Temple garments prevented neighbors from joining the church.

[Red Ryder]

I’m hoping the church will announce temple garments are now only to be worn in the temple. If they can give up polygamy, allow blacks the priesthood, and over turn the ban on caffeine on BYU campus then surely the Lord’s church can get rid of the biggest hurdle to non-member baptisms.

I was recently talking to my non-member neighbor who has investigated the church in the past. He took the discussions from the missionaries. He mentioned he loves the family and community aspects of Mormonism and attended a few times with our other neighbors years before we moved in.

He said he would have joined the church at that time but just couldn’t because of the weirdness and creepiness of garments. His wife apparently agreed and they stopped investigating the church.

Now that convert growth rates have stalled, I’m wondering if the church will make changes?

[fetchface]

Red Ryder, we can only hope and dream that they will...

[wtfluff]

Now that convert growth rates have stalled, I’m wondering if the church will make changes?

We can hope eh?

But as usual, my cynical, fluffy reaction is: Yeah right, dream on!

Garments are one huge thing that leadership needs to keep MORmONism weird. Honestly, the control that this stupid, creepy practice holds over adherents still blows my tiny apostate brain when I really think about it.

[Thoughtful]

Lately I like seeing the church retrench. It validates my choice to get out of dodge, that is never been about my happiness, but about control and money.

[2bizE]

One option until that happens is to take that step ourselves. (Spoken by someone too afraid to take that step...)

[Corsair]

This kind of change has happened with garments in the past. I had a great-grandfather that was born in 1889 and I knew him quite well when I was a child. He died at age 95 and he wore wrist and ankle length garments until he passed away. His mother was from Danish immigrants and so he also drank coffee nearly every day. Consider that among the health benefits of the Word of Wisdom. This effectively reflects the Mormonism that he was raised in and felt comfortable in.

It wasn't that long ago when one piece garments were no longer required. It seems like the LDS church can make changes but it has to be so gradual that no one will think that something doctrinal has changed.

[slk]

It wouldn't surprise me if there were changes down the road on garments. Anything to slow the bleeding right? TSCC likes to keep armor-alling the tires of the the 1970s car behind the house in the field that hasn't run in 20 years.

[Hagoth]

It wasn't that long ago when one piece garments were no longer required. It seems like the LDS church can make changes but it has to be so gradual that no one will think that something doctrinal has changed.

They went from one piece garments to two-piece so the next baby step can only be three-piece garments. I'm trying to picture what that will look like. Maybe a t-shirt, briefs/panties, and a knee band.

[Palerider]

It wasn't that long ago when one piece garments were no longer required. It seems like the LDS church can make changes but it has to be so gradual that no one will think that something doctrinal has changed.

They went from one piece garments to two-piece so the next baby step can only be three-piece garments. I'm trying to picture what that will look like. Maybe a t-shirt, briefs/panties, and a knee band.

Or maybe four piece garments? It's my understanding that church policy allows those in the military to carry the "marks" in their wallets while wearing regulation military underwear.

How about all you who haven't shed the onesies or twosies just cut out the marks, put them in your wallet or purse and state in your TRec. interviews that you have your garments on you all the time?

[moksha]

Maybe a t-shirt/bra, briefs/panties, and a knee band.

For the truly daring, disposable knee patches rather than a knee band might attract those unwilling to wear traditional garments. The required masonic symbols applied via a tattoo might appeal to younger fashion-conscious members.

[Newme]

Maybe a t-shirt/bra, briefs/panties, and a knee band.

For the truly daring, disposable knee patches rather than a knee band might attract those unwilling to wear traditional garments. The required masonic symbols applied via a tattoo might appeal to younger fashion-conscious members.

[Hagoth]

maybe four piece garments? It's my understanding that church policy allows those in the military to carry the "marks" in their wallets while wearing regulation military underwear.

How about all you who haven't shed the onesies or twosies just cut out the marks, put them in your wallet or purse and state in your TRec. interviews that you have your garments on you all the time?

And the hard-liners could still wear them as pasties, a belly button plug and a knee-patch.

[Emower]

It wasn't that long ago when one piece garments were no longer required. It seems like the LDS church can make changes but it has to be so gradual that no one will think that something doctrinal has changed.

They went from one piece garments to two-piece so the next baby step can only be three-piece garments. I'm trying to picture what that will look like. Maybe a t-shirt, briefs/panties, and a knee band.

The knee band could be a garter belt type thing. This could work...

[Red Ryder]

maybe four piece garments? It's my understanding that church policy allows those in the military to carry the "marks" in their wallets while wearing regulation military underwear.

How about all you who haven't shed the onesies or twosies just cut out the marks, put them in your wallet or purse and state in your TRec. interviews that you have your garments on you all the time?

And the hard-liners could still wear them as pasties, a belly button plug and a knee-patch.

Knee pads might be more beneficial.

[Corsair]

Knee pads might be more beneficial.

There are very ways that this conversation could safely proceed once we consider knee pads for temple garments.

[Thoughtful]

It wasn't that long ago when one piece garments were no longer required. It seems like the LDS church can make changes but it has to be so gradual that no one will think that something doctrinal has changed.

They went from one piece garments to two-piece so the next baby step can only be three-piece garments. I'm trying to picture what that will look like. Maybe a t-shirt, briefs/panties, and a knee band.

Or maybe four piece garments? It's my understanding that church policy allows those in the military to carry the "marks" in their wallets while wearing regulation military underwear.

How about all you who haven't shed the onesies or twosies just cut out the marks, put them in your wallet or purse and state in your TRec. interviews that you have your garments on you all the time?

I thought they had them screened onto the inside of the military underroos.

[Palerider]

I thought they had them screened onto the inside of the military underroos.

Maybe they've changed since the last I heard. My BIL was a lifer in the military and when we talked about it many years ago the marks were carried in the wallet or somewhere inconspicuous.

Wouldn't be surprised if things are different now.

[2bizE]

This kind of change has happened with garments in the past. I had a great-grandfather that was born in 1889 and I knew him quite well when I was a child. He died at age 95 and he wore wrist and ankle length garments until he passed away. His mother was from Danish immigrants and so he also drank coffee nearly every day. Consider that among the health benefits of the Word of Wisdom. This effectively reflects the Mormonism that he was raised in and felt comfortable in.

It wasn't that long ago when one piece garments were no longer required. It seems like the LDS church can make changes but it has to be so gradual that no one will think that something doctrinal has changed.

We may be related. My grandfather also wore the full length garments until he died. He didn’t drink much coffee though, just beer and whiskey. He would sit in his garments only in his favorite chair in the evening and drink beer. Kinda funny now that I think about it.

[A New Name]

What about getting tattoos of the marks on your skin? Just once and done for life, although excomunication might be painful when they told you you couldn't wear garments anymore!