Mormon Smokescreen #2

Mormon Inc is spending a fair bit of effort in debunking some of the mysteries surrounding their Corporation. I highlighted the first of their attempts - Expaining to the masses that they do not uphold the doctrine that the will one day have their own little planet. Well that one was revealled as a coverup! So now I discover that they have released a video regarding their extra special underwear taht has been picked up (or dropped off) at media outlets around America. This from the Mormon newsroom, one of my Google Plus followers! (For a definition of these types of Followers please see the following link

Some people incorrectly refer to temple garments as magical or “magic underwear.” These words are not only inaccurate but also offensive to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is nothing magical or mystical about temple garments, and Church members ask for the same degree of respect and sensitivity that would be afforded to any other faith by people of goodwill.[Mormon Newsroon - Emphasis mine]

 Ok, so I will stop calling them, "magic underwear," now out of 'respect.'

So what do we make of these Priestly PJs!  Ok - Serious now....

Back to the Mormon newsroom

From ancient times, men and women have embraced sacred music, different forms of prayer, religious vestments full of symbolism, gestures and rituals to express their innermost feelings of devotion to God.

Yep, they sure have.  Which they say are diverse, with the object of drawing close to God.  They then explain that such things are unfamilar to those outside a particular faith, but to those who participate, they...

can stir the deepest feelings of the soul, motivate them to do good, even shape the course of a whole life of service. 

Really? So here are the examples they give.

The nun’s habit. The priest’s cassock. The Jewish prayer shawl. The Muslim’s skullcap. The saffron robes of the Buddhist monk.

Ok.  So when they mean devotion to God, they are not just referring to God Almighty, but Also Allah and the buddhist "god" (which happens to be not a 'god' per se, but a force or energy existing in everything).  So I guess then that we can therefore include all other other forms of devotions to other "faiths" and their various prayer forms (Yoga, Transandental meditation), vestments full of symbolism (Sharmans, Freemasonry, Kastom dances), gestures (secret handshakes - lets put passwords and sacred names in here too) rituals (freemasonry, occult, pagan rites, various forms of mutilations, sacrifices (sometimes human))

[When talking about the Mormon temple robes] Men and women wear similar clothing. The simple vestments combine religious symbolism with echoes of antiquity reflected in ancient writings from the book of Exodus.

Here is the temple outfits.  Any colour available so long as it is white

Men’s Van Heusen Shirt $19.00 USD This white pinpoint oxford shirt is made of 60% cotton and 40% polyester. It has long sleeves, a button-front placket, and a chest pocket. Made in USA or imported. Wrinkle-free.

 I had a green Van Heusen shirt once.  It was the best shirt I had!  Needed no ironing at all.

Here is what women wear.

Women’s Tulip Blouse$28.00 USD This blouse has a V-shaped neckline and stand-up collar, embroidery detail, and a button front. Front and back shaping darts and a straight hem. Made of 100% polyester crepe. Made in USA

. Very smart.  And I am not been a smart-alec here.  I actually think it looks good.  So they are indeed correct when they say that men and women wear similar clothing with no markings showing rank, etc - That would be plain and white -down to the handkerchief ($1.95USD).

However, this outfit doesn't really fit the description of combining,  "religious symbolism with echoes of antiquity reflected in ancient writings from the book of Exodus."   So perhaps they are blending the white temple clothing with the Endowment vestements.

Two men wearing Mormon endowment robes doing a 'sacred gesture'

And yes, the woman's outfit does look the same

Women's endowment robes doing the sacred sign of the finger

There! That looks much more like an Exodus style outfit! 

However, many faithful Latter-day Saints wear a garment under their clothing that has deep religious significance. Similar in design to ordinary modest underclothing, it comes in two pieces and is usually referred to as the “temple garment.”

OK!  Now we get to the Mag!c Und3rw.....Sorry.....Temple Garments.  Ta-da!

 
Here they look when being worn

Which you can buy at a store even (Oh the choice! I could spend hours in here!)

They now look quite modern. But they have evolved.

So what is their justification

Biblical scripture contains many references to the wearing of special garments. In the Old Testament the Israelites are specifically instructed to turn their garments into personal reminders of their covenants with God (see Numbers 15:37-41). Indeed, for some, religious clothing has always been an important part of integrating worship with daily living. Such practices resonate with Latter-day Saints today.  (Mormon Newsroom)

This is what Numbers has to say:

(38)“Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make tassels for themselves on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread on the tassel of the corners. (39)You must have this tassel so that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and obey them and so that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes that lead you to unfaithfulness. (40)Thus you will remember and obey all my commandments and be holy to your God. (41)I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.”  (Numbers 15:36-41, NET)

So somehow the Tzitzit (Tassels) are given as an exemplar for wearing Temple Garments

 So let us go back to the earlier statement

The nun’s habit. The priest’s cassock. The Jewish prayer shawl. The Muslim’s skullcap. The saffron robes of the Buddhist monk.

