Why All the Secrecy About the Mormon Temple?  Didn’t Jesus Tell His

Disciples to Preach All His Teachings Openly?

Critics of Mormonism and of Mormon temples in particular like to claim that Mormons have secret teachings that they do not share with new members or others investigating the Mormon Church.  They claim that Mormons have secret, unchristian temple rituals.  All of these attacks are unfounded.  Mormons believe that temple ceremonies are sacred, and just as God commanded the ancient Israelites in the Bible to build a temple for special ceremonies and rituals, so today God has commanded His people to build temples.  However, no doctrine is taught in the temple which is not taught publicly, only some of the ordinances and covenants of the temple are kept private to guard their sacred nature.

There were times when Jesus commanded his disciples to keep certain things to themselves.  On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured before them.  They heard the voice of God and saw Moses and Elias appear in vision.  Jesus told his disciples, to “tell the vision to no man, until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead” (Matthew 17:9).  Jesus Christ requently commanded his disciples to tell “no man that he was Jesus the Christ” (Matthew 16:20).  He also commanded those whom He healed to keep the healing a secret (see Matthew 8:2-4, Mark 5:43, Mark 7:36, etc.).

In 2 Corinthians, Paul says he saw things that were “not lawful for a man to utter” (2 Corinthians 12:4), meaning that some things about God have been hid from general knowledge, because they are too sacred.  The Book of Mormon mentions several times that if people are more righteous and faithful, God will reveal more things to them, but that until that time, they are withheld.

Bruce R. McConkie, a late apostle of the Mormon Church taught:

“Ordinances performed in the Lord’s sanctuaries, though not secret, are of such a sacred nature as to be reserved for the eyes and ears and hearts of those only whose attained spiritual maturity prepares them to receive the mysteries of the kingdom. Temple ordinances, whether ancient or modern, are not published to the world; their sacred nature witnesses that they should not be bandied about by brutish persons; that which is spiritual and sacred must not be held up to mockery or be made the object of raillery by carnal men.  We can, however, speak in general terms of what is done in temples; we can name the ordinances and tell their purpose and intent; and we can quote from the scriptures such passages as speak in guarded and reserved terms of those things which are reserved for the faithful only.” (The Mortal Messiah, Vol.1, p.104 – p.105)

Another reason some people accuse Mormons of concealing teachings is that Mormons know that sometimes you must begin with the basics before a person can learn more substantial things.  Paul told the Corinthians, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able” (1 Corinthians 3:2).  Isaiah taught that man learns “precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:10).  First a person must learn about God and Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation He has for us.  He must study faith, repentance, baptism, and enduring in faith.  Only when a person has learned these things can he begin to appreciate the temple and its teachings, which bring together all the gospel teachings and show man his true relationship before God, preparing him to reach his full potential both in this life and in the life to come.

Do Mormons Wear Funny Underwear?

Mormon underwear, normally called garments or the garment by members of the Mormon Church is a source of curiosity and ridicule for those outside the faith.  Those who attempt to cast Mormonism in an unfavorable light refer to the underwear as “magic,” “special,” and “secret,” words no Mormon would ever use.  Among Mormons, this “funny underwear” is a private, sacred matter that they typically do not discuss with others partly out of the sacredness of what it represents, and partly because any underwear, religious or not, is typically a personal matter.  The guidelines for the proper wearing of this underwear seems strange to many people, but it is an act of faith and devotion for the believers.

Many cultures have special clothing for social and religious ceremonies.  Most cultures have special clothing for weddings.  Some religions like Judaism and Zoroastrianism have sacred clothing to help the faithful remember their obligations or duties toward God.  Mormon underwear is likewise worn to show daily and constant worship.  The garments worn by Mormons are similar to what the Lord commanded the ancient Israelites to wear in the Bible when they built their temple, except they are adapted to modern life.  Through Moses, the Lord commanded the Israelites to put a fringe of blue, called a tsiytsith (pronounced tsee-tseeth), which corresponded to the blue fringe and lace on the veil of the temple (see Exodus 26:31).  Blue was a sacred color for the Israelites since it represented heaven and was used extensively throughout the building of the tabernacle and the temple.  The Lord said:

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: that ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God (Number 15:38-40).

The purpose of this fringe was to remind the children of Israel of the covenants they had made with God and to help them remember to do right and keep God’s commandments.  Mormon garments likewise serve as a reminder to the faithful of the covenants they have made with God in His holy temple.

