Mormon underwear.

Posted bycasey coombsPosted inI'm a Mormon!

Jesus jammies, freaky panties, garmies, magic underwear, secret undies.

Believe me, I’ve heard them all. (If you want to go straight to the doctrine rich meaty explanation of garments please see this article written by formal  Salt Lake Temple president and former Seventy member Elder Carlos E. Asay. If you want my Layman’s definition, please keep going…)

Truth is, adult members of my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or “Mormons”) who have gone through the temple do wear a garment in place of traditional underwear. And yes, women still wear bras, regular old bras. Any kind. Nothing at all special about our bras (well, there is something special about mine, given that it holds the girls at attention, but that’s Victoria’s Secret, not the church’s secret.)

Garments are not secret. They are sacred to those who wear them.

Children do not wear the garment.

Men and women wear different styles of the garment.

We all have multiple pairs. No, we’re not wearing the same underwear everyday. (Eww.)

The garment comes in a variety of different fabrics and styles for men and women, including one and two piece styles. All garments are white except for military issue garments which are brown.

Just because someone is LDS does not mean they wear the garment.

Members who wear the garment have gone through the temple and have made special covenants with the Lord and have made a commitment to wear the garment throughout their lives both day and night. The garment serves as a protection to us, and as a constant reminder of the covenants we have made with God. It also encourages modesty as the garment covers us from our knees to our shoulders.

So yes, sleeveless tops are out, short shorts and short skirts are also out. Baring our midriff? Not an option.

There are the four S’s however when it comes to removing the garment. Swimming, showering, sports (ones that cannot be performed reasonably with the garment on) and well, you should have already guessed the other S. Bow chicka.

In all cases the garment is to be restored as soon as possible and no excuses should be made about wearing the garment. “I don’t want to” or “I don’t feel like it” are not acceptable. Wearing the garment is a sacred privilege to those who wear the garment. It is a commandment, just like don’t covet thy neighbor’s ass. And we take our commandments seriously.

“The principles of modesty and keeping the body appropriately covered are implicit in the covenant and should govern the nature of all clothing worn. Endowed members of the Church wear the garment as a reminder of the sacred covenants they have made with the Lord and also as a protection against temptation and evil. How it is worn is an outward expression of an inward commitment to follow the Savior.” –From  this article on LDS.org

How one chooses to wear the garment is an outward expression of an inward commitment to God. Our clergy do not wear robes or any sort of distinct clothing to set them apart from other members of the church. Our prophet wears a suit just like our bishop wears a suit just like Cody wears a suit. But for those of us who have been to the temple, we all have the same thing closest to our bodies, underneath our worldly clothing we are all wearing the same commitment to our faith and our Savior.

So there you go. Nothing special or magical or secret or freaky. Just our personal faith and commitment to our main man Jesus. I personally love wearing mine. Of course I didn’t love it at first because trying to find modest clothing can sometimes be like trying to find a lost Binky in Disney World. But I’m glad I never have to worry about what’s hanging out or what may be showing yet not shaved. I love that through my wearing of the garment I am able to show Heavenly Father that I love Him and respect Him. Also that I love and respect myself enough not to succumb to immodesty just because it may be the cool “sexy” thing for women to do these days. (No, I’m not talking about you over there in the tank top…I’m talking about the girls in bikinis, lingerie and micro mini skirts that make us all feel bad about ourselves as they bare their airbrushed flesh on the covers of smutty magazines. Okay?)

Besides, we now kind of have our own cult following of fashion. Shabby Apple? Shade clothing? Layers clothing? Down East? All started to help those of us who don’t want our stuff showing but still want to look cute. Further proof that modesty is hottesty.

P.S. No, there’s really no way to see them unless you marry a Mormon who wears them, are a doctor and have an LDS patient or choose to join our church becuase it’s so completely awesome. It’s not that they’re secret, they’re just sacred, you know? They just look like boxer briefs and a t-shirt. Nothin’ fancy, Promise.

79 thoughts on “Mormon underwear.”

  5. I too have never heard of said garments which is strange because as I’ve said before one of my best friends is mormon… however I am one of those freakishly awkward with my own body types of folk and I always wear an undershirt that’s tucked in because the thought of my stomach showing is enough to put me in a coma! I could do the whole garment thing, I don’t even think it would be an adjustment for me…

    Thanks for the info, I really do think that so many people don’t have the slightest clue about LDS and even though I’m not one the sweeping generalizations really bother me.

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  9. great post, found your blog through anna, a mutual friend. I love the comment above me, please don’t let anyone see that picture…We look much sexier than that right???

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  11. I am one of “those” also. I have to say that photograph is kinda freaky in that they are not showing their heads. Why? Cuz they shouldn’t have taken that picture, I know it shows that G’s are no big secret to get all in a tizzy about but it also takes something sacred and throws it out there for any and all to ogle and dang it those are people in sacred undergarments You know?

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  15. I really love Shade CLothing! Feel free to use PS CODE PS155 to get 10% off your first order and 5% off each additional order! Coupon never expires! Works on new and clearance items.