 So let's try a small survey:

If you are Catholic.  Take a look at these pictures of catholics wearling day to day garb.  Are you offended or embarrassed?







 If you are a Jew.  Take a look.  Are you offended or embarrassed?





If you are a Moslem, Are you offended or embarrassed by these images of everyday clothing items?






If you are a Buddhist, Are you offended or embarrassed by these clothing items?



 
If you are a Mormon, are you offended or embarrassed by these everyday clothing items?

I will explain these strange symbols later

Probably not ...cognitive dissonance maybe?

Now religious garments are worn to demonstrate to the others your devotion to something. But do you notice the difference?  THEY ARE ALL WORN AS OUTER GARMENTS.

But do they get embarrassed by these Garments?  Oh yes!  So much unlike other religions' garments.

In situations where the garments might draw attention or mockery—like an army barracks, for example—Mormons can also put on regular underwear. Those willing to field questions from curious bunkmates, though, can pick up a set of brown, military-style temple garments. [Source: Mormon Explainer: Slate]

Only those who have been endowed can wear the temple garments.  Here is what they used to go though to get them. 

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 "______."(courtsesy Mormon Curtain - Emphasis mine)

Their names are not that secret.  You can get a list of their secret names from the internet now.  Each day has names decreed by Salt Lake City.  

This ceremony is quite weird but has been changed over time.

Note:  In 1990 the Mormon church radically changed its secret temple ceremony by removing the motions of slashing one's throat and stomach.  Mormons would make a motion with their right hand and with the palm facing the floor to slash their own throat or to cut open their "bowels" if they were to ever reveal the secrets in the temple.  It also removed in 1990 the Protestant minister who appears as a hireling of Satan.  It appears now (Jan. 2005) the Mormon church has changed the eternal ordinance of the endowment by removing the naked touching.

A Mormon, in the initiatory phase of the temple endowment, is wearing only a sheet (called a shield) open on the sides and an ordinance worker of the same sex touches the participant near the loins, stomach, breasts and mouth for the ceremonial washing.
[Note:  For more information on naked touching in Mormon temples see Short Topic 366  Naked Touching in the Temple?  [exmormon.org - emphaisis mine]

 That's fortunate!

Right.  So now we come to the symbols on the garments.

Embroidered symbols called the "compass" and the "square" decorate each side of the chest, while single embroidered lines grace the navel and right knee. Each of these marks serves as a witness to the covenant. The line at the knee, for instance, is a Biblical reference to Philippians 2:10-11: "Every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." [Source: Mormon Explainer: Slate]

Yep!  They throw in a bible verse as justification for having a line embroidered on the right knee. 

The compass and the square that they uphold as religious symbols and are forced to wear have a strong connection with the compass and th square of freemasonry.  Why is that?  Joseph Smith was a 33rd degree freemason.  

Square and Compass

Embroidered Freemasonry Emblem - Square and Compass with various occult symbols - The All seeing eye in a triangle (at the top).  The pyramid (blue)

[Original architect's drawing of the Mormon Nauvoo Temple weather vane.
Notice the compass and square above the angel.] 

If you want to look at other freemasonry symbols on Mormon temples and the like, I highly recommend Sarah Tanner's article at http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/masonicsymbolsandtheldstemple.htm

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION HERE PEOPLE

Freemasons wearing cerremonial aprons

Mornons wearling ceremonial aprons

Freemasonry ceremonial gesture for Entered Apprentice

 

First Level Freemasons handshake (left) - First token of the Mormon Aaronic Priesthood  (Right)

 See the rest here

Sobering viewing?

So how much protection to these give the Mormon against the firey darts of the devil?  About this much...

 



Now that I am sure a Moslem would be offended by - My little crusader!
Oh and by the way.  What they wont tell you is this...
In order for a Mormon to get into the Celestial Kingdom, a Mormon must take out their endowments. In order to take out their endowments, they must be temple worthy. In order to be temple worthy, they must pay 10% of their income to the Mormon Church. In order to keep the temple covenants, they must wear the magical underwear called "garments". A mormon can only buy their magic underwear from the Mormon Church. (Mormon Curtain)

One commentator ha estimated that the Beehive Clothing Company makes an estimated 100-500 million USD from selling garments.  They are the sole maker of the garment.  They are owned by Mormon Inc and members are prohibited from making their own, or purchasing them elsewhere.

Now have a look at the following statements

General Authority Elder Carlos E. Asay
"We are at war! Our enemy is not an invading army from a bordering nation or a navy of some overseas power. Bullets are not whizzing above our heads, nor are bombs exploding in and around our homes. Nevertheless, we are engaged in a life-and-death struggle with forces capable of thrashing us inside out and sending us down into the depths of spiritual defeat if we are not vigilant."

"With his prophetic powers, Paul could foresee the wicked conditions that would exist on the earth in our modern day. ... He knew that armor made of truth, righteousness, faith, spirit, and prayer would protect people from the “fiery darts” crafted and thrown by Satan and his henchmen."