Mormon underwear is mostly very similar to other underwear.  It is made of similar materials like cotton, polyester, or nylon.  It is solid white, except for colored ones available only to active-duty soldiers. White is a sacred color in Mormonism and symbolizes heaven, purity, devotion, and cleanliness.  The top is similar to a T-shirt, covering the shoulders and hanging below the waist. The bottom resembles boxer-briefs, but extends to the knee. For women, several neckline styles are available for tops, and they all skim the bra line.  Cami-stretch styles are also available.  The design promotes modesty and should be completely covered by outer clothing. Mormon underwear is worn directly next to the skin and replaces any other underwear. For women, even brassieres are to be worn on the outside of the underwear.

Despite critics’ claims, Mormon underwear may be removed for certain activities, though Mormons are counseled not to seek opportunities to remove it.  Bathing or showering is the most common time when it is removed.  Likewise, swimming, vigorous physical activities like sports, and intimate marital relations are others.  The Mormon Church does not produce an official list; rather the choice is left to the individual.  Mormons do not believe that God will strike down someone simply for wearing the garment inappropriately.  The counsel is simply to wear it at all times unless it is deemed inappropriate to the activity, and not to find excuses to remove it.  The garment should not be altered.

A Mormon will begin to wear this underwear as part of the initiatory ordinances of the Mormon temple ceremony. It is here that they will first put on this underwear and promise to always wear it the rest of their life. It is a symbol of this and other covenants made in the temple with God, and the reverence that is shown in wearing these garments is directly tied to the reverence shown toward the covenant made. Part of this reverence is not discussing the symbolism outside of the temple where it may be (and often is) taken lightly. This is the reason that some outsiders refer to it as “secret.”  The faithful observer of this covenant is promised that it will become a protection to them. This is where the adjective “magic” derives from. Contrary to the opinion that Mormon underwear is impenetrable armor, the promise is of a spiritual nature as the garment serves to remind the faithful of the blessings and promises of God associated with the covenants made.

Did Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion End the Need for Temples

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, the veil of the temple was rent in two to symbolize that Jesus Christ’s crucifixion opened the way for all mankind to enter the presence of God.  The Gospel of Matthew says, “Behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Matthew 27:51).  Some people suppose that this meant the temple, and thus Mormon temples, are no longer necessary.

The Apostles of Jesus Christ did not think so, for they continued to visit the temple often after Jesus’ resurrection.  In Acts 2:46, we read, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”  As recorded in Acts 3, Peter and John preached and healed at the Temple in Jerusalem, just as Jesus had done.  Paul, in his epistles to the early Christians, repeatedly mentions the temple and uses its symbolism to illustrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In fact, Paul himself frequently visited the temple in Jerusalem.  In Acts 21:26, we read, “Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.”

As recorded in Acts chapter 22, Paul had a vision of Jesus Christ while praying in the Temple. In the vision, the Lord commanded him to leave the city and begin preaching to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21), for which Paul became known as the Apostle to the Gentiles.  In Revelation 7:15, we read that that those who are saved serve God in his Temple day and night.

God has always commanded his children to build temples, in which sacred ordinances are performed.  When Jesus died, the Law of Moses was fulfilled, but was replaced by the law of the Gospel.  We read in Hebrews chapter 7 that Jesus was a priest after the order of Melchisedec (Hebrews 7:11) and that the priesthood of the Apostles was changed to the order of Melchisedec just the law was lifted.  Hebrews 7:12 reads: “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”  Peter also mentions this priesthood in 1 Peter 2:5:

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

So, we can see that even though the Apostles of Jesus Christ had this new, higher priesthood, they still honored the Temple, but for different purposes, for a new law had been given.  In modern revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, we learn that one of the ordinances performed in these temples after the order of Melchisedec is baptism for the dead, which Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 15:29: “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?”

The Prophet Joseph Smith said:

And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other–and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times (Doctrine and Covenants 128:17-18).

Thus, while ancient temples and modern Mormon temples have some slightly different function, because one was under the Mosaic Law and the other is under the Gospel law, they ultimately center on God, our Heavenly Father, and on Jesus Christ.  Modern temples, like the ancient ones, are sacred spaces where people make covenants with God and where they receive wisdom and great spiritual strength.  The splitting of the veil of the temple, symbolized that Christ’s death is the way to salvation, but as the actions of the Apostles show, it did not lessen early Christian reverence for the temple.  In deed, the New Testament is full of references to the temple.  Then as now, the temple served as a place set apart from the world for worship and for those sacred ordinances which bring us closer to God and Jesus Christ.