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  16. In answer to comment #4, we only say the garment when talking in general. We say our garments, because everyone has lots of pairs. So, no we don’t just have one garment.

    Thanks for giving the info! I always get questions about our so-called “magic underware”.

    By the way, I don’t think it’s totally appropriate to have a link to pics of the garments. We hold them sacred and don’t appreciate pictures of them on the internet.

    Alysons last blog post..Tales From the Subway

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  17. I’ve always found this to be an interesting facet of LDS. I can totally see it as a way to remind you that you are ultimately committed to God. However, I’ve kind of never gotten the logistics of wearing them. If you wear them under your normal lingerie or over. Our priests have to treat their sacred garments in a special manner, so I’ve always wondered if it’s the same with LDS undergarments. Do they come in underarmour material so they don’t make you more sweaty? You did clear up the when to wear and when not to though. Thanks!

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  18. Thank you for posting this! I used to know a guy who wore them, and was always curious. I think there are a lot of rumors etc. out there about the garments, and it’s good for people like you to put it in a NORMAL light!

    Rachaels last blog post..The Stepmom

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  24. Thank you for explaining 😉 I see that you took the pictures down. I’m not going to look them up because I don’t want to offend anyone. I see boxer breifs and t-shirts in my laundry every day, I don’t need to see some on a stranger! LOL.
    I do want to know if you wear it over/under your bra/panties, or if they are in place of that. It seems like a neat idea. I personally don’t think that shoulders are sexy, so I don’t get that part, but I do like the idea!

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  29. Stacy, why do you feel sorry for Mormons? Because they believe passionately in something? Because their beliefs don’t mesh with yours? Does their love for God scare you? Help me here, because I’m trying to figure out why you’re so ignorant.

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  30. Shabby Apple is rad! I am definitely not Mormon, nor religious in any way, but am not down with my boobs spilling out of dresses and stuff!
    AND they ship to Canada! It’s quite possible I’ll be ordering from them very soon 😀 Thanks so much for posting that link!

    Megs last blog post..INTRODUCING….

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  31. I’ll throw in another perspective. I am an endowed, INACTIVE Mormon and I do not wear garments.

    I decided not to wear my garments any more because I consider it disrespectful to wear them and then run around not going to church and drinking Starbucks.

    Some days I miss them and other days (usually those hot, sweltery ones)I do not.

    As usual, you do a grand job describing it all, sweets.

    Loralees last blog post..“And now for something COMPLETELY different…”

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  32. I found this post interesting because I have read The Bible from from to back (more than once!), and have don’t remember about Jesus wearing special underwear…

    As your friend (and fellow Jesus lover), I would honestly love to know what verses tell followers of Jesus to wear sacred underwear. Email me? Please?

    Angellas last blog post..Stuck In The Middle

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  33. What a wonderful post and explanation. I am happy to see that people not of our faith are reading this and fears and misconceptions are being put to rest.

    The Jewish friend who posted mentioned the similarities I was going to. The practice of wearing a special item of clothing which reminds one of sacred covenants and promises made to God is something which began in biblical times. The Mormon practice is directly patterned after this biblical practice.

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  35. You have a great way of making things un-weird.

    I think I’m sending my Catholic grandmother to read this post. Now if I could only explain to her why we didn’t live together before we were married…

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  37. Love my Jesus Jammies!

    Weird fact about me…I actually get a rash by not wearing them when I exercise. Talk about a “protection”. =)

    I couldn’t believe that there was pictures of them when you googled it. Made me kind of sad. I understand people wanting to know more about it, but still.

    Thanks for all the great info to pass along! You really are a great writer!

    Evonnes last blog post..200th post!!!!

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  42. I know next to nothing about the Mormon religion, and I like learning new things (I love learning new things about religion, especially different traditions… I’m curious like that), so this was a neat read… even if it just meant I learned about underwear.
    Great post!

    Sammanthias last blog post..Failure To Launch: The Prequel

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  45. Someone also told me once that Police officers can have special colors as well, not just military. I don’t know if its true or not, but hey if anyone knows let me know

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  46. Being LDS myself I have never quite figured out why people are so curious about our “secret underwear”. I have never sat around with my non-LDS friends and discussed what type of underwear they prefer. Maybe I have missed out on something?? (Second thought, no.)

    Amandas last blog post..guilty

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  47. This reminds me of an interview I heard with the guy who wrote “The Year of Living Biblically” where he tried to follow ALL of the rules set forth in Leviticus (for example, you can’t sit where a menstruating woman has sat, so he made a stool to take with him on the subway).

    After a year of this experiment, he said the thing he learned about ritual is it is more important to do it than what it actually is. It is the doing that gives it meaning. He gave the example of putting candles on a birthday cake – no one gives anyone a hard time about that, and it is pretty weird, no?

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  49. If you go to youtube there is an interesting, offensive, yet hilarious segment done on garments by a particularly annoying and quirky fellow with a great accent. I’m just sayin. I’m sure it makes me a bad bad Mormon to even think that the video is funny, but it is funny in a shocking way.

    Charlis last blog post..Educational Influences

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