Where did Joseph Smith get the idea for magical Mormon underwear?

Question

Surely angels don’t talk about underwear and underwear would be too sordid a topic for golden plates?

Answer 1

Sitting in the desert smoking peyote with the Indians. That must have been one hell of a vision.

Answer 2

When a Mormon goes through the temple for the first time they go through an initiation rite where they are ceremonially anointed with oil and water and start wearing the special Mormon underwear. For a man it is a white undershirt and briefs with legs to the knees. For a woman it is a camisole top and nylon panties with legs to the knee. On the breast of both the men’s garment and the woman’s garment are small embroidery stitches that form an L and a V. These represent the compass and square. After they put on the garment they dress in white clothes with a green apron. The men wear a funny shaped hat, the women wear a veil for the ceremony, which includes learning special handshakes and passwords that they need to know in order to get in to the highest LDS heaven. All missionaries and good Mormons that have gone through the temple wear the LDS undergarment . They are buried in the special clothes they wear during the temple ritual.

Answer 3

Hey Desiree-

Great question. I'll do my best to answer you're question briefly. To start, I will mention that my dad is Jewish, I have a great friend that was jewish who converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I myself am I convert to the Church (though I was not Jewish) and havestudied Hebrew.
The wearing of symbolic garments has been a practice in Jewish culture for a very long time. Orthodox Jews today still wear "tzit tzit" (pronounced tseet tseet). These are frays or tassles that are attached to a tallit gadol, which is a garment Jews wear that have tzit tzit on the corners (Numbers 15:38, Deuteronomy 22:12).
Now here is the commandment God gave to Israel, the covenant people:
"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.” –Numbers 15:38-40
Wearing of these garments was a commandment, and wearing/seeing them was a reminder to do the commandments (or mitzvot).
We know that Jesus was perfect and kept ALL of the commandments. We just read that wearing these garments was a commandment. *So to those of you who mocked the garments are mocking a commandment that the Lord gave AND kept.
Nowhere in the New Testament, is this commandment revoked, but to the contrary, it is reinforced (See Matt 22:11-12, Rev 7:9, 13-14 –referred to as robes, also called raiment). The garments are sacred and symbolic, and not magical in and of themselves. Blessings are given to those who keep the commandments, follow the savior, and keep their garments spotless (spiritually). Again, they are not to be treated lightly.
As for those who commented on Masons, you should know that the masons copied the temple ceremonies from the temple of Solomon.
The temple ceremonies were practiced in ancient Israel by commandment. Yes Joseph Smith was a mason. He restored (by inspiration and commandment) the true temple rites and delivered them to the saints (members of the Church). Again, if anyone mocks them, they are mocking the Lord.
Washings and anointings took place at the ancient temple also (Exodus 29:4-7). Anointing with oil was still in effect after Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 6:17, James 5:14). Also, Christ MEANS anointed one. The Lord restored these sacred things in their purity today.

Thanks for reading Desiree, I hoped that helped to answer your question. Don’t let the nay-sayers bug ya. Merry Christmas! -Yes we celebrate Christmas.

Best Wishes,
Rusty

Answer 4

Why just pick on Mormons? Why do a lot of other religion leaders dress in those funny robes and what’s with all the flags. What’s with those buggy riders in Pennsylvania and their funny hats? And what of the turban heads from India? Since angels don’t talk about underwear what do they talk about? Good question.

Answer 5

Actually, sacred clothing is christian dating back to the earliest parts of the new Testament. While there is not great detail describing it or all of the actual temple ceremonies, it is clearly biblical. :

"And these [are] the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office." (Exodus 28:4)

A better question is why don't other Christian churches have temples and sacred clothing.

Answer 6

Well ex-mormon.org will say it was from freemasondry and lds.org will say it was from revelation to remind the saints about the sacred covenants they made in the temple, but Joseph smith never put in his KJV Bible that jesus introduced his disiples to the new undies or a new covenant or temple endowments that were sacred, so you see...

Answer 7

Out of the Bible. Try reading it.

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

So I guess angels do know about it.

Answer 8

The FreeMasons

Answer 9

He was a freemason and they have masonic symbols on them, but I don't think even the masons do that sh*t.
Hopefully a mormon will answer....

Answer 10

Listen they have some great stories to tell about their underwear.