"There is, however, another piece of armor worthy of our consideration. It is the special underclothing known as the temple garment, or garment of the holy priesthood, worn by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have received their temple endowment. This garment, worn day and night, 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."

"Much, much more could be said about the war for the souls of men and the whole armor of God. The war on the earth began in the days of Adam, continued down through the years with Moses and the children of Israel, and still rages in a dispensation known as the fulness of times–a dispensation ushered in by the revelations received through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Hence, the issue of protective coverings enabling us to withstand the fiery darts of Satan will continue to be of great significance."
"We must put on the armor of God spoken of by the Apostle Paul and reiterated in a modern revelation. We must also “put on the armor of righteousness” symbolized by the temple garment. Otherwise, we may lose the war and perish."
- Elder Carlos E. Asay, “The Temple Garment," Ensign, Aug. 1997, page 19 

60 Minutes

Mike Wallace: Do you wear the sacred undergarments?
Willard Marriott: Yes, I do. And I can tell you they do protect you from harm.
Mike Wallace: Really?
Willard Marriott: Uh-huh. I was in a very serious boat accident. Fire--boat was on fire, I was on fire. I was burned. My pants were burned right off of me. I was not burned above my knee. Where the garment was, I was not burned.
Mike Wallace: And you believe it was the sacred undergarments?
Willard Marriott: I do. Particularly on my legs, because my pants were gone, but my undergarments were not singed. ("60 Minutes" program on the LDS Church. Aired on CBS TV, April 7, 1996)

Mormon handbook of Instructions (2006) [This is a document that people outside of the LDS presidencies and bishoprics are not allowed to access.]

Church members who have been clothed with the garment in a temple are obligated to wear it according to the instructions given in the endowment.
When issuing temple recommends, priesthood leaders should teach. the importance of wearing the garment properly. Leaders also emphasise the blessings that are related to this sacred privilege. These blessings are conditioned on worthiness and faithfulness in keeping temple covenants. The garment is a constant reminder of the covenants made in a temple. When properly worn, it provides protection against temptation and evil.
Wearing the garment is also an outward expression of an inward commitment to follow the Savior.

Endowed members should wear the temple garment both day and night. They should not remove it,either entirely or partially, to work in the yard or for other activities that can reasonably be done with the garment worn properly beneath the clothing. Nor should they remove it to lounge around the home inswimwear or immodest clothing. When they must remove the garment, such as for swimming, they should put it back on as soon as possible (Handbook of Instructions, 2006, pg 80)

LDS Manual, True to the Faith

“The garment provides a constant reminder of the covenants you have made in the temple. You should treat it with respect at all times. You should not expose it to the view of those who do not understand its significance, and you should not adjust it to accommodate different styles of clothing. When you wear it properly, it provides protection against temptation and evil. Wearing the garment is an outward expression of an inward commitment to follow the Savior” (173).

12th President Spencer W. Kimball

“Temple garments afford protection. I am sure one could go to extreme in worshiping the cloth of which the garment is made, but one could also go to the other extreme. Though generally I think our protection is a mental, spiritual, moral one, yet I am convinced that there could be and undoubtedly have been many cases where there has been, through faith, an actual physical protection, so we must not minimize that possibility” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 539).

Seventy David E. Sorensen

“The garment… when properly worn, will serve as a protection against temptation and evil” (“The Doctrine of Temple Work,” Ensign, October 2003, 62. Ellipses in original).

David J. Ridges (Executive Secretary for the Sunday School General Presidency)

“The garments serve as a reminder to them of the covenants they have made in the temple with the Lord, to live pure and virtuous lives. In addition, garments provide protection understood by the worthy wearer, and promote modesty in clothing styles” (Mormon Beliefs and Doctrines Made Easier, 112).

A talisman is an object which is believed to contain certain magical or sacramental properties which would provide good luck for the possessor or possibly offer protection from evil or harm. (Wikipedia)

For example, crosses, icons, statues, even the swaskika (which the Nazis' adopted from Stone age religions and is commonly found on buddhist shrines and caves.  Now you didn't know that did you!  I saw one on the chest of a very large golden Buddha in China once. Add to that a rabbits foot, garlic and crucifixes too.

Finally, I was at the post office the other week, when a Mormon 'Elder' (elderly American gentleman) was there receiving two cartons from overseas. When the customs officer opened them up, there were a pile of crumpled white shirts on top. The 'elder' got anxious when the officer opened up the first box, "there only white shirts, err, nothing else."  Was he smuggling in something illegal?  Probably not, but perhaps some new PJs perhaps? [Mormon missionaries are allowed to get these free of charge - a small way of saying thanks for voluntary service for the cause.] The officer stopped looking after that and the embarrassed elder went on his way.

There is more to their Temple Garments  than you think. Remind me again...what exactly are those temple covanants that are sworn on oath that requires them to wear them?




For more information, visit

http://www.mormoncurtain.com/topic_garments_section1.html