The men are now complaining about G’s

[Red Ryder]

I’m shaking my head reading this stuff. It’s insane to think grown adults can’t figure out how to make their underwear problems go away.

https://www.reddit.com/r/latterdaysaint ... _garments/

[Archimedes]

The garment is one of the crappiest of old Joe's inventions. So glad I don't live in that magic world any more.

[Corsair]

My great-grandfather wore wrist and ankle length garments his whole life. He was born in 1889 so polygamy was still a thing when he was born to non-plural married parents. He lived in Mesa, AZ and wore long pants and long sleeves through the summer.

I also have a friend who is just old enough to have worn the one piece garments when he went on his mission. His companion got in a bike wreck that involved a non-emergency visit to the hospital and there was a fair amount of embarrassment as doctors had to deal with these two goofy Americans and their jump suit underpants.

The two piece garments are a mild improvement, but I have absolutely no regrets not wearing them. I live in Phoenix and it's always amusing to see a guy wearing T-shirt and noticing the scoop necked garment collar in bas relief on his chest.

In addition, how did women nurse babies before the advent of two piece garments?

[græy]

Years ago I started wearing regular Hanes white undershirts over my garments and under my t-shirt, polo shirt, or church uniform to better hide the collar/seams/sleaves. I honestly had no "evil" intentions at the time other than protecting that which was "sacred."

It has been about 8 months since I stopped wearing the garment top, because its horrible, but no one is any wiser as far as I can tell, because I still wear my well-fit and comfy Hanes undershirt. Sooo much cooler, less sweaty, and just better. I have also NOT noticed any degree of increase in temptation or physical harm which the previous garment top was supposedly protecting me from.

I would love to give up wearing the G bottoms, but that is much harder to do without my wife noticing and going ballistic. I have several pairs of an older "short" size like they mention in that reddit post that I can still wear with longer shorts, but they are hanging on by threads, literally. My wife has poked me several times trying to get me to order new pairs, but I can't. I won't give more money away for something so worthless, and worse yet, annoying, inconvenient, and uncomfortable.

[Lurker #1]

Non mormon lurker here.

Can someone explain this to me? Why do Mormons have to wear the underwear in a certain position? Why do the sleeves matter?

Thanks for the lurker id.

[græy]

Can someone explain this to me? Why do Mormons have to wear the underwear in a certain position? Why do the sleeves matter?

What great questions! Here's the ELI5 version.

In the early 1840's Joseph Smith started asking those who had been through the temple to wear the garments. That group of people was almost exclusively those who were first to practice polygamy. Some argue that the whole purpose of garments was to have a way of recognizing those who had been through the temple and/or were involved in polygamy without actually discussing it (which could get you in trouble).

Joseph originally dictated how they were designed and even stated that they were exactly what Heavenly messengers who had appeared to him wore. There are quotes that Moroni had the temple garment on when he appeared to give JS the plates, and George A. Smith even stated the Jesus was wearing the temple garment when he appeared in the Kirtland temple. Some quotes attributed to Joseph Smith state that the pattern of the garment should never be changed.

But it has changed. A lot. From one-piece suits with collars, sleeves to the wrist, and pants to the ankles, to two piece sets with short sleeves and pants and lower necklines, etc.

It is taught today that the marks in the garments are reminders of the covenants we have made with church... er... Christ. And that wearing the garment is an expression of our commitment to follow Christ. We are taught that the garments are a "shield against temptation and evil." And colloquially it is taught that garments provide physical protection, but there is no evidence of that at all.

During the temple ceremony it is mentioned that the marks are "over the right breast", "above the knee cap", etc. So some interpret that to mean that they have to be sized so that the marks in the in exact right place. Other figure that within a few inches is close enough. The sleeves matter because, modesty is crucial for chastity, or something. As I mentioned they used to have long sleeves, so everyone wore long sleeve shirts 24/7. These days short sleeves are OK. But sleeveless garments would open the door for sleeveless shirts which would obviously indicate that you're some kind of sexual pervert (it couldn't just mean you like being cool in the summer).

