towel rod. As
the initiate stands upright in his Shield the temple worker wets his fingers under s small faucet of running water in
the booth, and lightly touches each area of the initiate’s body through the open sides of the Shield.
Brother _______, having authority, I place this Garment upon you [for and in behalf of ______, who is dead], which you
must wear throughout your life. It represents the Garment given unto Adam when he was found naked in the Garden of
Eden, and is called the Garment of the Holy Priesthood. Inasmuch as you do not defile it, 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. WIth this Garment I give you an New Name, which you should always remember, and which you must
keep sacred, and never reveal except at a certain place which will be shown you hereafter. The name is "______."
The New Name is then repeated by the patron, who has now completed the Initiatory Ordinances, and is ready to clothe for the
Endowment. Upon giving the New name, the worker writes either a "1" or a "2" on thee name slip. This indicates which of
the "New Names" in use that day the patron received. The New Name may be almost any given name found in the Bible
or the Book of Mormon. WHen the patron has not undergone Initiatory Ordinances, but is simply about to
do an "Endowment for the Dead" he receives the New Name in a booth, dressed in his white shirt, tie, pants, socks
and slippers. Holding a name slip, he obtained the New Name by the following rite:
VICARIOUS PRESENTATION OF THE NEW NAME:
Brother ______, having authority, I give you a New Name, for and in behalf of ____, (patron and the worker read name of
deceased), who is dead, which you should always remember, and which you must keep sacred, and never reveal except
at a certain place that will be shown you hereafter. The name is "_______".
It should be noted that all Mormon males and Mormon females are given a unique name that is chosen for each day of the year. Therefore,
all Mormons males that enter the temple on a given day of the year will be given the same name, and the name chosen for females for that
day, the females will receive. There are many websites available where a person can go and enter the year, month and day and find out
what their name was.
When a married couple receive their names on the same day, the male will be told the name of the female, however, the name of the male is kept
secret from the female and never to be revealed. This is another example of how Mormonism treats females as second class citizens in the male
dominated hiearchy of the Mormon church.
From Ex-Mormon (anonymous posting):
"It is doubtful that most non-Mormons have any idea that Mormons wear "sacred" or secret underwear. There is nothing in their life that would
equate to wearing regulation underwear and the fear, guilt, keeping up appearances, sneaking to take them off, not telling a spouse, associated
with wearing them.
Just the idea that human beings are not acceptable unless dressed in regulation underwear must seem absolutely bizarre to outsiders.
How crazy is it to be afraid to take off your underwear, be seen not wearing it, and how a spouse has to power to destroy your
personal temple clothing if you are not "worthy" in their eyes.
I maintain that the most powerful thing Mormonism does to control it's members by fear, guilt, and shame is the regulation underwear!
The impact is so powerful, the worse kind of entrapment, that the only way for me to deal with the insidious, control and mistreatment
is with humor. I can look back and have a good laugh at how silly and goofy I was and how ridiculous I looked standing in
front of the mirror in that silly old fashioned underwear!
The major thing that sets Mormons apart from all other religions is the regulation underwear.
What we will do to be acceptable in our social approval group is unlimited.
Their power is so subtle that taking them off permanently is not only psychologically difficult, it is physically difficult as well. The
combination of those two factors is what gives Mormonism egregious, unfathomable, total control over it's members. If you
tell a Mormon they are controlled by their underwear, they will vehemently deny it."
|
