The Book of Mormon II: Unware of the Underwear

Last week’s Fryday about The Book of Mormon needed little research. The Broadway show, which was Fryday’s primary focus, is justly famous, as is the Mormon Church’s light-hearted reaction to it, which I also covered. But what the research uncovered was what covered the Mormons themselves—their underwear. I was unaware that, until recently, devout Mormons had strict protocols about the shape, style and even colour of their underwear. The same underwear protocol applies to  adult males and females, and in basic style there was no real distinction between the two. What Mormon children wear is not governed by the strictures. Thank goodness (and God) for small mercies in smalls for the small. If they were forced to wear what their parents wear they would likely be bullied incessantly in the schoolyard.
    The adult Mormon underwear 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. There are some special coloured temple garments that can be worn by members of the armed services, but for the vast majority of Mormons, garments are always white. This symbolises physical and spiritual purity. The garment is sacred to the wearer not for what it is, but for what it represents. According to the church, the garment helps the wearer to focus his or her life on Jesus Christ and to thereby lay claim to the blessings promised to those who do so.
     Nor are Mormons are 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. Similarly, in some religions a minister or priest might 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.
    However, the protocols surrounding Mormon underwear have changed and I imagine that many Mormons these days do not adhere to them. I am forced to imagine that because I am clearly not in the habit of checking Mormon clotheslines. If I do have a Mormon reader—and again I am not in the habit of checking—you may wish to confirm the (to some) seemingly archaic practice is no longer practiced.