In reality, because they are impossible to really cover up or hide, garments are an easy way for others to see that you are part of the group. If you're willing to do something so uncomfortable, impractical, and useless, you must really believe there is something to all of it.

[nibbler]

Could someone explain this one to me (emphasis added):

I get that this isn’t in keeping with transgressive nature of this thread, but this:

I remember at my endowments being told that garments are 100% between yourself and God, it’s no one else’s place to tell you how to wear them

is wrong.

Obviously, you can wear whatever you want whenever you want; but prescription for how and when we’re supposed to wear the garment is such a significant part of the Endowment that we actually make a very specific covenant defining how and when we’ll wear it.

It has been decades since I went through the temple for myself and even though I know they've changed the initiatory two or three times since - I was done with that ordinance after the one time I had to do it.

Could someone point me in the direction of this "very specific covenant?"

I know that during the TR interview they read you the riot act and tell you that you made a covenant but I hear other people that say it was never a covenant, you never bowed your head and agreed to anything, you were just fed some line.

So I'm looking for the line we were fed. I guess that portion of the endowment wasn't as significant as when I went through.

[wtfluff]

It has been decades since I went through the temple for myself and even though I know they've changed the initiatory two or three times since I was done with that ordinance after the one time I had to do it.

Could someone point me in the direction of this "very specific covenant?"

I know that during the TR interview they read you the riot act and tell you that you made a covenant but I hear other people that say it was never a covenant, you never bowed your head and agreed to anything, you were just fed some line.

So I'm looking for the line we were fed. I guess that portion of the endowment wasn't as significant as when I went through.

There is no covenant to wear polygamy panties.

You can ask google about it, and read through all of the initiatory and endowment transcripts, or if you really think about it, like you mentioned, all of the covenants require the victim to "bow their head and say yes." No victim has ever bowed their head and said yes to wearing cult underwear 24/7, just advised to "wear throughout your life." The TR question is flat out bait-and-switch.

[2bizE]

It brightens my cold, dark heart to see so many faithful TBMs complain about male garments.
My wife got me new garments this year. The old ones were decades old and had become quite think, worn out. The new ones are so hot I can’t take it any more.! I must be going through manopause. The Mrs is getting more used to me not wearing them at times.
I hate them. The sleeves on my tops go down past my elbows. The legs go about to my shins. I roll them up a bit.
I want to order some of those Duluth trading buck naked underwear...if only they made them in white.

[Red Ryder]

I want to order some of those Duluth trading buck naked underwear...if only they made them in white.

I tried to find normal underwear in white but every brand had their brand name on the waist band or had a colored stripe. I think the Mormons are the only corporation that makes 100% plain white underwear.

I finally just quit caring and started wearing black boxer briefs. When people asked why I wasn't wearing G's (yes family and other people did ask) I told them I had a bad rash and my doctor ordered "normal breathable underwear" until it healed. I made sure to mention it was a highly contagious rash and asked if they wanted to see it. Rash or not, the excuse works because every endowed man that walked the face of the earth on a day over 72 degrees knows that garments create a very bad situation known as "crotch rot" and have a 2 year supply of Lotrimin under the bathroom sink.

And speaking of underwear because Mormon underwear problems aren't weird enough, I still wear a white Hanes t-shirt mainly as a form of undershirt for button up work shirts. Occasionally if I need someone to think I'm a mormon then I'll wear the double T-shirt or whatever.

The best solution I've found to mormon underwear problems is to simply just stop caring what anyone else thinks about your underwear.

[moksha]

Would complaints be lessened in the Church contracted with Fruit of the Loom to have the holy Masonic symbols of the compass and square added to regular men's white briefs?

[Archimedes]

Great idea! Maybe Michael Jordan would come out of retirement to make some commercials for the new FotL garmies.